Peter Jackson’sLord of the Ringstrilogy has an outstanding cast, and many of the actors have achieved great things since leaving their roles in Middle-earth behind them. Even though the cast ofThe Lord of the Ringsdidn’t focus too much on established stars, it helped turn some of the actors into household names.
Since theLord of the Ringstrilogy, the actors have had wildly different careers. Some have won Oscars and joined other huge franchises, while others have focused more on TV roles or independent films. Looking at all these successful careers highlights just how special the cast ofThe Lord of the Ringswas at the time.
Elijah Wood was a child star before playing Frodo in theLord of the Ringstrilogy. He made the most of his international fame as soon as the trilogy ended,starring inEternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mindin 2004 andSin Cityin 2005. These are both great movies, although they’re completely different.
Sean Astin continued working steadily after playing Samwise Gamgeein theLord of the Ringstrilogy, but his best role after Middle-earth came in the second season of Netflix’s flagship showStranger Things. Astin plays Joyce’s boyfriend in Hawkins, Bob Newby. Bob dies at the end of season 2, but Astin returned for season 3 to appear in some flashbacks.
Dominic Monaghan turned his attention to TV after playing Merry inThe Lord of the Rings,starring as Charlie Pace inLost.Charlie is one of the characters stranded on an enigmatic, dangerous island after a plane crash in the ABC mystery-drama.Losthelped usher in a new era of prestige television.
Master and Commander: The Far Side of the Worldcame out in the same year asThe Lord of the Rings: The Return of the King,and it had 10 Oscar nominations.Billy Boyd only has a minor role in a great ensemble castinMaster and Commander,which is led by Russell Crowe and Paul Bettany.
After rising to prominence as Aragorn in theLord of the Ringstrilogy, Viggo Mortensen formed a close working relationship with David Cronenberg. He first starred inA History of Violence,before an Oscar-nominated performance inEastern Promises.This was his first of three nominations for Best Actor, butCaptain FantasticandGreen Bookfollowed in the 2010s.
Captain Fantasticstars Mortensen as an unconventional father who decides to raise his children away with as little outside influence as possible, sheltering them from a capitalistic society that he finds abhorrent.It’s a departure from the typical blueprint of a family drama, laced with dark humor and a unique philosophy.
As soon as theLord of the Ringstrilogy ended, Orlando Bloom embarked on a new big-budget franchise. The first entry in thePirates of the Caribbeanfranchiseis still the best, althoughBloom plays Will Turner inDead Man’s Chest, At World’s EndandDead Men Tell No Talestoo.
John Rhys-Davies first played Sallah in 1981’sRaiders of the Lost Ark,and he returned to theIndiana JonesfranchiseforDial of Destinyin 2023. While the fifthIndiana Jonesmovie doesn’t hit the heights of the original trilogy, it’s still a treat to briefly see Sallah once again, and James Mangold is capable of producing some thrilling action scenes.
Ian McKellen is the only actor who got an Oscar nomination for his work in theLord of the Trilogy,competing for Best Supporting Actor afterTheFellowship of the Ring.This reflects the fact that he was already a well-respected actor by the time Peter Jackson’s trilogy began, and he has continued delivering great performances on stage and screen.
McKellen first played Magneto in 2000’sX-Men,but he has often returned to this role.Days of Future Pastis arguably thebestX-Menmovie, ambitiously knitting together two separate eras of the franchise with some well-executed time-travel. McKellen is set to play Magneto once again in 2026’sAvengers: Doomsday.
Just like Ian McKellen, Christopher Lee was already a legendary actor by the time he joined the cast of theLord of the Ringsmovies. He first rose to fame for starring in horror movies, becoming synonymous with the role of Count Dracula. He was also known for playing one of the bestJames Bondvillains inThe Man With the Golden Gun.
Lee didn’t slow down afterThe Lord of the Rings,and it’s hard to choose just one role from a glittering career. He famously played Count Dooku in theStar Warsprequel trilogy, and he became one of Tim Burton’s frequent collaborators throughout the 2000s. His role in Martin Scorsese’sHugois another delight. Lee sadly passed away in 2015.
Since playing Galadriel inThe Lord of the Rings, Cate Blanchett has firmly established herself as one of the best actors of her generation. It’s hard to choose betweenBlanchett’s best movies, since she has mainstream successes likeThor: Ragnarokand prestige dramas likeCarol.In any case,Tárdeserves serious consideration.
Tároften looks and feels like a biopic, but the story of venerated conductor Lydia Tár is purely fictional. Blanchett delivers a masterful performance, which is important considering that it’s the kind of movie that could fall flat without a compelling central presence.In a career of astonishing highs,Társtill stands out.
