The Lord Of The Ring: 10 Things You Didn't Know About The Fellowship
3. Aragorn Was Originally A Hobbit Named "Trotter"
Viggo Mortenson portrayed Aragorn perfectly. He managed to convey his deep wisdom, his grudging, self-doubt, and his unwavering bravery, with ease. His portrayal was somewhat different to Tolkien's character, but Peter Jackson made several changes to translate Aragorn to the big screen.
But originally Tolkien had a different vision for the character, entirely. In several early drafts, Strider is in fact named "Trotter". What's more he's a hobbit-ranger, and not a man at all. Tolkien developed several ideas for the character before he eventually evolved into the one we know. At one point he considered making "Trotter" Bilbo Baggins in disguise. Another note suggested he was Frodo's long lost relative, who had run away from home to help Gandalf search for Gollum.
The name "Trotter" was derived from the "clitter-clap" sound of his wooden shoes - a strange garment for a hobbit. Later it would be revealed he actually had wooden feet, due to his capture and torture by the Dark Lord. He only survived when Gandalf was able to rescue him.
This version of Aragorn would have certainly changed the entire narrative arc, but the idea of a warrior/ranger hobbit sounds pretty damn cool.