Adrien Brody felt “so stupid” after turning down The Lord of the Rings role

Even two decades after the release of The Fellowship of the Ring, Peter Jackson’s Lord of the Rings trilogy remains one of the most popular movie franchises in the world. So much that it’s hard to believe anyone would’ve turned down the chance to visit Middle-earth. But it happened to Oscar-winner Adrien Brody.

Speaking to GQ, Brody touched on his near miss. “They were casting The Lord of the Rings,” he recalled. “I, somehow, didn’t grasp it. I don’t know what part I would have been right for, but it was some Hobbit-like character. I was looking for something else.”

Of course, after watching The Lord of the Rings become a smash hit and cultural sensation upon release, Brody came to regret turning it down. “I remember seeing Lord of the Rings in the theater with an ex-girlfriend,” he said. “She turned to me and she said, ‘You passed on The Lord of the Rings!’ I remember feeling so stupid.”

All of that said, Brody can’t be too disappointed with not opting to take on a role in Peter Jackson’s trilogy. In 2002, he went and won himself an Oscar for his portrayal of Wladyslaw in The Pianist, becoming the youngest-ever actor to win that award. What’s more, he still got a chance to work with Peter Jackson in 2005’s King Kong.

While it may not have had as much of a lasting impact on the industry as The Lord of the Rings, Jackson’s King Kong was still a huge release. “We had a premiere in Times Square and they shut down all of Times Square,” Brody said. “The mayor was there and introduced us to the city. It was a big deal. My face was immortalized on a McDonald’s soda cup. When does that happen for anyone?”

"I don’t think I would have gotten the role of Jack in Peter’s [King Kong]. I don’t think that would have translated."

Of course, Brody isn’t the only actor to have reportedly turned down the opportunity to star in The Lord of the Rings. Everyone from former James Bond Sean Connery to Nicolas Cage have at some point revealed that they passed on the chance.

Perhaps it’s not too late for Bordy to get a second chance at portraying a character in Middle-earth. As we all know, we’re getting a Lord of the Rings prequel series from Amazon Prime, and I bet they’re on the lookout for actors.

Brody’s latest movie, The French Dispatch, is currently in theaters!

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