It's been a long time since Peter Jackson dazzled moviegoers with his award-winning,
blockbuster trilogy adaptation of J.R.R.
Tolkien's The Lord of the Rings.
And although Jackson followed that up with his Hobbit series, the stars behind Frodo's
quest to take the ring to Mordor have changed quite a bit since the original LOTR films.
Here's what the people of Middle Earth have been up to since the one ring to rule them
all was tossed into the fire.
Elijah Wood
Before he became Frodo Baggins, Elijah Wood was a well-known child star who'd appeared
in movies like Radio Flyer and The Good Son.
But Lord of the Rings helped to jettison the actor into the full-on mainstream.
After that, he started nabbing roles in films like Sin City and Eternal Sunshine of the
Spotless Mind.
In addition to returning for The Hobbit in 2012, he's also continued to star on the big
screen as well as television.
He recently appeared in BBC America's Dirk Gently's Holistic Detective Agency and stars
in Netflix's I Don't Feel at Home in this World Anymore.
"We're badasses now.
We're big badasses..."
Sean Astin
Perhaps best known for his role as Frodo's right-hand man, Samwise Gamgee, actor Sean
Astin no longer looks like the Hobbit who made him famous.
Like Elijah Wood, Astin was also known for the roles he played as a young man — in
films like The Goonies and Rudy — long before he ever set foot in the Shire.
However, his post-Lord of the Rings career is a little less busy.
He's landed a few small roles in movies and television series, but nothing's managed to
stick just yet.
He may enjoy a career turnaround, though, after appearing in the much-anticipated second
season of Netflix's Stranger Things.
Ian McKellen
Inarguably the most decorated of all the Lord of the Rings cast members, Sir Ian McKellen
looks even wiser now than he did with a staff in his hand as the wizard Gandalf.
The actor continued to enjoy his prominent role in the X-Men movies and most recently
played Cogsworth in Beauty and the Beast and the title role of King Lear on-stage.
He also remains one of the staunchest and most influential advocates for LGBT rights.
Sean Bean
Whether or not you had sympathy for Boromir, Sean Bean's next high fantasy character would
suffer a fate that broke the hearts of millions and informed an entire series of family vengeance.
Although Bean has also enjoyed roles in major movies like Troy, National Treasure, and The
Martian, he may be best known these days for his short-lived turn as Ned Stark on HBO's
Game of Thrones.
He's been gone from the show for several seasons, but his face has not been forgotten by the
people of Westeros.
"Tell them the North remembers."
Sean Bean has since capitalized on that small screen attention and nabbed roles in shows
like Missing, Legends, and Broken.
Viggo Mortensen
Becoming the King of Gondor was certainly the big break Viggo Mortensen had been waiting
for, but it's not his defining role by any stretch of the imagination.
The actor has since impressed in films like A History of Violence, The Road, Eastern Promises,
and Captain Fantastic.
And Mortensen has since branched out in artistry as well, founding a publishing company and
creating his own poetry books and paintings.
He's also known to have rocked out with Buckethead, producing multiple albums with the avant-garde
guitarist.
Orlando Bloom
After appearing as the elven archer Legolas, Orlando Bloom earned instant heartthrob status
and prime placement in several other blockbusters, including Troy and the Pirates of the Caribbean
series.
He also made at least one error in job judgment by starring in the critically maligned Elizabethtown.
"Come on."
Despite that setback, Bloom has continued to ride the wave of franchises that have informed
his career over the past two decades by picking back up his bow for the Hobbit trilogy and
appearing in the latest Pirates pic.
Liv Tyler
Also earning heartthrob status in Lord of the Rings was Arwen, the elven love interest
of Aragorn.
Nowadays, Liv Tyler has managed to break away from her fantastic image and status as the
daughter of Aerosmith's Steven Tyler to forge a career all her own.
Formerly a teenage model, Tyler got her acting start in the mid-90s appearing in films like
Empire Records and Armageddon, and has since continued to amass an impressive resume, most
recently appearing in HBO's The Leftovers as the terrifying cult leader Meg.
Dominic Monaghan
Merry might've been the most serious of the shire folk, but in real life, Dominic Monaghan
is about as laid back as they come.
The animal-lover is a vocal advocate for nature, even earning his own show about tracking down
rare species of animals and insects.
And even though he was part of the Lord of the Rings fellowship, he may be better known
for his heartbreaking work on the small screen series Lost.
Billy Boyd
Unlike most of his co-stars, the man who played Pippin Took in the Lord of the Rings movies
hasn't become a Hollywood staple.
Rather, Billy Boyd is more of a musician than a thespian these days.
He did appear alongside Russell Crowe in Master and Commander and starred in several indies,
but he's also the lead singer-guitarist for a band called Beecake.
That musical prowess has come full circle for him, as he wrote and performed the end-credits
theme for The Hobbit: The Battle of the Five Armies.
Of course, we probably shouldn't be too surprised to see him hit the musical scene after his
stunning solo performance in Return of the King.
John Rhys-Davies
In addition to being known for his axe-swinging skills as the dwarf Gimli, John Rhys-Davies
is also recognizable as the man who starred as Sallah in the Indiana Jones films.
Unlike his dwarf counterpart, the actor would have no trouble seeing over a ledge — because
in real life, he's over six feet tall.
He can currently be seen in another fantasy drama series called The Shannara Chronicles.
Hugo Weaving
Although he might be remembered for his turn as Lord Elrond in Lord of the Rings, Hugo
Weaving's face is probably even more associated with The Matrix, since he starred as the inescapable
Agent Smith in that trilogy as well.
He has also enjoyed prime placement in pics like V for Vendetta, Captain America: The
First Avenger, and most recently, Hacksaw Ridge.
Weaving will also re-team with Peter Jackson to act in 2018's Mortal Engines.
Cate Blanchett
The fabulous actress behind the elven queen Galadriel needs no introduction.
Shortly after the Lord of the Rings trilogy ended, Cate Blanchett won her first of two
Academy Awards for The Aviator.
After that, she had no trouble nabbing role after role on the big screen.
Notable highlights include Notes on a Scandal, Hanna, and Blue Jasmine, the film that earned
her a second Oscar for her shelf.
She's also joined Hugo Weaving in the Marvel bad guy club as the villain Hela in Thor:
Ragnarok, and she's set to appear in the gender-bent Ocean's Eleven spin-off Ocean's Eight.
David Wenham
After becoming Faramir for Lord of the Rings, David Wenham went on to star in 300 as well
as other films and small screen series.
Most recently, Wenham starred in BBC's Top of the Lake and Netflix's Marvel series Iron
Fist and he's also stepped behind the lens to make his directorial debut with Ellipsis.
Thanks for watching!
Click the Looper icon to subscribe to our YouTube channel.
Plus check out all this cool stuff we know you'll love, too!