Lord Of The Rings Trilogy: 16 Easter Eggs, In-Jokes & References You Need To See

15. Illustrators John Howe & Alan Lee Cameo In The Prologue - The Fellowship Of The Ring

John Howe and Alan Lee are two people whose names you probably don't know, but whose work on The Lord of the Rings movies was integral to their success. It was these stand-up gentleman, then, who served as the chief conceptual designers on Peter Jackson's movies, a job description which essentially translates to: they decided what the movies look like. Given that the Lord of the Rings movies are pretty much defined by their wonderful aesthetics and visual designs, you'll agree that these talented chaps deserved to make cameo appearances in the actual film as a sign of respect for their hard work, right? Thankfully, Peter Jackson agreed with that sentiment: Howe and Lee can be glimpsed during the prologue sequence of The Fellowship of the Ring, playing two of the "nine mortal men" who were gifted with magical rings by Sauron in the hope that they'd turn to evil.
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Sam Hill is an ardent cinephile and has been writing about film professionally since 2008. He harbours a particular fondness for western and sci-fi movies.