Anya Taylor-Joy reveals she has never read 'The Lord of the Rings' books
Washington, July 14
Actor Anya Taylor-Joy has revealed that she has not yet read JRR Tolkien's 'The Lord of the Rings' books, but is preparing to do so after being cast in 'The Lord of the Rings: The Hunt for Gollum'.
The actor shared that she was a devoted Harry Potter fan during childhood before later discovering that she could enjoy both fantasy franchises.
In an interview with Variety, Taylor-Joy said, "I'm about to read the books now, actually. So as a child, I had a misguided idea that you could only be a 'Harry Potter' fan or a 'Lord of the Rings' fan. Nobody told me that. I just came up with that on my own. Luckily, throughout COVID, I then watched all of 'Lord of the Rings,' and turns out you can love both, and you should."
Taylor-Joy also expressed her excitement about joining the upcoming fantasy film, saying the role was one she was eager to take on.
"It's so fun. I mean, if my tombstone can say 'Lethal Elf,' I feel like I did a good job on this planet. So yeah, I'm excited," she said.
In June, it was announced that Taylor-Joy would play Seren, a Sindar Elf of the Woodland Realm described as "a trusted and lethal agent of King Thranduil."
She joins fellow franchise newcomers Kate Winslet, Leo Woodall and Jamie Dornan. Dornan will portray Aragorn, taking over the role previously played by Viggo Mortensen.
Directed by Andy Serkis, who will also reprise his role as Gollum, 'The Lord of the Rings: The Hunt for Gollum' follows Aragorn during the period between 'The Hobbit' and The Fellowship of the Ring' as he searches for the elusive creature obsessed with the 'One Ring'.
Ian McKellen, Elijah Wood and Lee Pace are also set to return as Gandalf, Frodo and King Thranduil, respectively.
Addressing the casting change for Aragorn, Serkis recently said in an interview that Mortensen supports the film's direction.
As per Variety, Serkis said, "I really, really don't want to go into it right now because I do want to save that for, you know, further down the line," adding, "I'm gonna save all discussion about casting. Other than that, we are thrilled that Jamie's doing it. I mean, we're, you know, we're absolutely thrilled. And, by the way, so is Viggo."
— ANI
Reader Comments
I love that she's being honest about it! So many people pretend they've read the books when they haven't. And that discovery during COVID that you can love both Harry Potter and Lord of the Rings? That's so relatable. Growing up in India, I had similar thoughts about Bollywood vs Hollywood, but eventually realized you can enjoy both!
The "Lethal Elf" line is hilarious! 😂 But I'm a bit concerned about the casting change for Aragorn. Viggo Mortensen was so iconic in that role. I hope Jamie Dornan does justice to it. But then again, if Viggo himself supports it, maybe it's okay. Indian remakes have taught us that new actors can bring fresh energy to beloved roles!
Respectfully, I think it's a bit odd to take on a major role in a franchise without having read the source material first. But I appreciate that she's doing it now. For an Indian audience, we're used to actors diving into roles without reading everything—look at how many actors played mythological characters without reading the epics. At least she's preparing!
That's good that she's reading now, but I wish more actors would read the books before accepting roles. In India, we often see actors promoting films without having read the script fully. At least she's being transparent about it. And Kate Winslet joining? This is going to be epic! Can't wait to see how they handle Gollum's backstory.
The "Lethal Elf" tombstone quote is gold. 😄
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