‘Lord of the Rings’ Cast: Where Are They Now?

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‘Lord of the Rings’ Cast: Where Are They Now?

Heading back to Middle-earth! Author J.R.R. Tolkien’s fantasy series The Lord of the Rings made its big screen debut in 2001 with The Lord of the Rings: The Fellowship of the Ring — and the rest is history. Like Tolkien’s books, the early aughts film followed a hobbit named Frodo Baggins (Elijah Wood) as he embarks upon a journey with others to destroy the One Ring. By doing so, he will help to save Middle-earth from the Dark Lord Sauron. Sir Ian McKellen (Gandalf), Orlando Bloom (Legolas), Viggo Mortensen (Aragorn), Sean Astin (Samwise Gamgee), Cate Blanchett (Galadriel) and Andy Serkis (Gollum) were among the film’s star-studded cast. After the Peter Jackson-directed film went on to earn more than $888 million worldwide, two final installments followed: The Lord of the Rings: The Two Towers (2002) and The Lord of the Rings: The Return of the King (2003). “I think what sticks in my mind is largely what’s loomed in my mind since we finished, which is just the experience of having made it. Being in New Zealand,” Wood told Cinema Blend in 2016 of his experience working on the film series. “The two months of prep before we started shooting when we got to know each other, and had this buzz of excitement about the adventure we were going on. We knew it would be special, but we didn’t know what was right around the next bend.” [jwplayer zH5ZtB6o-zhNYySv2] The franchise won 17 of the 30 Academy Award nominations it nabbed. The Return of the King won all 11 nods it received, including Best Picture — a major achievement that allowed it to become the first fantasy film to succeed in that category. Jackson went on to direct a prequel trilogy series between 2012 and 2014 based on The Hobbit, Tolkien’s children’s book that was the predecessor to Lord of the Rings. Many of the franchise’s original stars returned to reprise their roles. A Lord of the Rings TV series debuted on Amazon Prime Video in September 2022. In July 2020, Wood told IndieWire that he is “super fascinated” by the project and would “absolutely” cameo if asked. “If there was a world where that made sense and was organic to what they’re doing, then yes,” he said at the time. “Look, any excuse to get to go to New Zealand to work on something, I am absolutely there.” Scroll down to see where the Lord of the Rings cast is today:

Credit: Shutterstock (4)

‘Lord of the Rings’ Cast: Where Are They Now?

Heading back to Middle-earth! Author J.R.R. Tolkien’s fantasy series The Lord of the Rings made its big screen debut in 2001 with The Lord of the Rings: The Fellowship of the Ring — and the rest is history. Like Tolkien’s books, the early aughts film followed a hobbit named Frodo Baggins (Elijah Wood) as he embarks upon a journey with others to destroy the One Ring. By doing so, he will help to save Middle-earth from the Dark Lord Sauron. Sir Ian McKellen (Gandalf), Orlando Bloom (Legolas), Viggo Mortensen (Aragorn), Sean Astin (Samwise Gamgee), Cate Blanchett (Galadriel) and Andy Serkis (Gollum) were among the film’s star-studded cast. After the Peter Jackson-directed film went on to earn more than $888 million worldwide, two final installments followed: The Lord of the Rings: The Two Towers (2002) and The Lord of the Rings: The Return of the King (2003). “I think what sticks in my mind is largely what’s loomed in my mind since we finished, which is just the experience of having made it. Being in New Zealand,” Wood told Cinema Blend in 2016 of his experience working on the film series. “The two months of prep before we started shooting when we got to know each other, and had this buzz of excitement about the adventure we were going on. We knew it would be special, but we didn’t know what was right around the next bend.” [jwplayer zH5ZtB6o-zhNYySv2] The franchise won 17 of the 30 Academy Award nominations it nabbed. The Return of the King won all 11 nods it received, including Best Picture — a major achievement that allowed it to become the first fantasy film to succeed in that category. Jackson went on to direct a prequel trilogy series between 2012 and 2014 based on The Hobbit, Tolkien’s children’s book that was the predecessor to Lord of the Rings. Many of the franchise’s original stars returned to reprise their roles. A Lord of the Rings TV series debuted on Amazon Prime Video in September 2022. In July 2020, Wood told IndieWire that he is “super fascinated” by the project and would “absolutely” cameo if asked. “If there was a world where that made sense and was organic to what they’re doing, then yes,” he said at the time. “Look, any excuse to get to go to New Zealand to work on something, I am absolutely there.” Scroll down to see where the Lord of the Rings cast is today:

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Elijah Wood (Frodo Baggins)

The Indiana native notably went on to star on four seasons of FX’s Wilfred from 2011 to 2014. Wood then appeared on two seasons of Dirk Gently’s Holistic Detective Agency. He lent his voice to characters on multiple animated films and shows including Happy Feet, Star Wars Resistance, TRON: Uprising and Robot Chicken. He also continued to appear in movies such as Sin City, Celeste & Jesse Forever and I Don’t Feel at Home in This World Anymore.

The actor welcomed his first child, son Evan, in 2019 with Danish producer Mette-Marie Kongsved. In March 2023, Wood revealed that he and Kongsved secretly welcomed their second child, a daughter, in early 2022. 

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Ian McKellen (Gandalf)

The knighted actor appeared in two more X-Men films in 2003 and in 2006. He additionally starred in other major films including Cats, Beauty and the Beast, The Good Liar and Mr. Holmes. On the small screen, he popped up in shows such as Vicious, The Prisoner and Coronation Street. He also continued to maintain his stage career, starring in productions of King Lear and The Seagull for the Royal Shakespeare Company.

In his personal life, the England native revealed his six-year battle with prostate cancer in 2012 and received an honorary Doctorate of Letters from Cambridge University in 2014.

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Orlando Bloom (Legolas)

The English actor went on to play Will Turner in the Pirates of the Caribbean franchise. His other major film roles include Elizabethtown, Troy and The Three Musketeers. He then nabbed a leading role in the Amazon Prime Video fantasy series Carnival Row in 2019. Offscreen, he made his stage debut in the 2007 West End production of In Celebration and starred in a Broadway rendition of Romeo and Juliet in 2013.

Bloom welcomed his son, Flynn, with then-wife Miranda Kerr in 2011 before they divorced in 2013. After getting engaged to Katy Perry in 2019, the couple welcomed daughter Daisy in 2020.

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Viggo Mortensen (Aragorn)

The New York-born actor, who has been dating Spanish actress Ariadna Gil since 2009, appeared in high-profile films such as A Dangerous Method, Captain Fantastic and Hidalgo. He was nominated for his third Academy Award in 2019 after starring in Green Book. The following year, he made his directorial debut in Falling — a film that he also wrote and starred in. The accomplished artist has continued to grow his publishing company, Perceval Press, since 2002 and has written multiple books including 2006’s I Forget You For Ever.

The Crimes of the Future star shares son Henry with ex-wife Exene Cervenka, whom he divorced in 1998. 

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Sean Astin (Samwise Gamgee)

The Goonies actor continued to have a steady film career through roles in Gloria Bell, Extraction and The Freemason. He nabbed prominent parts on TV shows such as Stranger Things, 24, No Good Nick and Wayward Guide. He has additionally lent his voice to animated programs like The Epic Tales of Captain Underpants, Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles and Justice League Action. He wrote two episodes of A Fowl American in 2018.

Astin and his wife, Christine Harrell, share three daughters: Alexandra, Elizabeth and Isabella.

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Liv Tyler (Arwen Undómiel)

While the New York-born actress continued to appear in films such as The Incredible Hulk and Ad Astra after LOTR, she also had prominent roles on multiple TV series: The Leftovers, Harlots and 9-1-1: Lone Star.

Tyler divorced her husband Royston Langdon, with whom she shares son Milo, in 2009. She additionally shares son Sailor and daughter Lula with boyfriend David Gardner. Tyler and the agent got engaged in 2015 but later called it quits in 2021. 

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Cate Blanchett (Galadriel)

The bona fide movie star has remained a prominent and sought-after actress due to high-profile roles in Ocean’s 8, Thor: Ragnarok, Cinderella, Carol and The Curious Case of Benjamin Button. For her acting efforts, she won two Oscars in 2005 and 2014. She made her Broadway debut in 2017 with The Present. In 2020, the Australian star created, produced and wrote episodes for a miniseries titled Stateless. Blanchett's 2022 turn in the movie Tár earned her additional critical acclaim and award nominations, including nods at the Golden Globes, Critics' Choice Movie Awards and Independent Spirit Awards.

She has been married to playwright Andrew Upton, with whom she shares four children, since 1997.

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Andy Serkis (Gollum)

The English actor, who shares three kids with wife Lorraine Ashbourne, notably starred in the rebooted Planet of the Apes franchise and the revamped Star Wars films after LOTR. He also appeared in 13 Going on 30, King Kong and Black Panther. He has racked up directing credits with Breathe and Mowgli: Legend of the Jungle, and in 2021, he helmed the Marvel movie Venom: Let There Be Carnage. 

He cofounded a production company, The Imaginarium Studios, in 2011 and penned a memoir in 2004 about his experience being in LOTR, titled Gollum: How We Made Movie Magic.

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Sean Bean (Boromir)

After LOTR, the English actor appeared in National Treasure, Pixels and The Martian. He also nabbed roles on TV shows including Game of Thrones, Snowpiercer, The Oath and Legends, a series that he produced. The Patriot Games star won his first BAFTA in 2018 for Best Actor in a Leading Role in the six-part BBC series, Broken.

Bean married Ashley Moore ​in 2017 after divorcing his third wife, Georgina Sutcliffe, in 2011. He shares two children with ex-wife Melanie Hill and one child with former spouse Abigail Cruttenden.

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John Rhys-Davis (Gimli)

The Welsh star’s acting credits managed to surpass 270 after LOTR through films such as Aquaman, Anaconda 3: Offspring and The Princess Diaries 2: Royal Engagement. He appeared on several TV shows including Once Upon a Time, Shadowtown and The Shannara Chronicles. He also lent his voice to characters on TripTank and The Barefoot Bandits. Behind the camera, he produced films like The Legend of Sasquatch and The Apostle Peter: Redemption. In 2023, he is set to reprise his role as Sallah in Indiana Jones and the Dial of Destiny.

Rhys-Davies was married to Suzanne Wilkinson, with whom he shares two children, until her 2010 death from Alzheimer’s. He shares one daughter with longtime partner Lisa Manning.

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Dominic Monaghan (Meriadoc Brandybuck)

The German-born actor notably starred on Lost after LOTR. Monaghan appeared on several other shows such as Bite Club, 100 Club and Flash Forward. His post-LOTR film roles include X-Men Origins: Wolverine, Mute and Star Wars: Episode IX - The Rise of Skywalker. He previously served as a contributing writer for Paste and has produced multiple projects, including his 2012 film The Millionaire Tour and the 2014 docuseries Wild Things With Dominic Monaghan, for which he received an Emmy nod.

He dated Evangeline Lilly from 2004 to 2007.

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Billy Boyd (Pippin Took)

The Scottish actor, who shares son Jack with wife Alison McKinnon, went on to appear in films like Seed of Chucky, Pimp and Macbeth. His TV credits include Outlander, Empty and The Witches of Oz. He has fronted the band Beecake since 2006.

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Hugo Weaving (Elrond)

The Nigeria-born British star starred in V for Vendetta, Captain America: The First Avenger, Cloud Atlas and Hacksaw Ridge after LOTR. He appeared in the 2018 miniseries Patrick Melrose and on Seven Types of Ambiguity in 2017. Offscreen, Weaving has popped up in theater productions such as God of Carnage and Uncle Vanya.

He shares two children with wife Katrina Greenwood. Since LOTR, his niece Samara Weaving has also become a movie star, appearing in films including Ready or Not and Three Billboards Outside Ebbing, Missouri. 

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Miranda Otto (Éowyn)

The Australia native, who shares daughter Darcey with husband Peter O’Brien, notably went on to star on Netflix’s Chilling Adventures of Sabrina. Her other TV credits include 24: Legacy, Homeland and Rake. She nabbed film roles in War of the Worlds, Annabelle: Creation and I, Frankenstein. Offscreen, she continued to appear in theater productions like Boy Gets Girl. In 2023, she's set to star in the Disney+ series The Clearing, which is based on the real-life Australian cult The Family.