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The Lord of the Ringstrilogy is one of the most celebrated works of fantasy and has been regarded as one of the greatest films ever. Director Peter Jackson spent years bringing to life a novel series that was considered to be unadaptable. The final film of the trilogyThe Return of the Kingwon eleven awards at the Oscars, including Best Picture.
Many actors in the fantasy trilogy have gone on to become stars. While lead actors such as Elijah Wood and Viggo Mortensen became synonymous with their roles as Frodo and Aragorn, other actors such as Orlando Bloom, Liv Tyler, and Andy Serkis saw new levels of stardom. Bloom, who would go on to star in thePirates of the Caribbeanfranchise reportedly received a very low salary for playing the role of Legolas in the trilogy.
Orlando Bloom’s Salary Was Extremely Low For His Role InThe Lord of the Rings
Orlando Bloomhad his Hollywood breakthrough at the age of twenty-two when he starred as Legolas in Peter Jackson’s adaptation ofThe Lord of the Rings. The trilogy of fantasy films was based on author J.R.R. Tolkien’s epic novels, which were considered to be impossible to adapt at the time. Bloom featured in all three films and even reprised his role inThe Hobbittrilogy.
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Playing Legolas was one of Bloom’s first big roles and he reportedly auditioned for the role of Faramir, the brother of Boromir (played by Sean Bean). However, Jackson reportedly cast him as the Elf archer Legolas instead. Bloom mentioned that he was ready to play anything at that time and happily accepted the role.
While the films collectively ended up earning over $2.9 billion at the box office, Orlando Bloom was reportedly paid a meager $175,000 for his role as Legolas. Though the role was substantial, the actor was a relative unknown at the time and hence was paid a small sum.
The actor, however, took it in stride and was grateful for the opportunity. He spoke duringThe Howard Stern Show,
“Nothing, nothing, I got nothing. $175,000 that’s what I got. Listen, the greatest gift of my life, are you kidding me? And you’d do it again for half the money.”
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Bloom was reportedly also grateful for all the opportunities he received afterThe Lord of the Rings,and the experience of working with stalwarts such as Ian McKellen, Ian Holm, and Christopher Lee.
Aragorn’s Sword Andúril Was Sold For More Money Than Orlando Bloom’s Salary
While Orlando Bloom only earned a meager $175,000 for his role as Legolas inThe Lord of the Rings, the film franchise continues to reap profits even after its $2.9 billion box office receipts. Many of the film’s memorabilia have been sold at high values over the years. One of the most expensive of them is Aragorn’s sword Andúril.
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Andúril was first forged as Narsil and was reportedly a symbol of kinship between the kingdoms of Arnor and Gondor. The sword was broken and was sought by many including Boromir, who was guided by a prophecy to find the sword that was broken. Aragorn finally reforges the sword and renames it Andúril.
The prop from the film was reportedly sold in 2014 for a price of $437,000. The prop was reportedly made by Peter Lyon and was designed by John Howe. The sword in the auction was reportedly one of four made for the film and was gifted by Peter Jackson to Sir Christopher Lee (viaBonhams). Lee was the only actor to have met author J.R.R. Tolkien from the cast and crew ofThe Lord of the Ringstrilogy.
Nishanth A
Senior Writer
Articles Published :2417
Nishanth A is a Senior Entertainment Writer at FandomWire, majorly focusing on TV shows with over 2,000 articles published. He has been an entertainment journalist for the past two years and a scriptwriter at various corporations before that, working on educational content. With a Communications, English Literature, and Psychology triple major, Nishanth usually covers news and analyses on Star Trek, particularly Strange New Worlds and The Next Generation; Doctor Who, the DCU, and more.A Nolan fan, Nishanth spends his time exploring the filmographies of various directors with an auteurial style or can be found making short movies of his own. He has also contributed as a feature writer for Film Companion, focusing on the South division.
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Orlando Bloom
