‘Lord Of The Rings’ 20th Anniversary: See Photos Of The Cast From All Three Films

By:

Elissa Anderson

December 16, 2021 10:35AM EST

It’s been 20 years since ‘Lord of the Rings’ first hit theaters! Check out photos from all three movies to celebrate.

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The Lord Of The Rings

The Lord Of The Rings — J.R.R. Tolkien published the first ‘Lord of the Rings’ novel in July 1954. The fantasy epic was a sequel to the author’s 1937 children’s book ‘The Hobbit.’ Since it was first published, it served as material for tons of adaptations, but in 2001, director Peter Jackson released perhaps the best-known take on the classic novel with ‘The Lord of the Rings: The Fellowship of the Ring’ film. The director released film adaptations of all three books, finishing in 2003 with ‘The Return of the King.’ The movie stars Elijah Wood as Frodo Baggins, Ian McKellen as Gandalf, Orlando Bloom as Legolas, and many more.

It’s become a beloved film adaptation that also introduced tons of young fans to the classic novels. The movies received 30 Academy Award nominations, and in total, it ended up winning 17 for the whole series.

Scroll through our gallery to check out photos from ‘The Lord of the Rings’ movies here!

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Orlando Bloom, Sean Bean, Viggo Mortensen

Orlando Bloom, Sean Bean, Viggo Mortensen — Orlando Bloom was one of the biggest stars to come out the series. He played the elf Legolas.

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Elijah Wood

Elijah Wood — Elijah Wood starred as the book’s protagonist Frodo Baggins. He’s seen here reaching for the ring!

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Christopher Lee

Christopher Lee — ‘The Lord of the Rings’ series boasted plenty of major actors that took on iconic roles. Christopher Lee played the wizard Saruman.

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Hugo Weaving

Hugo Weaving — Hugo Weaving appeared in all three movies as Elrond. Elrond is a half-elven character, who is the master of Rivendell.

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Sean Astin & Elijah Wood

Sean Astin & Elijah Wood — Elijah Wood and Sean Astin are seen together during ‘The Two Towers.’ Sean played the hobbit Samwise Gamgee.

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Viggo Mortensen

Viggo Mortensen — Other than Frodo, Aragorn is the main protagonist of the series. The iconic character was played by Viggo Mortensen in the trilogy.

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Liv Tyler

Liv Tyler — Liv Tyler looked gorgeous as Elrond’s daughter Arwen. Arwen is also Aragorn’s love interest.

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Bernard Hill

Bernard Hill — Bernhard Hill didn’t arrive to the series until ‘The Two Towers.’ The veteran actor played Theoden.

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Sean Astin

Sean Astin — While his portrayal of Sam is probably his best remembered roles, Sean Astin has starred in plenty of fantasy and science fiction series besides the ‘LOTR’ series. He also played Mikey Walsh in ‘Goonies,’ and he appeared in the 2nd and 3rd seasons of ‘Stranger Things.’

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Viggo Mortensen

Viggo Mortensen — Shortly after rising to fame in the ‘LOTR’ series, Viggo Mortensen received tons of acclaim as an actor. He has been nominated for three Academy Awards throughout his career.

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Gollum

Gollum — One of the most iconic characters to come out of ‘Lord of the Rings’ was Gollum. Andy Serkis played the character with the help of motion capture technology in a revolutionary new technique.

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Ian McKellen

Ian McKellen — Ian McKellen is perhaps one of the most famous and world-renowned actors to appear in the series. He played the powerful wizard Gandalf.

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Elijah Wood, Andy Serkis, Sean Astin

Elijah Wood, Andy Serkis, Sean Astin — Elijah Wood, Andy Serkis, and Sean Astin all stand side-by-side with each other in ‘The Return of the King.’ Andy did his performance as Gollum through motion capture, along with the other actors.

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Billy Boyd

Billy Boyd — Billy Boyd played the character Peregrin Took in all three movies. His character is usually referred to as “Pippin.’

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