Issue Date: December 16, 2001

My life as a hobbit

by Michele Hatty

Playing a tiny character with pointy little ears and big hairy feet may not be an actor's dream role, but Elijah Wood, 20, relished portraying heroic hobbit Frodo Baggins in the big-screen adaptation of J.R.R. Tolkien's legendary fantasy trilogy. This week, the first of three "Lord of the Rings" installments opens in theaters. In an unprecedented move, adaptations of the books were filmed back-to-back-to-back over an 18-month period beginning in 1999, when Wood was 18. The elfish Wood (5-foot-7 compared with his 4-foot-tall screen character), who's been acting since age 8, is a natural in the role of an adventurous innocent whose quest makes a man of him. Recently the actor spoke to USA WEEKEND about the journey:

Had you read Tolkien before this?

I'd read "The Hobbit". I'd owned "Lord of the Rings" for ages but I'd never actually gotten around to reading it.

Shame on you! Most Tolkien fans can recite his work nearly word-by-word.

But I was a big fan of "The Hobbit"! So I was quite familiar with Tolkien's work in that way beforehand.

Did you even learn Elvish, one of the languages spoken in the trilogy?

A little bit, actually. We contacted an Elvish expert, and the film sent all of the dialogue to him, and he translated it perfectly.

Say something ...

Elen Sila Lümenñ Omentielvo.

Which means?

A star shines on the hour of our meeting.

What a great line! You invested a lot of time in this role. How did it change you?

Once you've got a starting-off point, the journey becomes a lot easier. I was 18 when I started. I lived on my own for the first time. There were a lot of first experiences for me.

Do Middle-earth's problems translate to our world today?

It's still relevant because it's the battle of good vs. evil, which I think will be relevant forever. It's got classic themes of loyalty and friendship, of courage and honor and all of those fantastic human traits everyone can relate to.

Are you going to appear on the fan circuit anywhere with those ears?

Oh no. I definitely won't dress as a hobbit for those conferences, but I'll definitely show up. I appreciate the fans. It's exciting to be part of something that has such a massive fan base and people are so passionate about. Their anticipation for the films is exciting. Especially knowing what it is they're going to see. I'm as excited in some ways as they are.

So I guess the hairy feet are out, too.

We had to get up at 5 in the morning normally to put the feet on because it took an hour and a half to apply! It became a burden over a period of time, but the effect was pretty incredible.

What's the wildest thing you've heard or experienced with fans?

There was a fan, a collector I guess, who offered [someone on the set] $50,000 for a pair of used hobbit feet. That's pretty wild.

Are you going to keep any mementos?

Well, I have the one ring. It's a pretty prized possession.

Photos by Pierre Vinet, New Line Cinema