6 Most Unusual Demands Made By The Lord Of The Rings Actors

6. The Cast Insisted That John Rhys-Davies' Stunt Double Got A Tattoo

Brett Beattie was the stunt double who did most of the heavy lifting for the role of Gimli. While camera trickery was mainly responsible for catching all of the main fellowship cast together on-screen, both Gimli and the Hobbits were portrayed by doubles for wider shots. However, Beattie did considerably more than many of the other actors.

John Rhys-Davies, the tallest of the cast in real life, has frequently joked that a lot of the time Gimli is on screen, it isn't him, but Beattie, in the part. There were a number of reasons, but also a health one. Rhys-Davies was allergic to the prosthetics used to create the Dwarf, so tried to avoid wearing them for as much time as possible.

When it came time for the fellowship cast to commemorate the work they had done together with a tattoo, Beattie was approached, in Rhys-Davies' stead. This was fully supported by the actor, who agreed that Beattie had done so much of the work that he deserved recognition. Therefore, he is the only stunt double from the cast to have the Elvish script for 'nine' tattooed on his body. This, sadly, would be the biggest form of recognition that he would receive for many years, as the studio only billed him as 'stunt double' in the credits.