…Derek Jacobi got a copy of Hamlet from Peter O’Toole …In 1963, Jacobi was Laertes to O’Toole’s prince. One day, O’Toole presented him with a book of Hamlet that once belonged to celebrated Victorian actor Johnston Forbes-Robertson [See below]. Jacobi later passed it on to Branagh who, in 2017, gave it to Tom Hiddleston when he directed him as Hamlet at Rada…
“There are not many things in my life I can be absolutely proud of or certain I got right, but one of them is that I’ve got better as an actor. I’ve learnt how to do it. And I still have enough energy to do it.”
“There are not many things in my life I can be absolutely proud of or certain I got right, but one of them is that I’ve got better as an actor. I’ve learnt how to do it. And I still have enough energy to do it.”
On this day 20 years ago, Ian McKellen arrived in New Zealand and joined the cast on January 10, 2000 to begin filming Peter Jackson’s epic the Lord of the Rings trilogy.
Thank you for all the magical and wonderful memories.
- [For Lord of The Rings] I had to do huge battle scenes, and in Hollywood films when it gets to big crowds it’s really only at most two thousand people. But Tolkien writes about Helm’s Deep and ten thousand Uruk-hai, and the only way to do that was in a computer. So we created the “Massive” software, where each of the computer people makes its own choices. At the first test screen we had 30 CGI people running at each other and half of them turned and ran away, so we had to dumb them down and tell them to stay fighting.
- You don’t know how the battle is gonna turn out?
- No. If you have orcs fighting elves, you teach CGI orcs how to fight like orcs and CGI elves to fight like elves. You’re literally not in control. You have this huge battle scenes with horses for and that renders for about three days and we don’t know what it’s gonna be like, so we wait and see.
- [Per il Signore degli Anelli] dovevo fare scene di battaglia enormi, e nei film di Hollywood quando si tratta di grandi folle in realtà al massimo ci sono duemila persone. Ma Tolkien parla del Fosso di Helm e diecimila Uruk-hai, e l’unico modo di farlo era a computer. Quindi abbiamo creato il software “Massive”, dove ogni “persona da computer” fa le proprie scelte. Ai primi screen test c’erano 30 persone CGI che si correvano addosso, e la metà si è girata ed è scappata via, quindi abbiamo dovuto renderle meno intelligenti e dirgli di rimanere a combattere.
- Quindi non sapevate come sarebbe andata la battaglia?
- No. Se hai degli orchi che combattono gli elfi, insegni agli orchi CGI a combattere come orchi e agli elfi CGI a combattere come elfi. Non li puoi controllare. Hai queste scene di battaglia enormi con i cavalli e le fai andare per circa tre giorni e non sai come verrà, quindi attendi.
Now available EXCLUSIVELY on Acorn TV: Theatreland, a behind-the-scenes documentary featuring super biffles Patrick Stewart and Ian McKellen as they star in a production of Waiting for Godot.
AMAZING props from #BeingHuman #Suspects #TigerRaid #NoMansLand. ALL DONATED AND AUTOGRAPHED BY DAMIEN HIMSELF. Hal’s domino or manager badge! Being Human Filming slate! Jack’s police badge! Clothing Damien has worn! Lots of goodies - about 25 prizes in all!!! ENDS DECEMBER 4TH. So what are you waiting for??? –>
If you’re lucky enough to stay at the Powderhorn Chateau in Ohakune, New Zealand, you’ll want to make sure and book one of the rooms in which the LOTR cast stayed in. That way you get to say things like, “I slept in Billy Boyd’s bed.” or “I showered in Billy Boyd’s shower.” Cause I TOTALLY did.
The photos above show some awesome LOTR cast signatures in the Chateau’s guest book (which they now have saved in a beautiful keepsake wooden cover), plus the shirt Sean Astin and Elijah Wood signed especially for the staff.
For a ridiculously high price, you can buy a keepsake hotel key chain with the name and number of the LOTR cast member’s room you stayed in. However, I’m way to cheap for that, I just took video. :D
