Interviews with Liv Tyler and Orlando Bloom
By Rebecca Murray
December 5, 2003
About Romantic Movies
Normally some of the first questions you ask an actor at a movie premiere have to do with their character development, what attracted them to the project, etc. etc. etc. Those types of questions were pretty much useless when it came to interviewing Orlando Bloom and Liv Tyler (and the rest of“The Lord of the Rings” cast) at the movie’s North American Premiere. Instead of the customary questions, time with the stars was better spent finding out about how they’ll remember their Middle Earth experiences.
LIV TYLER (‘Arwen’): Is there a particular moment of filming that you recall as the best time on the set? I don’t think I have a favorite moment. I sort of think of it all as one movie and I feel like seeing this film is really rewarding because it’s the closure. You really see all these characters sort of flourish and you see the story complete. It’s very rewarding. Is there more of a love story this time? No, not so much. A little bit but… How would you describe “The Return of the King?” It’s very touching; it’s very emotional. It’s very exciting. There’s some great effects and stunts and really nice performances. It feels good. Can you talk about your experiences working with the special effects? I think that at first the effects were quite challenging because they were kind of embarrassing. Acting with nothing there, where you’re just sort of talking to yourself or trying to imagine what it’ll be like. But then after awhile, that became kind of second nature so it became kind of fun. It was a great learning experience as an actor to get to work with all these different types of technology. What is it about “The Lord of the Rings” that elicits this type of support and interest from fans? I think because the story is so great and the characters are all so well-rounded, and people can have a favorite character and relate to them. And Peter Jackson’s a genius. ORLANDO BLOOM (‘Legolas’): What are you going to miss the most of your whole Middle Earth experience? I think I’m going to miss my time in New Zealand. It was really a coming-of-age period for me. I kind of reconnected with nature and the environment. All of that has lead to me sort of being reconnected with the environment, which is a really important thing for keeping my head level, you know? What about the bonds that you’ve formed? [I’ll miss] my friends. Probably more important was the fellowship in terms of like the friendships we made, the connection we made with each other. You don’t make friends like that that easily. These are people who I will love and be friends with for life. Do you ever think about the fact that people will still be watching these movies 40 or 50 years from now? You know what? I feel very privileged to be a part of this for that reason. The fact that you can be part of a movie that, I think, will still stand up in 40 or 50 years time. However much film advances and technology advances, I think “Lord of the Rings” will always stand alone as the great blockbuster independent that it is, if you know what I mean. Is there one day of filming that as soon as you think about making these movies, you think about that one day? The first day - because I was terrified. What do you think about Peter Jackson’s chances for an Oscar this time? This movie was made with all the love in the world, and all the right energy. I think the way that the fans are responding is probably enough for Peter. But it would be lovely for people to really give him that respect. But you know, it’s the movie business and it’s not really about that. To me, it would be great. He’s an amazing [director]. He certainly deserves it but you know, it’s one of those things, isn’t it? Did you ever wake up and wonder what the heck you’d gotten yourself into? Many, many an occasion but never with any real seriousness because I always knew that Peter Jackson and “The Lord of the Rings” were always going to be a quiet phenomenon, and I was very privileged to be a part of them. Do you have a favorite moment from the trilogy? You know, one of my favorite moments is when the Fellowship passes over the hill in “The Fellowship of the Ring.” You see us go between those two boulders and it’s a real sense of fellowship and friendship and companionship, and I love that moment. Seeing them for the first time. Now that it’s over, what was the most challenging scene to film? It all blurred into one big challenge to be totally honest. I can’t really pick out any one moment.