The list of actors who almost appeared in ‘The Lord of the Rings’ trilogy is long and star-studded. From Sean Connery as Gandalf to Nicolas Cage as Aragorn, many recognizable names were considered for key roles in Peter Jackson’s fantasy epic. One of the most notable cases was Uma Thurman, who was offered the role of Éowyn, the granddaughter of King Théoden of Rohan, appearing in both ‘The Two Towers’ and ‘The Return of the King’.
Unlike Connery, who turned down Gandalf because he did not understand the source material, or Jake Gyllenhaal, who lost the role of Frodo after unsuccessful auditions, Thurman declined the role for personal reasons.
Why did the actress turn down the role of Éowyn?
She refused the role because she had just given birth to her first child and felt unable to commit to such a project. The wording was an understatement, since the production required all actors and crew members to relocate to New Zealand for several years while the trilogy was filmed back-to-back in Peter Jackson’s homeland. For Thurman, moving across the world with a newborn child felt too uncertain.
Does Uma Thurman regret not appearing in The Lord of the Rings?
Although her reason was raising her first child, Thurman later admitted that she regretted her absence from the trilogy and considered it one of the worst career decisions she had ever made. This is understandable, given the immense commercial and cultural success of The Lord of the Rings since The Fellowship of the Ring premiered in December 2001.
Her public regret sets her apart from other actors who also passed on roles. Sean Connery never expressed remorse for rejecting Gandalf; Nicolas Cage revealed that he declined the trilogy to spend more time with his family and did not regret the choice; Liam Neeson was offered Boromir but had no interest in playing another character killed off early in a story. Thurman, therefore, remains one of the few performers to openly acknowledge regret for turning down a role in the trilogy.
What did turning down The Lord of the Rings give Uma Thurman instead?
Although she did not play Éowyn, the decision may ultimately have benefited her career. While The Lord of the Rings was being filmed in New Zealand, Thurman starred in her own blockbuster in the United States. Quentin Tarantino, with whom she had previously worked on Pulp Fiction in 1994, offered her the lead in Kill Bill. The film was quickly followed by Kill Bill: Vol. 2. Together, the two movies grossed more than $300 million worldwide, and Thurman’s performance as the vengeful Bride became her most iconic role.
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