The Hobbit: 6 Mis-Castings That Ruined It (And 4 That Were Perfect)

2. Ken Stott - Balin

The finest of the dwarves by some distance, Scottish actor Ken Stott was helped by a great character design and some of the best dialogue of all of the dwarf players.

His performance was engaging and charming, and his relationship with Thorin was one of the better aspects of the entire group dynamic - and it helped that Stott brought a humility and paternal presence to the character as well.

Though his career has mostly been limited to TV performances and domestic films, the Edinburgh born actor has shown remarkable bredth in his work, playing characters as diverse as DI Rebus, King Arthur's Marius Honorius and Adolf Hitler, and his work as the understated, warm Balin is probably his finest to date.