INTERVIEW FOR ONE MAGAZINE
Liv Tyler doesn’t hide that the shooting of the Lord of the Rings trilogy was very tiring for her and sometimes painful. But the 25 year old actress would never refuse to play in those films.For us, Liv returned to her shooting experience…
Wasn’t living 15 months far from home too difficult?
I admit it was sometimes tiring. I missed my home, my family and my friends, that’s why I tried to come back and see them when I had time between shootings. Sometimes Ithought:”How did I accepted shooting like this?!!”…But I often came back to the U.S. I didn’t have to be at shooting all the time because my character only appears briefly. So I didn’t live in New Zealand all the time,but Elijah and Viggo did.
What were your first impressions when you came to New Zealand?
When I arrived there I settled in a big house near a cliff. It was a bit difficult because I’m used to living in big towns. I was totally lost and I was depressed. One night, I woke up in sweat. I heard noises near the front door, it was only the wind, but it was very scary. And while shooting LOTR, I had many nightmares. It was horrible…
How did you manage to get in Arwen’s skin?
It wasn’t so easy. In Tolkien’s books, Arwen isn’t a developed character,so i had to think carefully how to play her. The first time Iput the costume on and had an Elf make-up, I felt very vulnerable, particularly because of the ears, they were loud. I don’t like it when people are watching my ears. So I’m always hiding them behind my hair.And when I was without my ears there was always some glue on my skin. One week after the end of shooting, I was in a party and I felt that Ihad some glue in my ears(laughs).
Weren’t you too busy to learn Elvish?
It was easier that I thought. It wasn’t as if I had to learn Italian or French. I had to memorize the sounds. In fact, it was like learning the lyrics of a foreign song. It was fun. After a while, I could pronounce the words naturally.
You worked with a lot of actors at this shooting.But who did you prefer the most?
I loved working with Ian McKellen. He is one of the nicest people I’ve ever met. In spite of his career, he stayed humble.
Has your father, Steven Tyler, seen The Fellowship of the Ring or The Two Towers?
Yes, he came with me to a private screenig of The Fellowship of the Ring. I was very ashamed…He brought a big bag with candies, and he didn’t stop eating them. He made a hoorible noise with these candies…I thougth that Ian McKellen would kill him! And then he fell asleep.I think that he hoped I appeared more in this film!!(laughs)
Did you see the figures of your character?
Yes, and the first time I saw one, it was scary…It was very srange to see yourself in this mini size.But it was funny, the hand of the figure fell all the time.
Do you have good memories from the shooting?
Yes. Today I remember all this months of shooting, but I remember only the good ones. It was like after a love story, you remember only the good moments. I’m very proud to be part of this project. It was the best film I’ve ever shot!
