Whatever your take on fantasy adventure films, The Lord of the Rings: The Fellowship of the Ring is undoubtedly, one of the most influential films to have graced our TV screens. The movie was an adaptation of J.R.R. Tolkien’s first-volume novel of the same name. Wherever you were on earth at that time (unless you’re a Gen Z), it became the most-talked-about movie of the year.
As far as successes go in Hollywood, The Fellowship of the Rings achieved it. It has a rating of 8.8/10 on IMDb, 91% on Rotten Tomatoes, and 4.3/5 on Letterboxd. Also, with a budget of $93 million, the movie grossed $897.7 million.
If you only became a fan of Tolkien’s fantasy novels/movies with the 2022 TV series, The Lord of the Rings: The Rings of Power, the faces of the original cast may seem strange. However, with the TV series set in an age long before The Fellowship of the Rings, it’s easy to follow up on the characters.
Frodo Baggins (Elijah Wood)
Credit: The Lord of the Rings: The Fellowship of the Ring
Elijah Wood plays the movie’s main protagonist, Frodo Baggins. The movie centered around Frodo, a young Hobbit, and his companions tasked to destroy Dark Lord Sauron’s ring at Mount Doom.
Gandalf the Grey (Ian McKellen)
Credit: The Lord of the Rings: The Fellowship of the Ring
Gandalf would become a prominent character in the movie’s plot. In the fight against evil, the good side needs a good wizard. Gandalf was an Istari wizard who helped push Frodo to get to Mount Doom. Although several top actors were either offered or auditioned for the role, Ian McKellen became the face of the great Istari wizard, Gandalf.
Aragorn “Strider” Elessar II (Viggo Mortensen)
Credit: The Lord of the Rings: The Fellowship of the Ring
Heir to Gondor’s throne, Aragorn was a major character and one of the eight companions of Frodo to Mount Doom. The pretty-faced actor and his sword stayed true to the mission, helping to clear the path for the Hobbits. Aragorn, Legolas, and Gimli were some of the movie’s best fighters.
Samwise Gamgee (Sean Astin)
Credit: The Lord of the Rings: The Fellowship of the Ring
If everyone has a friend like Samwise, we’ll all be sure to get to our Mount Doom. Sean Astin plays the character of Samwise, a Hobbit. While in the Shire, he’s a gardener and Frodo’s best friend. When Frodo’s uncle gives him the task to destroy the ring, Samwise leaves all he knows in the Shire and sets out with his friend.
The movie ends with Samwise accompanying Frodo on his journey to Mount Doom, while Aragorn, Legolas, and Gimli go after the Uruk-hai to free Merry and Pippin.
Peregrin “Pippin” Took (Billy Boyd)
Credit: The Lord of the Rings: The Fellowship of the Ring
Billy Boyd plays Peregrin Took, a distant cousin of Frodo. He accompanies Frodo on his journey to destroy Lord Sauron’s ring. Among Frodo’s companions, Pippin is the most foolish. He’s one to take things nonchalantly. Toward the end of the movie, he’s captured by the Uruk-hai.
Meriadoc “Merry” Brandybuck (Dominic Monaghan)
Credit: The Lord of the Rings: The Fellowship of the Ring
He’s more favorably called Merry in the film and is also a distant cousin of Frodo. He, too, along with Pippin, accompanies Frodo to Mordor. The character is played by Dominic Monaghan.
Gimli (John Rhys-Davies)
Credit: The Lord of the Rings: The Fellowship of the Ring
Gimli is a dwarf warrior who chooses to accompany Frodo on his mission to destroy Lord Sauron’s ring at Mordor. He becomes one of three skilled warriors in the fellowship.
John Rhys-Davies plays Gimli’s character. To get into character, Rhys-Davies had to endure hours of makeup and prosthetics. In an interview, he admitted the prosthetics often blurred his vision and once gave him eczema around the eyes.
Legolas Greenleaf (Orlando Bloom)
Credit: The Lord of the Rings: The Fellowship of the Ring
Orlando Bloom’s character, Legolas, was hard to miss in the film. The Elven prince jumped around, throwing his arrows. As a skilled archer, Legolas’ precision was one of the movie’s selling points. Legolas was also part of Frodo’s fellowship treading to Mordor.
Arwen Undómiel (Liv Tyler)
Credit: The Lord of the Rings: The Fellowship of the Ring
Arwen helps save Frodo when the Witch-King stabs him. Then, using her powers, she summons a flood to sweep the Nazgûl away and takes Frodo to Rivendell for treatment. Arwen is the love interest of Aragorn, and Liv Tyler plays the character.
Galadriel (Cate Blanchett)
Credit: The Lord of the Rings: The Fellowship of the Ring
Long before Morfydd Clark stepped into the shoes of Galadriel, Cate Blanchett was the face of the character. At the time of the fellowship, Galadriel was the joint ruler of Lothlórien, ruling beside her husband, Celeborn.
In The Fellowship of the Rings, the fellowship reaches Lothlórien. First, Queen Galadriel pulls Frodo aside to warn him that one of his companions would want to take the ring for himself. Then, true to her words, Boromir attempts to take it.
Saruman the White (Christopher Lee)
Credit: The Lord of the Rings: The Fellowship of the Ring
Although a major fan and admirer of Tolkien’s novels, Christopher Lee could only be cast as Saruman because he was too old to play Gandalf. Saruman is Lord Sauron’s wizard and former head of the Istari Order.
Saruman uses his powers to create an army to hunt and retrieve the ring from Frodo. He also succeeded in capturing Gandalf the Grey in Isengard and held him prisoner until he managed to escape on the back of a Great Eagle.
Elrond (Hugo Weaving)
Credit: The Lord of the Rings: The Fellowship of the Ring
Hugo Weaving plays the Elven Lord, Elrond. When Frodo is brought to Rivendell for healing, Elrond quickly summons a meeting of Elves, men, and dwarfs. To avoid Rivendell being attacked by Dark Lord Sauron and Saruman, he officially creates the fellowship to journey with Frodo to Mordor to destroy the ring.Ian McKellen
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