Peter Jackson’s The Lord of the Rings trilogy remains one of the most beloved film adaptations of all time.
Among their fans, at least, the trio of films marks one of the high points in fantasy storytelling, and directorial decisions made within the films continue to inspire fantasy more than 20 years after the first flick was released. The cast that brought these magnificent films to life likewise persist as forever favorites, bringing their talent to a swathe of diverse genres in the years after their sometimes career-making roles landed on the big screen.
Its been two decades since these beloved films were first released, and in the time since, these stellar celebs have moved on with their lives and careers. Many have gone on to enjoy broad success in the acting world, while others have pivoted to lean on other interests and hobbies. Regardless, the cast of The Lord of the Rings continues to absolutely crush it, nearly a quarter century after they blew us away in The Fellowship of the Ring.
What is the cast of The Lord of the Rings up to now?
The cast behind the Lord of the Rings trilogy is pretty hefty, so we won’t be taking a look at everyone that graced our screens in the groundbreaking trilogy. Instead, we plan to zero in on the main cast, and how they’ve spent the years since the Lord of the Rings trilogy debuted.
Elijah Wood – Frodo Baggins
The man that brought Frodo Baggins to life has been absolutely thriving since he blasted into the mainstream via the stellar trilogy. Elijah Wood’s overnight success allowed him to branch off into lesser-known, weird, and wonderful indie projects, like Wilfred, and saw him taking part in a huge number of projects. He’s starred in more than 50 films and television shows since The Return of the King was released, and—despite this staggering workload—also found time to focus on his private life. The 41-year-old has been married twice, and shares a young son with his current wife, Danish producer Mette-Marie Kongsved.
Sean Astin – Samwise Gamgee
One of the most popular characters in Lord of the Rings history was brought to screens by the unparalleled talent of Sean Astin. Astin perfectly encapsulated Frodo’s stalwart gardener, and once the trilogy concluded brought his captivating talent to a number of other projects. In recent years, viewers will recognize him from season two of Stranger Things, but many of his most popular roles are less recognizable. That’s because Astin is a talented voice actor who has lent his voice to a range of projects including Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles, several Justice League animated flicks, and a range of children’s releases. Astin and his wife Christine Harrell have been married since the early ’90s, and share three children together.
Dominic Monaghan – Meriadoc Brandybuck
The Fellowship of the Ring marked Dominic Monaghan’s breakout role, and soon saw audiences fall in love with his take on the charming and assertive Merry. In the years since, Monaghan has lent his talent to a number of prominent roles, cropping up in shows like Lost and FlashForward as well as film projects like X-Men Origins: Wolverine and Star Wars: The Rise of Skywalker. He currently spends much of his time enjoying, and supplementing, nature, with several of his most prominent hobbies including planting trees and cacti. He enjoyed a brief relationship with Evangeline Lilly in the mid-2000s, but has largely been single since.
Billy Boyd – Peregrin Took
The relationship between Billy Boyd and Dominic Monaghan mirrors their characters’ on-screen friendship, and it is heartwarming to witness. The pair have stayed in close contact in the years since the Lord of the Rings trilogy concluded, collaborating and overall just being some of the most charming people Hollywood has to offer. Boyd’s career on-screen is nothing to scoff at — with credits in more than 30 films and television projects — but it is music that really drives the 54-year-old star. He helms a band—inspired by a photo from Monaghan — and even wrote and performed the ending theme for The Hobbit: The Battle of the Five Armies, titled “The Last Goodbye.”
Viggo Mortensen – Aragorn
Viggo Mortensen wasn’t widely known before Lord of the Rings, but all of that changed after he first emerged as Aragorn. The actor soon became a crowd favorite, and in the years after the trilogy ended, enjoyed a thriving career on screen. He pivoted from Return of the King directly into Hidalgo, and in the years since has starred in a range of films, including 2009’s award-winning The Road. He is also a celebrated artist, poet, and photographer, with a huge number of credits under his belt. He was married once, back in the 90s, but has been in a longstanding relationship with Spanish actress Ariadna Gil since 2009.
Sean Bean – Boromir
Ah, Sean Bean. One of the most popular actors of the last few decades, it took far too long for Bean to get the respect he’s long deserved. His role as Boromir in The Fellowship of the Ring certainly garnered acclaim, but Bean is arguably best known for his role as Ned Stark in Game of Thrones. He’s also commonly known as the guy who dies in every film he’s in, a joke that unfortunately maintains in the Lord of the Rings trilogy. Over the years, he’s been in a huge number of projects, including a range of video games — including Skyrim — and more than 50 films and television shows. Bean has had a hard time in love over the course of his life, with five marriages and four divorces under his belt, but he seems to be enjoying a happy marriage with his current wife, Ashley Moore.
Ian McKellen – Gandalf
Ian McKellen is an absolute gem, and one of the few members of the Fellowship who was hugely popular long before he got his start in the series. His career spans so many memorable roles, in fact, Gandalf isn’t even what he’s best known for. Sure, he brought the iconic character flawlessly to life, but he did the same for other massive characters, like Magneto, Sherlock Holmes, and Richard III. McKellen has long devoted himself to the charity world and advocacy, and remains one of the most beloved and respected LGBTQIA actors out there. He was married for almost a decade in the ’60s, and again between 1978 and 1988, but in the years since has largely enjoyed single life.
Orlando Bloom – Legolas
Another of the biggest names on this list, even pre-Lord of the Rings, Orlando Bloom has a huge number of credits under his belt. He’d already started to make a name for himself in 2001, thanks to Black Hawk Down, but it was the role of Legolas that really made people take notice of the 45-year-old actor. Soon after the Lord of the Rings made him a genuine star, Bloom cinched a role in the Pirates of the Caribean franchise, and soon cemented himself as one of the biggest stars of the 2000s and 2010s. He’s since been in a huge number of projects, from Troy to The Good Doctor, and has a number of television and modeling credits to his name. He’s been married once before, but is currently engaged to singer Katy Perry, with whom he shares a daughter.
John Rhys-Davies – Gimli
The final member of the Fellowship is so massively celebrated on screen that it’s difficult to narrow down what to highlight. He’s brought a huge number of characters to life, from Sallah in Indiana Jones and the Last Crusade to Mordecai in One Night with the King. He’s also an accomplished voice actor, with a number of roles that would surprise many viewers — like that of Man Ray in SpongeBob SquarePants, and that of Treebeard in The Lord of the Rings. The 78-year-old is the only member of the Fellowship to decide against getting a group commemorative tattoo, opting instead to have his stunt double join in. He’s was married once between the ’60s and ’80s, but has since enjoyed a long-lasting relationship with his current partner, Lisa Manning.
Ian Holm – Bilbo Baggins
He’s not as major a player as the members of the Fellowship, but Ian Holm was the first face audiences ever associated with Bilbo Baggins, and he remains a vital and beloved part of the films. Holm’s longstanding career on screen has fewer mainstream credits than some of his peers, with the dedicated Holm preferring complex and challenging roles to major moneymakers. Following his stint on The Lord of the Rings, he branched out into voice work, lending his voice to films like Ratatouille. He married several times over the course of his life, but shared the end of his life with Sophie de Stempel, who he married in 2003.
Liv Tyler – Arwen Undómiel
Most people know by now that Liv Tyler is the daughter of Aerosmith’s Steven Tyler, despite the clear gap between the pair when it comes to appearances. Tyler enjoyed several prominent roles before The Lord of the Rings, including as Grace Stamper in Armageddon, and her career only blossomed more once Peter Jackson’s trilogy released. She even appeared in the MCU — in the years before it was known as such — as Betty Ross in 2008’s The Incredible Hulk. She’s been married once, been in two long-term relationships, and has three children.
Hugo Weaving – Elrond Half-elven
Hugo Weaving was already turning heads, thanks to his stellar performance in The Matrix, by the time he appeared as Elrond in The Lord of the Rings. His star power has hardly slowed down in the decades since, with Weaving appearing in dozens of popular films — like V for Vendetta and Little Fish — in addition to major television appearances. He’s even cropped up in the MCU, much like Tyler, but enjoyed a role in one of the major releases alongside Chris Evans’ Captain America. The 62-year-old has been married to the same woman — Katrina Greenwood — since 1984, and the pair share two children together.
Cate Blanchett – Galadriel
Cate Blanchett’s career has only grown since her days among the cast of The Lord of the Rings and The Hobbit trilogies. She is broadly regarded as one of the finest actresses of her generation, and has proved it time and again through her work in stellar releases like The Life Aquatic, Carol, and Thor: Ragnarok. That’s right, we’ve got another LOTR-to-MCU star on our hands, though her Thor character, Hela, has sadly(?) already departed the franchise. She’s even dipping her toes into video game adaptations, and is signed on to play Lilith in the upcoming Borderlands adaptation. The 53-year-old has been married to director Andrew Upton since 1997. The two share four children together.
Andy Serkis – Gollum
You might not recognize him from his time as Gollum, but Andy Serkis remains one of the most talented actors among the Lord of the Rings cast. He’s been in a number of massive projects in the years since, but many don’t look quite like the 58-year-old actor. He showcases an unparalleled talent in screen capture and voice acting, and thus often lends his voice, and physical acting, to projects. He’s been in a number of video games and television shows, including 2010’s Enslaved, and is yet another Lord of the Rings vet who’s made the transition into the MCU. He cropped up in Black Panther, and quickly became a crowd favorite. He and wife Lorraine Ashbourne have been together since 2002, and have three children.
Karl Urban – Éomer
These days, Karl Urban is arguably better known as Billy Butcher from The Boys than as Éomer in The Lord of the Rings. He’s also known as Star Trek‘s Bones, Judge Dredd, and Skurge the Executioner—oop!, we’ve got another MCU transfer on our hands — giving Urban widespread name recognition. Back in the day, he was even a mainstay on Xena: Warrior Princess. So yeah, safe to say you probably know who Karl Urban is. Like Blanchett, he’s set to dip his toes into the world of video game adaptations, with the upcoming animated adaptation of Ark.
Miranda Otto – Éowyn
Mirando Otto had plenty of acting credits under her belt before The Lord of the Rings brought her into the mainstream, but demand for her talent rose immensely after the films were released. She went on to star in a range of challenging roles, often in dramas, and remains on the main cast of several recent hits, like Netflix’s Sabrina series. The 54-year-old has a single child who she shares with her longtime husband Peter O’Brien.
David Wenham – Faramir
Another Lord of the Rings star with a huge number of credits to his name, David Wenham was in some big films before he debuted as Faramir. He was even in 2001’s Moulin Rouge, though his face is easy to miss. The next year, he debuted in The Two Towers, and soon had a wealth of roles aimed his way. He was in Van Helsing alongside Hugh Jackman, one of the Pirates of the Carribean flicks, and no one will ever forget his role in 300. He’s been in a long-term relationship with his partner, Kate Agnew, for more than 25 years, and shares two daughters with her.
Christopher Lee – Saruman
Christopher Lee might just be the most interesting man on this list, so if you’ve yet to learn of his many fascinating exploits, read up on his incredible life story. His impacts on the horror genre will outlive him by generations, as will his various contributions to some of the world’s biggest media franchises, like Lord of the Rings, Star Wars, and, of course, Dracula. He sports a truly staggering number of film and television credits, and his impact on the world of cinema is permanent. Lee shared a long marriage with his wife, Birgit Krøncke, who he married in 1961, and the two share a single daughter.