10 Things You Didn't Know About The Hobbit Trilogy
6. Written In The Stars For Richard Armitage
In contrast to the unexpected difficulties securing Martin Freeman as Bilbo and keeping McKellen on board and happy, casting some of the actors proved easy enough and, in one case, arguably serendipitous. Richard Armitage had already dipped his toes in blockbuster waters before becoming a part of The Hobbit ensemble via a fleeting appearance as a Naboo fighter pilot in Star Wars Episode I: The Phantom Menace and playing the part of a Hydra villain in Captain America: The First Avenger. However, the Brits career had been mostly defined by roles in popular TV shows like Cold Feet, The Vicar Of Dibley and Spooks before Peter Jackson came calling. Armitages central role as Thorin Oakenshield should elevate his career to new heights, but his New Zealand adventure wasnt the first time hed found himself in Middle-earth:
My first experience on stage was in a production of The Hobbit at the Alex Theatre in Birmingham and I played an elf so its kind of been there in my childhood very prominently. So to come to it as an adult ... a middle-aged man and ... have another look at it is a brilliant opportunity.
I watch movies and I watch sport. I also watch movies about sport, and if there were a sport about movies I'd watch that too. The internet was the closest thing I could find.
