Required reading?

Has anyone heard whether the actors this endeavor have actually read the LOTR? That might prove to be an interesting survey. Which have and which haven't. And if an actor/actress had not read LOTR prior to beginning filming, should PJ have insisted that they DO read it?

I'm sure many of them have, and a lot probably hadn't, at least at the time of their casting. I have no idea who has read and who hasn't, but I think I read somewhere that Elijah Wood had only read "The Hobbit." Not sure about that though.

I think that they should be encouraged to read LotR if they haven't already.

Oh? I thought that Elijah had read LOTR....for some reason I thought he was quite familar with it.

Good question, kcbob!

That's entirely possible. Like I said, I'm not sure about it

I remember hearing that Elijah Wood had not read LOTR. I think it was early last winter. It was in some article on the web. Anyway, I would think any actor in this film, who had not already read LOTR, would take it upon himself (or herself) to read it in preparation for his role. At least this seems to be the professional thing to do.

My impression from the start - don't remember my source - was that Elijah absolutely loved LOTR and had read it several times... guess we have different sources. Or I have a bad memory.

I had heard the same thing IP....something like he had heard that PJ was going to do The Movie and was so excited that he just had to be a part of it....even an orc...he didn't care. Maybe Michael Martinez can shed some light on this......Oh Miiiiichaeeeeellll?

It's entirely possible that MY memory is failing me... It happens when you reach my age. Maybe I'm getting Elijah Wood mixed up with someone else.

Hmm....two of us have heard one thing, and two of us something else....so it could be either way.

Well, it was Samuel L. Jackson who went on a talk show and expressed his desire to be in Star Wars Episode I even if he had to have a minor part (I think he mentioned a stormtrooper or something ). (Apparently George Lucas agreed and Jackson plays the Jedi Master Mace Windu in the film.)

There's no reason that Wood didn't necessarily do something similar, of course.

True....but either way, I still feel that Wood has read LOTR.

From an interview with Dominic Monaghan (Merry)

I don't know whether it's something to do with my personality, but I always seem to get cast as a cheeky characters, and 'Merry' is definitely the @#%$iest of the lot - the one most up for a ruck and a good adventure!

I said it when i first saw that four hobbits picture: this Merry is too Pippinish.

I don´t think he has read the books.

And begining to think nor PJ has

----EDIT NOTE----
C o o c k i e s t, i said!!

Lee and Mckellen have both read the books, and from the preview I got the diea that Wood had too. PJ is a different story

back to the top to post this from the recent interview to Brad Douriff:

Brad was obviously awed by Christopher’s knowledge of LOTR—Lee has read them once a year for many years and knows everything about the books, even down to pronouncing elvish correctly.

I wonder how Mr. Lee haven´t peep around Entmoot yet He´d be very well received

Good news, right?

The latest E! Online story has a rundown of who's read the books... hold on while I grab that information (unless someone else does it for me first...)

LOL, I totally forgot that I had submitted that question to E! Online!!! Now I only wish that I had listed my address as Entmoot. Oh well.

Here is the answer, finally:

Elijah, Sean and the other Hobbit boys have all read LOTR, as have Cate Blanchett, Hugo Weaving and Sir Ian McKellen. Christopher Lee has read LOTR every year for the last 25 years--he carries it with him wherever he goes. Since Liv Tyler's character is rewritten from the Arwen of the books, she tends to concentrate on the screenplay rather than the texts. However, all actors--as well as the crew, who design and make the props and costumes--refer constantly to the books.

Thanks IP!

Anduin, I thought it was you!!!

I think PJ has read the LotR. He's very familiar with fantasy (Heavenly Creatures) and... stuff, so I think he's read it.

Why would he even be making a movie of it if he hadn't read it?

I read somewhere that one of his school friends was a LotR enthusiast and he introduced PJ to the trilogy. So I guess that means he read it. (LOL, I can just picture Greg being a movie director, directing another version of LotR because I told him about it )