Ok, not that the LOTR trilogy is over...

[Guest wrestlingbs]

ROTK is already in theaters, and if the reviews and box office numbers are any indication, the entire saga was an amazing sucess. So, with that in mind, who did the best job of the entire cast?

 

For starters, here's some names:

Sean Astin- Samwise Gamgee

Sean Bean- Boromir

Cate Blanchett- Galadriel

Orlando Bloom- Legolas

Billy Boyd- Pippin

Bernard Hill- Theoden

Ian Holm- Biblo

Ian McKellen- Gandalf

Dominic Monaghan- Merry

Viggo Mortensen- Aragorn

Miranda Otto- Eowyn

John Rhys-Davies- Gimli/Treebeard

Andy Serkis- Gollum/Smeagol

Liv Tyler- Arwen

Hugo Weaving- Elrond

David Wenham- Faramir

Elijah Wood- Frodo

Saruman- Christopher Lee

 

There's more, but that'll do for now. And if you don't like a character, please don't base your decision on that. So many people hate Arwen poor Liv Tyler must feel like crap.

[kkktookmybabyaway 0]

My fav. was Viggo Mortensen- Aragorn followed by Ian McKellen- Gandalf...

[The Dames 0]

A LOT of people warmed up to Sean Astin (and will if they haven't seen it yet) after ROTK. Some are even talking about Oscar Nominations.

 

Personally, I think everyone did a great job. Liv Tyler only gets shitted on because Arwen was given a more prominent role in the films than she had in the books.

 

I can't choose a favorite.

 

Dames

[Damaramu 0]

I'd have to go with Sean Astin....he just made Samwise such a lovable character. You could really feel it when he was up there.

Although Viggo did do a wonderful job.

 

And of course Orlando Bloom was able to pull off the cool factor for Legolas like nobody else.

[kkktookmybabyaway 0]

A LOT of people warmed up to Sean Astin (and will if they haven't seen it yet) after ROTK.  Some are even talking about Oscar Nominations.

LOL -- these two brats sitting behind me at the theater last night said when Frodo and Sam were at that mountain "Sam's cool in this one..."

[Lord of The Curry 0]

- Ian McKellan

- Sean Astin

- John Noble

- Bernard Hill

- Viggo Mortenson

 

My fave is probably a toss-up between McKellan and Hill, though considering he was only in one movie, Noble did a hell of a job with Denthor.

[Guest TUS_02]

Sean Bean as Boromir in FOTR. After watching the animated version of this, I was expecting a fat viking as Boromir, but Bean fucking kicked ass... he made the balance of being bad, but believing that what he did was good.

 

TTT and RotK - King Theodin. While I thought some of his lines where kinda lame, he looked AND acted like a king. He carried himself like one too and it wouldn't surprise me if in between shots, he gave speeches like that to Peter Jackson

 

I also like Sean Astin throughout the series as well as Pippin and Merry.

[Kaertos 0]

The best acting jobs in the movies were turned in by Sir Ian McKellan as Gandalf and Sean Astin as Sam. Hands down, no contest.

 

Viggo as Aragorn is close, but some of his stuff rang a little hollow to me in the first two. Tremendous job in the third one however.

[Yuna_Firerose 0]

Liv Tyler only gets shitted on because Arwen was given a more prominent role in the films than she had in the books.

While I can't comment on her role in LotR, I must say that she is quite dull. Well, at least on Eavesdropping with Alan Cumming, she was.

[Cran Da Maniac 0]

I haven't seen RotK yet, so I can't comment on the full trilogy, but so far I've liked Ian McKellan's performance as Gandalf, follwed by Viggo's Aragorn.

 

With Gandalf, The scene that gets me is when Bilbo has the ring, and won't give it up. Gandalf turns really big, and gets really loud, then he changes and goes soft and friendly.

[2GOLD 0]

Ian, hands down Ian.

 

Then again, that was to be expected with an actor of his ability.

[Tawren 0]

Ian McKellen (I'm not British, he's not a Sir to me ) did a kick-ass job as Gandalf, so I vote for him.

 

One person who gets forgotten quickly is Elijah Wood as Frodo. He did a great job.

[Insane Bump Machine 0]

Main Character: Sean Astin, Sam

 

Supporting Character: Bernard Hill, Theoden

 

Honorable Mention: Andy Serkis, Gollum (watch the DVD extras on TTT Extenden Edition to see what he went through)

 

I would have put Sean Bean in there, but he's only in the Fellowship and the few minutes in TTT. Ian Holm as Bilbo was great, too.

[the max 0]

I'm torn between Andy Serkis and Sean Astin.

 

I thought Viggo was incredible, but Serkis did a hell of a job and Astin was amazing.

[Edwin MacPhisto 0]

Sean Astin, far and away. Even though I don't love these movies, he definitely provides the human core and most of their best moments. Rock on, Samwise.

 

McKellen's good, but Gandalf's so archetypal and grand that he rarely gets the quiet moments Sam gets. Viggo Mortensen is also really good - I don't care much for his line delivery, but his facial tics and whole body movement are detailed, detailed, detailed. I got more out of how he moved and when he moved than anything he said in the third movie. Physically, at least, I felt like he gave the most natural performance in all three pictures.

[LaParkaYourCar 0]

I've thought Sean Astin was a good actor since Rudy.

 

I thought Elijah did a pretty good job too.

[Conspiracy_Victim 0]

I loved just about everyone's performance in the trilogy. For me though, Ian McKellan as Gandalf and Bernard Hill as Theoden were the best. Ian's Gandalf was able to switch seamlessly from a towering powerful wizard to a kindly old man imparting his knowledge on those he sees as the next generation of leaders.

Bernard Hill impressed me to no end, as I said in the other thread. Theoden went from the mind controlled zombie to the reluctant war leader to the inspiring figure that encouraged his men to fight impossible odds for no other reason than to protect those that had apparently abandoned them in TTT.

[Guest wrestlingbs]

So far we have Astin, McKellen, Serkis, and Viggo as the front runners. As for myself, I'd have to say Sean Astin. Going into the series I knew Sam had a big part to play in the trilogy, bigger in fact than Frodo, and Astin put everything into this role.

 

And in case anyone was wondering what the hell I was thinking, it's supposed to be "now' not "not".

[LaParkaYourCar 0]

I also wanna say that Billy Boyd even though he was basically an unknown before LOTR impressed me as Pippin. Especially in the scene where he was singing...that was really his voice right?

 

EDIT: I didn't know that John Rhys-Davies was Treebeard. I knew he was Gimli, but didn't know about Treebeard.

Edited December 19, 2003 by LaParkaYourCar

[moral suasion 0]

I second that nomination for Billy Boyd. He was absolutely awesome.

 

But this question is so tough. I dont have any idea where to begin on picking a favorite performance. They were all fantastic. McKellen. Bean. Hill. Mortensen. Astin. Serkis. All amazing.

 

I would just say Billy Boyd because I like the character of Pippen.

[packwingfn 0]

Merry and Pippin both were good in ROTK

 

My favorites of course was Viggo and Ian, you just can't hate them. real good actors

 

And cant forget Andy Serkis as Gollum.

[Guest wrestlingbs]

I also wanna say that Billy Boyd even though he was basically an unknown before LOTR impressed me as Pippin. Especially in the scene where he was singing...that was really his voice right?

 

EDIT: I didn't know that John Rhys-Davies was Treebeard. I knew he was Gimli, but didn't know about Treebeard.

Yeah, same guy. Come to think of it, John Rhys-Davies has been in a lot of projects (James Bond, Indiana Jones, Sliders, LOTR)

[LaParkaYourCar 0]

I also wanna say that Billy Boyd even though he was basically an unknown before LOTR impressed  me as Pippin.  Especially in the scene where he was singing...that was really his voice right?

 

EDIT: I didn't know that John Rhys-Davies was Treebeard.  I knew he was Gimli, but didn't know about Treebeard.

Yeah, same guy. Come to think of it, John Rhys-Davies has been in a lot of projects (James Bond, Indiana Jones, Sliders, LOTR)

I like John Rhys-Davies. He's a pretty funny guy.

[the max 0]

The only actor that I actively disliked was Sean Bean. A lot of it was hinged on my dislike of Boromir, but I saw him as a weak link in the cast.

[Conspiracy_Victim 0]

The only actor that I actively disliked was Sean Bean. A lot of it was hinged on my dislike of Boromir, but I saw him as a weak link in the cast.

Well it looked like in FOTR that Boromir was the weak link of the group, easily corrupted by the promise of the ring's power. The cut scene in TTT with Denethorn, Boromir, and Faramir does an excellent job of making him out to be sympathetic (caught between his desire for the ring to help his people and his promise to help destroy the ring) and noble (sacrificing himself to try to save Merry and Pippin as well as distract the Uruk-Hai away from Frodo). Peter took out a lot when he took that scene from TTT.

 

Plus I think Sean Bean is one of the better actors around so I'm already biased.

[The Dames 0]

Peter took out a lot when he took that scene from TTT.

Yes, he really did. Not only did it show everything you spoke of, but it added the backstory needed for you to CARE about Faramir and his relationship with Denethor in the final film.

 

By judging the theatrical cut of TT only, Faramir seems like such a COCK for no reason.

 

Dames

[Lil' Bitch 0]

Orlando definitely.

[Cran Da Maniac 0]

The only actor that I actively disliked was Sean Bean. A lot of it was hinged on my dislike of Boromir, but I saw him as a weak link in the cast.

But you have to admit, the scene on the mountain, where Frodo loses the ring, and Boromir picks it up and reluctantly gives it back to Frodo was a pretty good scene in of itself. Showed his inner turmoil of doing his duty to the fellowship, or to his fellow people.

[cabbageboy 0]

Where's the Gimli love? I'll go with John Rhys Davies, my dad and I thought he stole the 2nd movie (though admittedly he doesn't do much of note in the 1st).

 

How would anyone consider Sean Bean the weak link in the FOTR cast? I found Boromir a hell of a lot more interesting than Aragorn in that one.

[Guest pinnacleofallthingsmanly]

I would give my vote to Ian McKellin. My favorite part from any movie ever was in the first movie when they were at the Bridge of Khazard Dhun. I can't be the only person here who loved it when he yelled, "YOU SHALL NOT PASS!!"