Martin Freeman (Bilbo) and Aidan Turner (Kili) at today's press conference - this cast is a killer combo of wit and good looks.
“Fourteen individuals – and an ensemble.”
Today’s press conference opened with an apology from Peter Jackson, who said he couldn’t be there as he was “under a form of medical house arrest” since being hospitalised with a perforated ulcer last week.
“And to be honest, perhaps it’s just as well. These guys make me laugh so hard that I’d be in danger of popping a stitch or something,” Jackson continued in his statement.
Confirming the truth of that, the cast of 13 dwarves and one hobbit kept up a constant flow of quips and wisecracks throughout the whole press conference. We knew Martin Freeman was funny with a good script – well, he’s hilarious without one as well.
Like the character Bilbo Baggins he’s going to portray in the upcoming “Hobbit” films, Martin Freeman is daunted but excited about the journey he’s about to embark upon.
“It’s very daunting – the daunting part is leaving home… I’m a real homebody, even before we had children, I was a homebody, so with children it’s like aww… I’m very excited though,” he told Modcast host Eddie Piller.
Martin initially turned down the role because of his commitments to the BBC detective drama.
“I had to turn it down because of being contractually obliged to do the second series of Sherlock for the BBC, which we are doing in the middle of this year,” he recalled. “I turned it down with a very heavy heart because things like this don’t come your way very often. It’s a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity, as far as scale is concerned. It’s a huge, huge deal. But I was contracted to do Sherlock. I wanted to do both. When I found out I couldn’t do both it was very sad. And then it was very flattering when Peter Jackson rearranged the filming around my availability.”
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 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.
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.
