10 Actors Who Were Almost Cast in The Lord of the Rings

Now 25 years old, Peter Jackson’s The Lord of the Rings trilogy changed the landscape of cinema. The epic movies were filmed back-to-back and revolutionised New Zealand’s tourism as fans flocked to visit Middle-earth in the real world. The trilogy also made stars out of its cast. Whilst several cast members, such as Elijah Wood, Sir Ian McKellen and Sean Astin were already familiar faces, The Lord of the Rings properly launched the careers of Orlando Bloom and Viggo Mortensen. 

Having spent a quarter of a century with this particular fellowship, it is hard to imagine any other actors in the roles, and yet there were so many possible combinations that could have happened. For example, the likes of Vin Diesel, Warwick Davis, Kate Winslet, and Russell Crowe are just a handful of famous actors who were considered for parts. These names, however, are just the tip of the iceberg of those who were rejected. After some lengthy studying of the scrolls, here is who else could have been on that perilous trip to Mordor. 

1. Sir Patrick Stewart as Gandalf

Sir Patrick Stewart is an acting institution and an icon of both stage and screen. Made famous for playing the beloved Captain Jean-Luc Piccard, in the ‘00s, he reached a whole new audience when he began playing Professor X in the X-Men films. 

However, if Peter Jackson had had his way, Stewart would have taken on the role of Gandalf. Sadly, Stewart wasn’t fully won over by the script and passed, leaving the part open for one of his closest friends, Sir Ian McKellen. 

2. Jake Gyllenhaal as Frodo

Although Jake Gyllenhaal is now a very well-known name, during the audition process for The Lord of the Rings, he was an unknown. Donnie Darko had not yet been made, and the actor was still very fresh in his career. His anonymous status did not deter the young Gyllenhaal, though, and he auditioned for the part of Frodo. 

Unfortunately for Gyllenhaal, the audition did not go well at all, with Jackson rumoured to have told him that he was the worst actor he had ever seen. Given Gyllenhaal’s incredible career since, those words clearly just spurred the actor to improve.

3. Lucy Lawless as Galadriel

If there is one criticism about The Lord of the Rings, it is that there is a distinct shortage of female characters. As such, competition for these roles was even fiercer than for the male characters. Before the part of Galadriel was eventually won by Cate Blanchett, several other names were considered, including Xena: Warrior Princess star Lucy Lawless. 

Thanks to her work on the show, the audience would have easily believed in the character’s strength, and although Peter Jackson was keen to use as many New Zealanders as he could, Lawless couldn’t make the audition timings work. 

4. Liam Neeson as Boromir

Now better known as the father with a particular set of skills from Taken, when The Lord of the Rings was casting, Liam Neeson was just coming off his stint in Star Wars. In Star Wars: Episode I - The Phantom Menace, he played Qui-Gon Jinn, the teacher of Obi-Wan Kenobi, who ultimately meets his fate at the hands of Darth Maul. Interestingly, it was this death that caused Neeson to pass when he was approached to play Boromir in The Lord of the Rings: The Fellowship of the Ring. 

Having just died during the climax of the first episode in a trilogy, he didn’t want to repeat history once again. Instead, the part went to Sean Bean, an actor well-renowned for dying in pretty much everything he stars in. 

5. Leigh Whannell as An Elf

Although better known as a writer and director, Leigh Whannell is also an actor, most famously having played Adam in the first Saw movie. That isn’t the actor’s only credit, though, and long before he got sucked up into the world of Hollywood in the wake of Saw’s success, Whannell attended the open casting call for Peter Jackson’s trilogy. 

Whannell has spoken about the experience in interviews, sharing that not only did he audition, but he went the extra mile to get his own custom elf ears made. Disappointingly, his dedication to the cause didn’t yield results, but he would later appear in another big trilogy when he starred in The Matrix Reloaded. 

6. Nicolas Cage as Aragorn

Nicolas Cage is one of the most exciting actors of modern times. A performer seemingly without ego, Cage is quite happy to star in both big-budget projects, such as National Treasure, and much smaller independent and weird projects like Mandy. A quick look through his back catalogue also reveals that the actor isn’t afraid of wearing a hairpiece to help get into character. 

However, there was one wig that Cage did turn down, and that was the flowing locks of Aragorn. He was offered the part, but didn’t want to commit to three years with one character, not surprising given his prolific movie output. 

7. James Corden as Samwise

Before Gavin and Stacey was even an idea, James Corden auditioned for the part of Samwise in The Lord of the Rings. Whilst so many other famous faces auditioned and fell at the first hurdle, Corden got through a couple of rounds before losing out to Sean Astin. 

Realistically, there is no one else who could have played Samwise as well as Astin, and it isn’t as though Corden’s career has suffered without the role. 

8. Uma Thurman as Éowyn

The character of battle-savvy Éowyn arrived during The Lord of the Rings: The Two Towers. A brave and formidable shieldmaiden who knows how to wield a sword. Peter Jackson originally wanted Uma Thurman for the part, but having only recently given birth to daughter Maya Hawke, the actress didn’t want to uproot her life to New Zealand for three years. 

It’s a shame as Thurman would have been great in the role, but audiences were still treated to her sword-fighting skills in the Kill Bill films. 

9. Ethan Hawke as Faramir

At the same time that his then-wife, Uma Thurman, was approached to play Éowyn, Ethan Hawke was being courted for the part of Faramir. The two characters wed during The Lord of the Rings: The Return of the King, and so casting an actual couple made sense and would have saved some money on accommodation.

Unfortunately, Jackson didn’t snag either. Hawke came closer to signing on than Thurman, but eventually pulled out, leaving Faramir free for David Wenham.

10. Stuart Townsend as Aragorn

Stuart Townsend wasn’t merely almost cast in The Lord of the Rings; he did actually win the coveted role of Aragorn. However, it quickly became apparent that Townsend was not the right fit for the part after all. The details are somewhat sketchy as to exactly when Townsend left the film, but Sir Ian McKellen shared during a recent convention appearance that he at least made it to New Zealand. Rumours are that Townsend wasn’t a fan of all the training needed for the ranger. 

Viggo Mortensen had no such worries and happily stepped in when Townsend parted ways with the project. The film made Mortensen’s career, whereas Townsend’s next project, Queen of the Damned, essentially put a nail in his own coffin.