Continuing our series of character highlights from the upcoming ‘Hobbit’ films…(story spoilers)
Thorin Oakenshield
Alias: Oakensheild, King under the Mountain
Race: Dwarf, House of Durin
Date of Birth: T.A. 2746
Cast: Richard Armitage
Thorin Oakenshield’s story is one of great daring, pride, revenge, and tragedy. Thorin II hails from a direct royal lineage (the House of Durin) traceable all the way back to the original Seven Fathers of the Dwarves. His clan is also known as the Longbeards.
Thorin’s early years at the Lonely Mountain (Erebor) give The Hobbit its foundational plot and all that happens therein comes from his efforts to avenge the wrongs against his House. At the age of 24, Thorin witnessed the arrival of the dragon Smaug and the slaying of his kin (T.A. 2770). The tragic memory was burned permanently into Thorin’s heart. Twenty-nine years later he fought valiantly against the Orcs beneath the East-gate of Moria at the Battle of Azanulbizar, where he earned the surname “Oakenshield” by using a great oak-branch in a pinch as both shield and weapon.
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Today’s featured character profile is none other than Mr. Bilbo Baggins! As a small point of order for all of our character profiles, if you are not familiar with The Hobbit or The Lord of the Rings, then you may find that some of this information should be considered spoiler material.
Bilbo Baggins
aliases: Elf-friend, ringbearer, thief
DOB: 22 September, T.A. 2890
Race: Hobbit
Bilbo Baggins was a very well-to-do hobbit living a contented life in the peaceful lands of the Shire when his accidental wish for adventure (that he didn’t even know he possessed) came true with the unexpected arrival of a Wizard and a clutch of Dwarves. Bilbo was descended from the Took line of Hobbits on his mother’s side — indeed the fabulous Belladonna Took was friends with Gandalf the Grey before Bilbo was born — which contributed to his latent wanderlust, a trait considered deeply counter to Hobbit sensibilities.
He lived in a luxurious (by hobbit standards) dwelling known across the countryside as Bag End, which was built by his father, Bungo. In 2941, Bilbo was recruited by Gandalf to operate as a Burglar in the Quest for Erebor (the Lonely Mountain) — and his many adventures truly marked the beginning of the Hobbits’ involvement in the affairs of the world outside their insular Shire.
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Here at TheOneRing.net, we will be posting series of profiles for cast and characters we expect to play a role in The Hobbit films. Today’s highlight: Beorn.
Beorn
Alias: Skin-changer
Cast: Mikael Persbrandt
Little is known of Beorn’s origins. He once lived in the Misty Mountains near the Goblin’s cave, but at the time of The Hobbit he lived in the edge of the mountains near the Carrock. Beorn was a skin-changer and could transform himself into a great bear. On the first night the Party stayed in his house, he warned them not to stray outside ‘on their own peril.’ Later that night, Bilbo heard growling and scuffling outside and Gandalf later told the Company he witnesses ‘a regular bear’s meeting’ that night.
The enchantment associated with Beorn didn’t stop with his ability to turn into a bear. His servants were animals that could walk upright and talk. He aided the Company by providing them food, and the use of his ponies as far as the eaves of Mirkwood. Later, Beorn killed the goblin Bolg in the Battle of Five Armies. Beorn’s descendants were valiant men who aided Aragorn during his search for Gollum (Unfinished Tales – “The Hunt for the Ring”). At the Council of Elrond, Gimli credited the Beornings with keeping the High Pass through the Misty Mountains open for travel between Rivendell and Dale.
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TheOneRing.net staffer and regular contributor Treebeard was lucky enough to have the chance to chat with Graham McTavish (Dwalin) about his role in The Hobbit.
Treebeard (T.B.) I am here with Graham McTavish, interviewing him for TheOneRing.net about his upcoming role as a Dwalin in The Hobbit. Hi Graham!
Graham McTavish (G.M.) Hello.
T.B. Did you have any interest in the works of Tolkien before you auditioned for The Hobbit?
G.M. Yes. I’d read “The Lord of the Rings” probably when I was about eighteen, all three straight through, and like most teenagers that encountered the books for the first time, it allowed me to disappear into a whole different world that I always looked forward to going back to while I was reading it. I hadn’t read “The Hobbit,” but I did, very quickly, when I was asked! [laughs] It’s very interesting for me the difference between the two books, I suppose, being that “The Hobbit” seems to me a much more straightforward, linear adventure story. I’ve be interested to find out, when I’ve told people that I’m doing this, a lot of them prefer “The Hobbit”, in some ways. And, also it seems to be amongst every man I’ve met, the first book they ever read. Continue reading “TORN Exclusive: Graham ‘Dwalin’ McTavish Interview”
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Here’s a juicy bit of news regarding an interesting role PJ and Co. are supposedly casting for The Hobbit. British actor Shane Briant spoke at the Bram Stoker Horror Film Festival Whitby Hammer Convention and Exhibition on Sunday October 17th, 2010, and his revelation of his audition for the highly-anticipated Hobbit films drew a very audible “Ooooh!” of surprise from a rather rapt audience.
Here’s what the Shane had to say (you can watch the video here):
[…] I’m hoping to be in The Hobbit. Wouldn’t that be nice. I auditioned for that. It’s supposed to be the ridiculous Mayor of… something or the other… the Shire. And he took himself very seriously. So I got all dressed up, with a silly bow-tie, [here Shane stands up to demonstrate a hunched man with a mild pout] and I thought I gave a very good audition. I still haven’t heard back. I’m thinking it’s because the film’s been put back and Jackson’s now back on board as the director. So I’d love to do that. That’s real fantasy life. So we’ll see.
The good man seems to be a wee bit unsure of which Mayoral role he auditioned for. If he indeed means the Mayor of Shire, Tolkien fans will know without a doubt that he really means the Mayor of Michel Delving, though on the other hand it could very well be the Mayor of Lake Town.
Join in the speculation and discussion over at our message boards. Many thanks to message board member Otaku-sempai for pointing us to this video.
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The staff here at TheOneRing.net is dedicated to bringing you, our readers, the most up-to-date, thorough coverage of the Hobbit movies available on the internet. To that end, we’re excited to unveil a brand new section of the site, accessible by clicking the “The Hobbit” icon at the top right of the Home Page. In this “one stop shop” you’ll find detailed biographies of all the cast members as they’re announced, bios of the corresponding characters in the book, and a Hobbit FAQ that will be updated regularly as the production moves along. It also features some stunning character pictures from our guest artists who so far include Charles Burggraf, Colleen Doran, Donnato Giancola and Ted Nasmith. We invite you to send along any ideas you have for future updates and, as always, to join us on our Hobbit Movie discussion board and/or in Barliman’s chatroom.
Many, many thanks to the following staffers and members who contributed to getting the new Hobbit section of the site ready for its debut: Ainu Laire, Altaira, batik, Calisuri, deej, dernwyn, entmaiden, Garfeimao, grammaboodawg, Hamfast_Gamgee, Kangi Ska, Magpie, MrCere, N.E. Brigand, NottaSackville, Quickbeam, Sarumann, weaver, Xoanon.
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