The Lord of the Rings stars -- Where are they now?

By Wonderwall.com Editors 11:03am PDT, Sep 3, 2022

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Hobbits and wizards and elves, oh my! "The Lord of the Rings: The Rings of Power" — a series set thousands of years before the events chronicled in "The Hobbit" and "The Lord of the Rings" — debuts on Amazon Prime Video on Sept. 2, 2022. In honor of the latest Middle-earth-set story, Wonderwall.com is taking a look at what the stars of the original movie in the sweeping saga — "The Lord of the Rings: The Fellowship of the Ring," which hit theaters in 2001 — are up to (and look like!) now… "The Lord of the Rings: The Fellowship of the Ring" killed it at the box office, bringing in more than $888 million worldwide after its premiere on Dec. 19, 2001. Directed by Peter Jackson and based on the 1954 J.R.R. Tolkien novel "The Fellowship of the Ring," the epic fantasy-adventure flick is still considered one of the greatest films ever made. It nabbed 13 Oscar nods and took home four statuettes and was followed by two similarly successful installments, "The Lord of the Rings: The Two Towers" in 2002 and "The Lord of the Rings: The Return of the King" in 2003.

Keep reading to catch up with Frodo, Bilbo, Gandalf, Aragorn and the rest of the gang…

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Elijah Wood played Frodo Baggins, the young hobbit who is chosen to return the One Ring, which has dark and dangerous powers, to Mordor. Frodo's journey, physically and emotionally, forms the core of the epic tale.

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Elijah Wood went on to star on TV projects including FX's "Wilfred" and BBC America's "Dirk Gently's Holistic Detective Agency" and to voice characters on animated projects including "Happy Feet," "Star Wars Resistance," "TRON: Uprising" and "Robot Chicken." He maintained a presence on the big screen in well-received indie films "Celeste & Jesse Forever" and "I Don't Feel at Home in This World Anymore." Elijah founded the record label Simian Records in 2005 and after it dissolved 10 years later, he founded the film production company SpectreVision. The actor welcomed his first child, son Evan, in 2019 with his rumored fiancée, Danish producer Mette-Marie Kongsved.

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Sean Astin played Frodo's best friend, hobbit gardener Samwise Gamgee. No matter how much Frodo struggles under the burden of the ring, he is carried — including physically, at one point — by his likable and loyal companion from the Shire.

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Sean Astin has worked steadily since "LOTR" with roles in movies like "Gloria Bell," "Extraction" and "The Freemason." But he may be best known for his roles on the hit TV series "Stranger Things" and "24." Behind the scenes, Sean has lent his voice to animated programs like "The Epic Tales of Captain Underpants," "Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles" and "Justice League Action." The "Goonies" star and his wife, Christine Harrell, have three daughters: Alexandra, Elizabeth and Isabella.

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Cate Blanchett was Galadriel, the ethereal beauty who offers spiritual aid to Frodo, giving counsel and encouraging him during the darkest moments of his quest.

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Cate Blanchett went from "LOTR" to legit Hollywood royalty. Considered one of the best actresses of her generation, Cate has shown her range in films like "Ocean's 8," "Thor: Ragnarok," "Cinderella," "Carol" and "The Curious Case of Benjamin Button" — and took home two Oscars, in 2005 and 2014. In December 2021 — the same month her film "Nightmare Alley," a noir crime-thriller co-starring Bradley Cooper, hit theaters — the Australian actress signed on to the Apple TV+ project "Disclaimer," a new original series from Oscar darling Alfonso Cuarón. Cate will executive produce and star on the psychological thriller show alongside Kevin Kline. She's been married to playwright and screenwriter Andrew Upton since 1997. They have three sons and a daughter.

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Liv Tyler starred as the elf maiden Arwen, who was willing to give up her elven immortality for her love (Viggo Mortensen's Aragorn) despite the objections of her father Elrond (Hugo Weaving).

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Liv Tyler went on to grace the screen in a wide range of films — from "Armageddon" and "The Incredible Hulk" to the romantic dramedy "Jersey Girl" and the horror flick "The Strangers." The New York City native tackled television in 2014 with a starring role on the HBO series "The Leftovers" and parts in "Harlots" and "9-1-1: Lone Star" followed. In 1998, Liv split with her "Inventing the Abbotts" co-star Joaquin Phoenix and began dating Spacehog rocker Royston Langdon, whom she married in 2003. They had son Milo the following year but split in 2008. In 2014, she started seeing British sports agent Dave Gardner. The pair, who welcomed son Sailor in 2015 and daughter Lula Rose in 2016, revealed they were engaged in 2020 but called it quits in 2021.

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Viggo Mortensen portrayed Aragorn, a brave warrior and healer who was raised by the elves of Rivendell and went on to live in exile as leader of the Rangers of the North.

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Viggo Mortensen went on to star in critically acclaimed films including "Captain Fantastic," "Hidalgo" and "Green Book," for which he scored his third Academy Award nomination in 2019. Viggo made his directorial debut with 2020's "Falling," which he also wrote and starred in. Ever the renaissance man, he also runs a publishing company, Perceval Press, and has written multiple books including 2006's "I Forget You For Ever." The New York-born actor, who's been coupled up with Spanish actress Ariadna Gil since 2009, has an adult son, Henry, with rocker ex-wife Exene Cervenka.

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Sir Ian McKellen portrayed Gandalf, the wise wizard who sets the whole "LOTR" trilogy in motion by sending Frodo and his friend Sam on a dangerous mission with the ring.

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Sir Ian McKellen — who returned to the role of Gandalf in the "Hobbit" trilogy — has worked steadily since "LOTR" in projects ranging from Shakespeare adaptations to Hollywood blockbusters (he's Magneto in the "X-Men" franchise) and Disney hits (he played Cogsworth in 2017's "Beauty and the Beast"). In 2012, Ian revealed his six-year battle with prostate cancer. An active champion of global LGBTQ rights, he received an honorary doctorate of letters from Cambridge University in 2014.

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John Rhys-Davies played Gimli, the bearded, ax-wielding dwarf who fell in love (alas, unrequited) with Cate Blanchett's Galadriel.

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John Rhys-Davies' multitude of post-"LOTR" film credits include "Aquaman," "Anaconda 3: Offspring" and "The Princess Diaries 2: Royal Engagement." He's also been prolific on the small screen, appearing on shows like "Once Upon a Time" and "The Shannara Chronicles," and built a large repertoire of voice work on kid-friendly fare such as "SpongeBob SquarePants," "The Adventures of Puss in Boots" and "The Lion Guard." The Welsh actor was married to Suzanne Wilkinson, with whom he has two children, until her 2010 death from Alzheimer's disease. He has since had one daughter with longtime partner Lisa Manning.

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Hugo Weaving played Elrond, ruler of the Rivendell elves and father of the beautiful Arwen (Liv Tyler). Though Elrond was sympathetic to the goals of the Fellowship, his primary concern was the safety of his elf subjects.

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Hugo Weaving has worked consistently on the big screen since "LOTR," starring in hits like "V for Vendetta," "Captain America: The First Avenger," "Cloud Atlas" and "Hacksaw Ridge," plus occasional TV projects like the 2018 miniseries "Patrick Melrose." The Nigerian-born Brit has two children with wife Katrina Greenwood.

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Dominic Monaghan played Merry Brandybuck, a young hobbit and one of Frodo's distant cousins. Like his best friend Pippin (Billy Boyd), Merry was a mischievous troublemaker — but he also proved to be a fearless fighter.

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Dominic Monaghan starred on "Lost" from 2004 to 2010 and appeared in less high-profile shows such as "Bite Club" and "Flashforward." His post-"LOTR" films include "X-Men Origins: Wolverine" and "Star Wars: The Rise of Skywalker." Dominic also served as a contributing writer for the monthly music and entertainment magazine Paste and produced projects like the 2012 film "The Millionaire Tour" and the 2014 docuseries "Wild Things with Dominic Monaghan," which garnered an Emmy nod. The British actor, who dated his "Lost" co-star Evangeline Lilly from 2004 to 2007, is an avid nature lover who bought a mango-tree forest in India as part of a conservation effort.

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Billy Boyd played Pippin, a playful and party-loving hobbit who traveled with the Fellowship on their journey.

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Billy Boyd went on to appear in films including "Master and Commander: The Far Side of the World" and "Seed of Chucky." He also popped up on TV shows such as "Outlander" and "The Witches of Oz." Billy stays active in the "LOTR" community, often attending Comic Con and other fan events. He shares a son, Jack, with wife Alison McKinnon and has fronted the band Beecake since 2006.

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Orlando Bloom starred as Legolas, a prince of the elves' Woodland Realm and a skilled archer and loyal member of the Fellowship of the Ring.

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Orlando Bloom went on to play Will Turner in the "Pirates of the Caribbean" franchise. His other major post-"LOTR" films include "Elizabethtown," "Troy" and "The Three Musketeers." Off screen, Orlando made his stage debut in the 2007 West End production of "In Celebration" and starred in a Broadway staging of "Romeo and Juliet" in 2013. He had a son, Flynn, with then-wife Miranda Kerr in 2011 before they divorced in 2013. He got engaged to Katy Perry in 2019 and the couple welcomed daughter Daisy Dove in 2020.

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Andy Serkis was the voice of Gollum, a swamp creature who coveted the Ring, which previously had been his for many years. Before becoming obsessed with the Ring, Gollum was a hobbit named Sméagol. His transformation into the repulsive, raw fish-eating cretin serves as a cautionary tale about the evil effects of the ring.

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Andy Serkis — who returned to the role of Gollum in 2012's "The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey" — went on to star in the rebooted "Planet of the Apes" franchise, the third "Star Wars" trilogy, "King Kong," "13 Going on 30," "Black Panther," "The Batman" and more. The English actor-filmmaker, who shares three kids with wife Lorraine Ashbourne, co-founded a production company, The Imaginarium Studios, in 2011 and has since directed films including 2018's "Mowgli: Legend of the Jungle" and 2021's "Venom: Let There Be Carnage." In 2004, he penned a memoir about his "LOTR" experience, "Gollum: How We Made Movie Magic."

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Sean Bean played Boromir, a son of the Stewards of Gondor who joined the Fellowship in the journey toward Mordor but fell prey to the Ring's dangerous power.

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Sean Bean went on to star in a wide range of films including big Hollywood productions like "National Treasure," "Troy" and "The Martian." But his highest profile role was Ned Stark on the hit HBO series "Game of Thrones." Sean, a mainstay on British television, won his first BAFTA Award in 2018 for best actor in a lead role for his work on the BBC series "Broken." The British actor has been married five times, most recently to Ashley Moore in 2017 after divorcing his fourth wife, Georgina Sutcliffe, in 2011. He has three children and four grandchildren.

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Sir Ian Holm played Bilbo Baggins, the eccentric older cousin who adopted Frodo after the younger hobbit's parents died. Bilbo won the Ring from Gollum in a riddle game and passed it on to Frodo when he left the Shire for good.

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Sir Ian Holm, who began his career on the stage with the prestigious Royal Shakespeare Company, later transitioned to a prolific career in Hollywood. Known for his work in Oscar favorites like "Chariots of Fire" and "The Madness of King George," his highest profile role was Bilbo Baggins in "LOTR." After "The Fellowship of the Ring," he reprised the role in 2003's "The Return of the King" and acted in small movies ("Garden State") and big ones ("The Aviator") and voiced the role of Chef Skinner in the 2007 animated hit "Ratatouille." He played an elderly Bilbo Baggins in the 2012 movie "The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey" and again in 2014's "The Hobbit: The Battle of the Five Armies." It would be his final role: The father of five died at 88 in 2020.

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Christopher Lee played Saruman, the white-haired head of the order of wizards. Although he was once the wisest in the land, this former friend of Gandalf is led to the dark side by his quest for the Ring.

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During his seven-decade career, Christopher Lee played Count Dracula nine times and Count Dooku in two installments in the "Star Wars" film franchise. The thespian was knighted for services to drama and charity in 2009, received the BAFTA Fellowship in 2011 and earned the BFI Fellowship in 2013. The imposing 6-foot-5 Englishman, who served in the Royal Air Force as an intelligence officer during World War II, died in 2015, leaving behind his wife, Danish painter and former model Birgit "Gitte" Krøncke, and their daughter, Christina. He made his final on-screen appearance in 2014's "The Hobbit: The Battle of the Five Armies" after previously returning to the role of Saruman in 2012's "The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey."