Hugo Weaving - Elrond
Sydney, Australia, October
2003
What are your memories of
first getting the role of Elrond ?
I'd worked with Barrie Osborne on The Matrix and he asked whether I'd be
interested in playing Elrond, the Elf Lord, which came as a surprise to me as I
thought the films had already been cast. Anyway, he said, "Come over to New
Zealand," so I went and visited Peter and Fran and they showed me 20
minutes of footage, and no sooner was it over than I'd said, "Yes."
What is your character's
defining moment ?
In the whole series, I'd say it's the scene with the council at Rivendell where
the Fellowship are brought together. In The Return Of The King, there's a
sequence where Elrond challenges Aragorn to live up to his responsabilities and
take on his mantle as a leader of men. That is also a defining moment.
Describe Peter Jackson in
three words.
Intelligent, child-like, Hobbit
Why do you think Rings has
been so successful ?
In a word : Peter. I think there was always an audience for the Trilogy, but he
had the vision to turn a dream into a remarkable series of film.
What is your fondest memory
of New Zealand ?
We'd been shooting in the mountains for a about a week and a half and we got up
early one morning to find the landscape covered in snow. So there we were, an
army in Elvish costume, with snow on the ground and a beautiful mist coming over
- it was just amazing.
What is your favourite piece
of Lord Of The Rings memorabilia ?
I was given an Elven sword as a parting gift. It's a beautifully-made weapon -
it epitomises the attention to detail on these films that is what really sets
them apart. God knows what I'm going to do with it, mind.
What was the toughest thing
you had to do ?
I'd have to say learning reams and reams of dialogue at the last minute. And
because Viggo and I were keen to have as much Elvish in the film as possible, we
were often not only having to learn new lines, but having to learn them in
Elvish.
How does it feel to say
goodbye ?
I don't feel that I have said goodbye to it, actually. I keep thinking
I'm done, and then I have to come back and do something else. Perhaps after the
world premiere I'll finally deel that this chapter of my life is over.