The Lord Of The Rings: 10 Scenes Actors HATED Shooting

1. Viggo Mortenson Thought Aragorn's Coronation Was Rushed

Lord of the rings andy serkis gollum
New Line Cinema

By the time filming was well underway, Peter Jackson realised he couldn't possibly capture all the footage he required in the time span given. Early on he created a second and third production unit to focus on scenes he was too busy to direct himself. Even then the crew was hard pressed to get principle photography completed by the deadline.

Towards the end of the production the were up to seven units, all working seven days a week, in a desperate struggle to get things done. This resulted in actors having to shoot several scenes for all three movies in a single day.

Needless to say, this took a strain on the mental fortitude of some of the cast. Films are rarely shot in linear sequence, but imagine having to portray your character at dozens of different stages in the story, in a single day. What's more, many of the most important scenes were rushed.

When it came to filming Aragorn's crowning sequence, there was barely time for prep or retakes. Viggo Mortenson found shooting his character's culminating moment a depressing experience. He'd just spent close to a year developing Aragorn's story arc; but when it came to his big moment he was worn out and frustrated by how it was handled.

Watch Next


Contributor

Before engrossing myself in the written word, I spent several years in the TV and film industry. During this time I became proficient at picking things up, moving things and putting things down again.