Gotta love BillyBoyd.net – it’s such a laid-back site! According to Oroalphien they have a new interview with him posted up – it’s number 12 (so you have a lot of catching up to do if you haven’t been there yet!) [More]
Day: February 6, 2002
Check out this website for a hilarious look at how LOTR could have been – if it’d been written by other people! [More] Thanks to Maestro for this one!
When Elijah Wood was interviewed on Letterman in December, TORN posted up a transcript. Now thanks to Lisa we have a more accurate version for you to enjoy. [More]
For those of you who missed this interview back in December, TORN put up a transcript. Now thanks to Lisa we have a more accurate version:
From “The Late Show with David Letterman” (CBS)
[Earlier on in the show, when Dave is announcing who’s on the show]
DAVE: Elijah Wood is here this evening. (applause) He’s the star of “The Lord of the Rings: The Fellowship of the Ring”. It opens December 9th (mistake!). This is gonna be another one of those blockbuster movies like the Harry Potter Movie.
PAUL: Oh yeah.
DAVE: It’s gonna be a huge, big thing.
PAUL: Oh yeah
DAVE: And he’s a kid, he’s only like 20 years old. Yeah, when I was 20 I had a paper route.
PAUL: Yes. (laughter and applause)
[Interview with Elijah Wood]
DAVE: Our next guest is a talented actor. He stars in the new epic motion picture “The Lord of the Rings: The Fellowship of the Ring”. It opens December 19th. Here’s Elijah Wood. (applause)
[Elijah comes out, waves to the audience and says “Hello” to them, then shakes Dave’s hand and sits down]
ELIJAH: (points to mug on the edge of the desk) Is this for me or is this for you?
DAVE: It’s all yours.
ELIJAH: Oh, cheers, man (takes a sip).
DAVE: How ya doin’?
ELIJAH: Very well.
DAVE: Good.
ELIJAH: Overwhelmed. This movie’s coming out; it’s the biggest thing I’ve ever been a part of.
DAVE: Well, why don’t you tell us a little bit about yourself and then we’ll talk all about the film. You’re… I was right, you’re like, a kid, right? You’re gonna be 21? Is that right?
ELIJAH: I’m gonna be 21, yeah.
DAVE: Yeah, that’s a kid. (applause)
ELIJAH: Thank you, thank you. I’ve always felt older than I was, so finally I feel like I’m catching up with myself.
DAVE: Tell me about your early life. How did you begin in show business, that kind of stuff; where are you from, what’d you do?
ELIJAH: Uh, originally from Iowa, actually, um, and I….. (scattered applause)
ELIJAH: Oh! Are there people from Iowa here? Fantastic! Uh, and then I sort of moved to Los Angeles and started auditioning, and one thing led after another.
DAVE: You moved with your family? Is that what you did?
ELIJAH: Yeah, we all moved out together to pursue….
DAVE: And why did the whole family go to California from Iowa?
ELIJAH: Uh, basically for me and my brother to kind of pursue acting, and my brother got out of it early and I kind of kept going, so, here I am.
DAVE: It’s turned out pretty well, hasn’t it?
ELIJAH: Pretty well. I’m very lucky.
DAVE: And you did this movie in New Zealand, is that correct?
ELIJAH: I did. I lived there for 16 months, unbelievably.
DAVE: Wow.
ELIJAH: Yeah, it was a life experience.
DAVE: What was….
ELIJAH: It was truly profound.
DAVE: I understand it’s physically quite a lovely place, but other than that, what was it like? Just…were you there on your own?
ELIJAH: I was there on my own, had my own house, had my own car. So, aside from making the movie, I had my own life there, which is pretty incredible. And we got out some pretty crazy stuff. I learned how to surf while I was there, which is amazing, and did this thing called paraponting…
DAVE: Para… I’m sorry, what is the word? Para…
ELIJAH: Paraponting.
DAVE: Ponting?
ELIJAH: Yes.
DAVE: P-o-n-t-i-n-g?
ELIJAH: I…I think that’s how you spell it, yeah.
DAVE: I’ve not heard of that.
ELIJAH: You get a parachute and you jump off a hill and you kind of ride the uh… the air.
DAVE: Mmmm…. (scattered laughter from the audience, Elijah laughs)
ELIJAH: Exactly.
DAVE: You can also do the same thing by jumping out of a shnook. (laughter)
ELIJAH: A shnook. As… as…I was watching. (applause)
DAVE: Jump out of a shnook.
ELIJAH: A Chinook, as she was saying. Right. (applause)
DAVE: Uh, and the people in New Zealand have a real zest for life, they love that kind of dangerous stuff, don’t they?
ELIJAH: They do. They love bungee jumping, jumping out of planes, you know, snowboarding, that sort of thing. I didn’t do bungee jumping. I think I was a little too nervous for that. Admittedly.
DAVE: And, you were there, you say, a year and a half, and… and everybody got to know one another, and got along pretty well and you did stuff as a… as a family after a while…
ELIJAH: As a group, yeah. I mean, we really became a fellowship like that in the film.
DAVE: Mmm hmmm…
ELIJAH: Some of the best friends of my life, I made on this, so… it was pretty incredible.
DAVE: What kind of things would you do, when you weren’t shooting the movie, with your buddies on the film?
ELIJAH: Uh, well, we did the surfing… I got a, you know, a wetsuit and a surfboard, got involved in that. A lot of bars, went to a lot of bars, just… (laughter and applause, Elijah laughs) The local pubs, as you do. I got very ingrained in the English culture so, very familiar with that.
DAVE: And….and was there talk of everybody getting tattoos, did that happen? (scattered laughter)
ELIJAH: That did… that did happen. Uh, we became so close on the movie, as a fellowship, we felt that, you know, the experience and the profundity of the experience deserved to be branded physically.
DAVE: Mmm hmm…
ELIJAH: So we all went to a tattoo parlour about a week before we finished and got branded together, which was really incredible…
DAVE: Really?
ELIJAH: And Ian McKellen actually got a tattoo as well.
DAVE: Mmm, and…and uh, you…I don’t see it, but…and I don’t know if I wanna see it, but you…
ELIJAH: It’s…it’s here (points to lower right torso) so I don’t think I can show it.
DAVE: And then what…
ELIJAH: I don’t think that would be a good idea.
DAVE: And what…what is it? (laughter and shouts from the audience of “show it!”; Dave grins at them)
ELIJAH: It’s actually Elvish, which is the language….
DAVE: You got a tattoo of Elvis?
ELIJAH: No no…. (he laughs, and laughter from the audience). It’s…it’s Elvish, which is actually the language of the Elves.
DAVE: Oh, oh, oh, I see.
ELIJAH: And it stands for the…it stands for “nine,” the nine members of the fellowship.
DAVE: Was it painful, when that happened?
ELIJAH: REALLY painful, and…and….(laughter). Yeah. And the funny thing about that is…is I was asking various people who’d had tattoos if it was painful, and they were like “No no no, it’s fine, you’re.. you’re gonna be fine.”…
DAVE: Yeah… (he laughs)
ELIJAH: My GOD…. (Dave and audience laugh). Ridiculous. I’ve never been in so much pain in my life.
DAVE: And… and how long before you got over, where….whenever you’d take a shower….you… how long did it take you to get over “Oh, jeez!” that? (looking at his lower right torso).
ELIJAH: Umm…it…it… (he laughs and the audience begins laughing).
DAVE: O God, what is….you know where you got….you know what I’m saying?
ELIJAH: (putting his hand where the tatoo is) The….the “Oh! It’s there.”
DAVE: My God. Oh, it’s my thing, uh…yeah…
ELIJAH: I know…. I know. It took about… it took about a….a couple of months, I think. (Dave and audience laugh). I’m very proud of it, though. I still look at it when I get out of the shower.
DAVE: Yeah, and uh….(audience laughs).
ELIJAH: (looking at the audience) Sorry. It’s a little personal, I know…I know. (laughter and applause). Take a look down. Forever remember the fellowship.
DAVE: How long do you think you can go in a pool? Nevermind. (laughter and applause, Elijah laughs)
DAVE: Uh, and when is your 21st birthday?
ELIJAH: January 28th.
DAVE: Oh, you got a big celebration planned?
ELIJAH: Um, I’m…I’m thinking about going to Vegas. I think it’s time to go to Vegas.
DAVE: That’s…that’s the thing to do, yeah.
ELIJAH: Absolutely…we’re gonna uh…a prerequisite to wear suits, do the old Rat Pack thing, you know, bring all my friends. I think it’ll be good. Lots of debauchery (Dave laughs), lots of drinking. (scattered laughter). As you do.
DAVE: Now this…uh, this movie, as…as you talk about it, you’re very excited, because it…it looks like it’s gonna be uh….a very…and has been widely anticipated…
ELIJAH: Mmmm…
DAVE: … and decidedly so, and it’s gonna be an enormous film, so that must be a real thrill for you. Is it already making a difference in….in your life, your daily life?
ELIJAH: It’s…it’s kind of scary…
DAVE: Yeah.
ELIJAH: I’ve never been a part of anything quite this big before, so…yeah, a bit. I think, um, actually, while we were still filming, I came home a few times… people were already calling me Frodo, which is the name of my character. So it’s…it’s starting to have an impact.
DAVE: Mmmm hmmm, and…and is that all right with you, to be called Frodo? (Elijah and audience laugh)
ELIJAH: I’m very familiar with it. I’m…I’ve taken the character on as a piece of me, so….
DAVE: Yeah…
ELIJAH: That’s all right. You can call me Frodo. (Dave laughs) Go on, Dave, it’s okay.
DAVE: (laughing) All right, Frodo. (laughter and applause, Elijah laughs) Whatever you want. Now, let’s um…(reaches to the side of his desk to pull out the action figure wrapped in plastic)
ELIJAH: Oh, what do you have there?
DAVE: This looks like it uh…I think it’s your action figure, is that right? You…you can’t have a movie anymore without an action figure? (takes it out of the package and places it on the desk in front of Elijah) This just looks like a…a chess piece.
ELIJAH: Oh my god.
DAVE: Is that you?
ELIJAH: Is this from Burger King?
DAVE: I don’t…I don’t…you know I just…(audience begins laughing)
ELIJAH: Okay, but here, I have one question…
DAVE: …it comes with a deal here….(fumbling with package)
ELIJAH: Why is one foot invisible and the other not? What is that all about? You see this? (pointing to the action figure’s feet). Invisible foot….
DAVE: I assumed it was part of the movie.
ELIJAH: No, it’s not, actually.
DAVE: Does it….it goes on that thing there… you gotta… you gotta put it on the thing…(struggles to fit figure on its base)
ELIJAH: Oh dear.
DAVE: Some assembly required. (laughter from audience, Elijah tries to help him). I’ll get it. (pulls the toy to the middle of his desk)
ELIJAH: (leaning towards Dave) Put it…put it the other way, the other way around, I think.
DAVE: Just….please, Frodo.
ELIJAH: (puts his hands up and sits back) Alright. Alright. (audience laughs, applause) Just trying to help. (more applause as Dave struggles with the figure; Elijah laughs) You all right, Dave?
DAVE: It…it looks like he’s standing on a…a pork chop. I don’t know….(laughter)
ELIJAH: (laughing) It kinda does resemble a pork chop.
DAVE: Is that part of the story? There. (puts the assembled figure, on stand, in front of Elijah)
ELIJAH: There it is.
DAVE: Wow. That’s a nice piece of work, isn’t it? (laughter)
ELIJAH: Very nice.
DAVE: Now, do you get a little uh….a little taste of this, whenever they sell these things? Are you…do you get a piece of it?
ELIJAH: I…I do, I’m…I’ve actually….I went to New Line recently and said “I need to be on the mailing list. I want all the merchandise.”
DAVE: Wow.
ELIJAH: I don’t wanna be on eBay in 20 years having to search this stuff down. (Dave laughs) I’m a total geek for this stuff. I’ve been collecting action figures for years, so… it’s really cool to have my own figure.(Dave continues to struggle with the figure)
DAVE: Whoopsie….alright. I don’t know, I uh….
ELIJAH: Oh, come on, get it right! (he laughs, and audience laughs)
DAVE: Uh, let’s uh…let’s show them a little bit of the movie here. Do you know what the clip is we’re gonna see?
ELIJAH: I…I don’t, actually. (looking at Dave)
DAVE: Oh, come on.
ELIJAH: What…what is the clip?
DAVE: You gotta know what the clip is!
ELIJAH: (looking toward the cameras and the audience questioningly) What’s…what’s the clip?
DAVE: I don’t know, I’m not in the movie!
ELIJAH: Uh….it’s….. (he laughs, audience laughs)
DAVE: You gotta know!
ELIJAH: Oh, I think I’m being….I’m being….
DAVE: You were in New Zealand for a year and a half, for God’s sake!
ELIJAH: I’m being chased by a Ringwraith. That’s what it is.
DAVE: I’m sorry….
ELIJAH: I’m being chased by a Ringwraith, a Black Rider. It’s very scary.
DAVE: Okay, here we go, being chased by a Ringwraith. Here we…
ELIJAH: A Ringwraith.
DAVE: That’s right. Elijah Wood. Take a look.
[clip of “Lord of the Rings: The Fellowship of the Ring” – hobbits being chased by Black Rider onto the dock at Buckleberry Ferry]. (applause from the audience)
ELIJAH: Run! (watching and referring to the clip)
DAVE: Wow. (clapping) There you go. All right, well listen, happy birthday.
ELIJAH: Thank you.
DAVE: Enjoy yourself in Las Vegas.
ELIJAH: Thank you.
DAVE: And uh…December twenty….first? Is that what this…
ELIJAH: Dec…uh…December 19th is the release of the film.
DAVE: December 19th, great.
ELIJAH: Yes.
DAVE: Well, good. I know it’s gonna be a big hit. Congratulations.
ELIJAH: Thank you very much.
DAVE: Thank you for being here.(they shake hands, cheers and applause)
ELIJAH: Thanks.
DAVE: Elijah Wood everybody. We’ll be right back with Stereophonics.(applause and music)
As a child actor, Elijah Wood was always expected to achieve big things in his acting career, impressing in films such as Forever Young, The War, and North. But of all the roles he would play to date, none would compare with the role of Frodo Baggins, the main protagonist in the ‘greatest book of the 20th Century’. When Wood heard that Peter Jackson would be making a movie on the Lord of the Rings trilogy, he immeaditelly sent in an audition tape in which he was dressed in midievil attire and recited lines from his own copy of Lord of the Rings.
Two years later, and Elijah Wood had finished arguably one of the most gruelling film shoots in history with an 18-month shoot in picturesque New Zealand. Peter Jackson, by picking Elijah Wood (an actor whose previous movies he hadn’t seen before) amongst thousands of other actors, had made the Hobbit actor a star at the age of twenty. A star who for months had the worry of how critics would find his performance as Frodo Baggins hanging over his head like a dark cloud. But on December 19th, fans and critics alike saw just why Elijah Wood was destined for big things only a few years ago.
But now the honeymoon period is over as the Fellowship of the Ring, arguably the easiest of the three performances in the Lord of the Rings trilogy, has been and gone and the real hardship on the road to Mordor begins next December in The Two Towers. How does one portray such a gradual deteriation as the one Frodo Baggins experiences in the Lord of the Rings? That was the question both Elijah and Peter Jackson had to ask themselves after so accurately portraying the innocence and spirit of Frodo Baggins in the Fellowship of the Ring.
So how do you think Elijah Wood will cope with the challange in front of him? One person recently described Frodo ‘deteriorating before your very eyes’ when referring to the upcoming The Two Towers trailer. Does this bode well for the future? And how would you go about portraying such a difficult change, especially when jumping from one movie to the next in a hectic 18-month schedule? We’ll be discussing all this and more this weekend at the Hall of Fire!
Upcoming Discussions:
Feb 16 & 17: The Misconcepted ‘Errors’ in FotR
Feb 23 & 24: The Needed and Wanted on the FotR DVD
Place:
#thehalloffire on theonering.net server; come to theonering.net’s chat room Barliman’s and then type /join #thehalloffire .
Saturday Chat: 5:30 pm ET (17:30) [also 11:30 pm (23:30) CET and 7:30 am Sunday (07:30) AET]
Sunday Chat: 7:00 pm (19:00) CET [also 1:00 pm (13:00) ET and 4:00 am (04:00) Monday morning AET]
ET = Eastern Time, USA’s East Coast
CET = Central European Time, Central Europe
Questions? Topics? Send ‘em here.
During the months of lead-up to the release last Christmas of “The Fellowship of the Ring,” Peter Jackson’s remarkable film adaptation of the first volume of J.R.R. Tolkien’s “The Lord of the Rings,” one question kept pushing to the fore. [More]