The Lord of the Ringsstar John Rhys-Davies revealed that one of his most hilarious and memorable lines was improvised. Appearing in the celebrated Peter JacksonLord of the Ringsmovies,Rhys-Davies portrays Gimli, a dwarf who accompanies Legolas and more on numerous endeavors. Throughout the franchise, Gimli demonstrates loyalty and combat ability and has always been a source of humor.
As played by Rhys-Davies, Gimli was introduced inThe Lord of the Rings:The Fellowship of the Ring, where he joins Frodo Baggins (Elijah Wood) indestroying the One Ring.That movie also features a now-iconic moment between Gimli and Legolas (Orlando Bloom),when the former shouts not to grab his beard.
During the By Beard and Hammer! Adventures with John Rhys-Davies panel at Fan Expo Denver, whichScreenRantwas in attendance for,theLord of the Ringsactor revealed thathe improvised “not the beard!“As Rhys-Davies explained, he landed unsteadily while filming, and Orlando Bloom simply grabbed his beard, spurring that hilarious response. Check out his comments below:
We were doing a scene with the green screen, and we were jumping from place to place. And I sort of jumped like that, very deliberately tottered. And I remember [Orlando Bloom] just reached out because he thought I was going to fall off this little block. And he grabbed my beard, and I grabbed his hand in a vice like grip and snarled at him. “Not the beard.”
What This Means For The Lord Of The Rings
The Iconic Line Happens During A Pivotal Sequence
That comedic exchange occurs during a significant and intense sequence fromThe Fellowship of the Ring. While Gimli and othersevade the Balrogand escape quickly deteriorating Moria, he proclaims that Dwarves do not get thrown, which leads to his memorable beard line. Jumping over fractured steps,Legolas holds on to Gimli’s beard to retrieve him safely.
Following that incident, Gandalf (Ian McKellen) dies, andThe Fellowship of the Ringtakes an emotional turn, as Gimli and company grieve. That makes his beard line more notable, because it happens amid disaster. After learning that Rhys-Davies improvised that moment, it is worth wondering how the scene would have originally played out, but his reaction fitsGimli’s personalityperfectly.
Our Take On The Lord Of The Rings Beard Line
The Epic Trilogy Incorporates Moments Of Humor
Despite many perilous journeys and rising stakes,TheLord of the Ringstrilogy manages to perfectly incorporate humor.Along with his iconic beard line, Gimli has several amusing moments inThe Fellowship of the Ring, including when he verbally expresses self-confidence in his perception skills, right before being ensnared by Elves, and some of his reactions to remarks from other characters.
Besides Gimli, Pippin Took and Merry Brandybuck (Billy Boyd and Dominic Monaghan, respectively) provide comedy in variousThe Lord of the Ringsinstallments. After hearing about Rhys-Davies improvising his memorable line from the first trilogy entry, it’s also interesting to think about what else could have been non-scripted, that may notably stand out in one of the movies.
Source: ScreenRant
The Lord of the Rings
The Lord of the Rings is a multimedia franchise consisting of several movies and a TV show released by Amazon titled The Lord of the Rings: The Rings of Power. The franchise is based on J.R.R. Tolkien’s book series that began in 1954 with The Fellowship of the Ring. The Lord of the Rings saw mainstream popularity with Peter Jackson’s The Lord of the Rings and The Hobbit trilogies.
