TheTwilight Series. Popular for its excellent adaption of a series of novels onto the big screen, its amazing and ever-improving visuals, as well as its excellent cast, the Lord of the Rings films are iconic.
Whether it was before the success of the film series or after, there are plenty of famous actors in the films you might not have known starred in other successful films and series. So here are 10 other shows and movies you didn’t know the Lord Of The Rings cast has been in.
Cate Blanchett - Carol (Carol)
The actress who plays Galadriel in the Lord of the Rings series as well as The Hobbit series has an extensive career and also plays Carol in the popular lesbian film, Blue Jasmine, a Woody Allen film, despite on-going assault allegations against the man from his step-daughter, Dylan Farrow.
Elijah Wood - Wirt (Over The Garden Wall)
Elijah Wood is famous for playing Frodo in the Lord of the Rings series, but did you know that the famous actor voiced the character Wirt for the animated Cartoon Network series Over the Garden Wall?
Telling the story of two brothers, Wirt and Greg, who end up over the garden wall and struggle to find their way home, ending up in a lot of fantastical problems they have to work together to get out of. The animated series is beautifully rendered and has an excellent soundtrack written specifically for the series.
Ian Mckellen - Magneto (X-Men)
Ian McKellen plays Gandalf in the Lord of the Rings films, easily one of the most important roles in the trilogy. However, what fans of the movies might not have realized is that McKellen has also played Magneto from the X-Men series, showing his acting chops and ability to sustain energy in long term roles. Sir Ian McKellen was ordained into knighthood in 1991 for services to the performing arts and almost turned it down because he thought the system was unfair regarding who they chose to knight, in his words, with actors qualifying more often than firefighters.
Christopher Lee - Count Dooku (Star Wars: Attack Of The Clones)
Like a few of the actors on this list, Christopher Lee has starred in many famous series like Lord of the Rings, possibly his most famous series of all being the Star Wars series. The late actor who plays Saruman in the Lord of the Rings series sadly died in 2015 due to respiratory problems and heart failure, shortly after celebrating his 93rd birthday.
In the Star Wars series, he played Count Dooku, a Force-sensitive human and Jedi Master that unfortunately ed the dark side of the Force and became the Dark Lord of the Sith, Darth Tyranus.
Ian Holm - Skinner (Ratatouille)
The actor who plays Bilbo in the Lord of the Rings series, later played by Martin Freedman in The Hobbit to depict him at a younger age, also voices Skinner, from the Pixar kids' movie Skinner is the main antagonist in Ratatouille, a man who does not like rats at all. And when he discovers Remy, he ends up forcing him to create frozen foods after capturing him. His move from fantasy to voicing a children's cartoon character shows the actor's diverse skill set.
Orlando Bloom - Will Turner (Pirates Of The Caribbean)
The famous heartthrob is known for many roles, but did you know that the actor who plays Legolas in the Lord of the Rings series also played Will Turner from the Johnny Depp.
The actor has had an on-again-off-again relationship with singer Katy Perry, though they seem to have gotten out of their rough patch and are now engaged and expecting their first child.
Dominic Monaghan - Charlie Pace (Lost)
Merry, alongside Pippin, are among the hobbit of the Fellowship of the Ring. What audiences might not know about Monaghan is that he also played Charlie Pace on ABC's Lost. Charlie Pace is a regular character on the first three seasons of the TV series documenting the lives of plane crash survivors on the mysterious tropical island they crash into. Monaghan's role shrunk after the first three seasons and he continued to only make occasional appearances until the final season.
Sean Bean - Ned Stark (Game Of Thrones)
Sean Bean, famous for playing Game of Thrones, plays Boromir in the Lord of the Rings franchise. While part of Sean Bean's fame in most recent memory comes from his excellent depiction of Ned Stark, the other part of his fame comes from his untimely death in the series, the first big death of the show -- and a dubious honor that seems to follow him from role to role.
His role in the Lord of The Rings Series also contributed vastly to his fame, naturally. After all, you'll be hard-pressed to find an internet denizen that is not intimately familiar with the "One Does Not Simply" meme.
Bret McKenzie - Bret (Flight Of The Conchords)
While Bret McKenzie didn't have a large role in the Lord of the Rings film series, playing an Elf Escort, his role in the film is important because it marks the beginning of hiring more New Zealand actors for the movies, the country where the movies are filmed. McKenzie wrote for the show HBO for two seasons.
