FROM:LOTR Fan Club Magazine January 2004

I understand that your son, Henry urged you to take the role of Aragorn?

Yes, that is true. I was talking on the phone about the role - I think it was the first time. They were telling me that the filmmakers wanted me to go to New Zealand for this part. I said, "Well, what is it?" They said, "The Lord of the Rings." I said, "Oh, that's that book.' They went on to tell me that they were making this huge production with three movies and that Peter Jackson was interested in me for the part and was offering me the role. I remember asking them when I would need to be ready to do this part and they basically said, "Tomorrow." I had just gotten back to Los Angeles from visiting my brother and had been out in the woods camping and hadn't really checked in. I had gotten all these frantic messages that had been left over a couple of days saying, "You must call!" I told them that it sounded too soon for me to leave and that it sounded like a big project. I was concerned that they were already shooting and that the other actors had been there for a while. I told them, "I don't know the material, and I am not sure I would be their best choice. I don't think it is a good idea:" They said, "Well, why don't you think about it, and call us back in a little while." So I hung up the phone, and Henry was there and asked, "What is that?" I said, "The Lord of the Rings.' He said, "Oh, wow! They are making that?" He knew the story and asked, "What character?" I said, "I think they said his name was Strider." He said, "Oh, wow. He's cool. He is an interesting character, and you should do it." I said, "Well, first of all, it is kind of short notice for something I don't know much about, and I would be away for a long time." He said, "Oh, that's OK. You shouldn't pass it up." I had his blessing, which was nice, and he seemed to be excited which was good, too. But, in the end, I had to make my own decision. I had to think about it a little bit, and I came to the conclusion that there was something about it that felt like it could be interesting regardless of how the movie turned out. The journey of something like that might be interesting, and I would probably regret not taking the challenge if I said no. It wasn't because I thought I wouldn't be a part of a big, successful movie - because nobody knows that.

When we started shooting The Lord of the Rings, it was a huge gamble on New Line's part and for Peter. It was a huge investment of time and resources, and nobody knew if this would have worldwide appeal or if it would just be a curiosity or something that would be interesting for Tolkien fans alone. There has been a history of movies like this - Ridley Scott's Legend, Excalibur, and a lot of others - that some people liked, but they didn't have huge, mass appeal. New Line was investing a lot of money in these three movies. Looking back now, it was a pretty good deal. It was fairly cheap to make these three movies, and they have obviously made back their money probably tenfold just at the box office alone, and they haven't even released the third movie yet. That's not counting all the money they have made on videos, DVDs, and all the spin-off things. I have seen more products connected to this than I have ever seen for a movie. I am not really up on that kind of stuff, but I see it everywhere. So I didn't take the role for that reason. It is not what I am in the business of acting for. Personally, it would be a challenge that I might regret not exploring. I am glad, obviously, that I did take the role for the reason that I went into it, which was that I learned a lot. The bonuses were that I made a lot of good lifelong friends, and I have a relationship - thanks to Peter Jackson hiring me for this movie - with some of the most natural and beautiful places in the world. They are places that I probably would have never seen. The ride that Peter took us on in terms of imagination was something that was very special. It was like a course study in so many things - culture, art, and history. You can make the most of any situation on any movie. You can just learn your lines and try to do a good job, but you can also get as much as you want out of a character and the situation and learn a lot. For me, it was a year and a half-long self-administered study course in Tolkien and revisiting all the mythology I had read before. I discovered all kinds of new literature, art, history, and nature. It was just a real wonderful learning experience. The movie being embraced by people all over the world was another bonus, but not one that matters to me. I am glad that people liked it and have connected with it. But, whether audiences had connected with it or not, the fact they had immediate successful results, obviously, made it possible for Peter to keep going. I have no regrets about it. It was a long, hard journey for everyone but also an enriching experience.

What specific thing most helped you get into the role of Aragorn?

On a practical level, it was the costume, the sword, and the inclusive atmosphere of everyone there. Weta was helpful with how the sword should look. They were open to things like having a sharpening stone, an eating knife, and to even having a bow and arrow, which wasn't mentioned in the book. He is famous for being a good hunter and a woodsman, it made sense. It also indirectly pointed to his connection and upbringing with the Elves and the fact that he travelled. He just adapted whatever skills he found in different cultures to suit his needs as a woodsman and traveller. Everything has a reason. Other than the ring he has, that heirloom, everything he wears and uses has a practical use. The first scene I did was Weathertop, and that was a physical scene more than anything for all of us involved.

I believe Ngila Dickson told me that you had taken your costume home with you to wear so you could get comfortable in it?

Yes, that's true. Ngila was nice about that. She did let me take it home and wear it for a while. I kept it with me, and then I gradually relinquished pieces so they could keep it where it belonged in the wardrobe trailer. But, I did wear it for a while. I rode horseback with it, walked around in the woods, and did whatever I could do in it. It was a long shoot, and there was a lot of wear-and-tear in those fight scenes, so sometimes they would have to make a new pair of something or another. I always wore the same fighting gloves, but sometimes the boots would get wet or damaged. There was another pair of boots, and I would want to age them down and make them match so there were certain elements of clothing that I would off-and-on keep with me and wear just to make them feel lived in. Ngila was open to that, and it was very nice The same went for the sword. The Weta people allowed me to keep the sword for while and practice with it, and I always had a practice sword with me at all times wherever I went - in the car, in the hotel, or in the apartment where I was staying in New Zealand. Those things were helpful and made them feel familiar to me. The sword was an extremely important tool to Aragorn. It was a matter of life and death, so he would want to keep his sword in good shape and stay in tune with it. The clothing was practical although there was some real beauty to it. There was some real simplicity and beauty in the design of it. Ngila was happy to let me make it lived in and add a little stitching here and there just like you would have in beat-up clothing. All those things helped me get into the role. The story I already liked. It was reminiscent of the Viking sagas and old medieval poems, so I felt like I was in one - and, actually, we were! That was a real honour itself.

Was it awkward for you the first day on the set knowing that others had already been there shooting before you?

Not really. If I were the director, I would have been wondering how the scene would work if this were the last piece of the puzzle. I would be hoping it would work out. I imagine Peter was probably more concerned about it than I was. He was probably wondering if I would screw this up or not! I was glad to start with something physical. People were very helpful - especially at Weta and Ngila Dickson with the costume and Bob Anderson, who helped me with the sword fighting. On a practical level Bob was the most helpful. He was a sword master, and he gave me a crash course. Looking back now, Weathertop was not that complicated or a very long piece of choreography, but to someone who wasn't familiar with that stuff, there was a lot to learn and quickly. But, again, it was a very inclusive atmosphere. It was demanding, but in a good way. They wanted you to succeed and wanted you to do well. That's how the stuntmen made you feel, and that's how Bob Anderson made you feel. To be familiar with the way the character moved and used his body was important. Peter Jackson's version of Aragorn is not as verbal as he is in the book, so Aragorn's actions, body language, and physicality speaks for him as much as anything.

How does Aragorn change in The Return of the King?

All I can go by is what I recall doing and what I saw happening. Peter is always full of surprises, and I am not exactly sure what he is going to do in the end with all the work we did. Like in the second movie, it is a question of gradually being asked to take on more responsibility. The unspoken expectation is that Aragorn needs to be more of a public leader, whereas in the past he has always led by example and has been sort of a lone ranger. Throughout The Two Towers, you gradually saw him lead not just some Hobbits or the Fellowship through difficult terrain, he is along with King Théoden, leading large groups of people into battle. He is having to make difficult decisions that are not just what he is going to do, but how it is going to affect a nation. What he does and how he reacts in certain situations is going to affect many people, and that responsibility grows. It goes beyond Rohan and his companions, Legolas and Gimli, and beyond the Fellowship. He has to take on greater and greater responsibility just as all the members do, and that's what makes good storytelling. The obstacles become greater in number, and the challenges they face are greater in scope. That's no less true for him. It's the journey that he was meant to be on. He is destined to be tested in this way, but there is uncertainty. Even in this third part of the story, he is still unsure at times as to whether he is worthy and deserves to be in that position and to whether he believes in his heart that he is capable. Will he be up to the task? He goes to the Paths of the Dead - is he going to be able to pass through that area? Will he be able to find the Army of the Dead? Will he be able to face them? Those are things he has no way of knowing. In theory, he ought to be the one person in Middle-earth that has a chance to impel and fulfil their oath to Gondor and to his forefather. He ought to be the one person to be the one remaining heir, but until you try it, you don't know. I think he, at times, has felt he is a diluted form of what once was a great race of men - the Númenorean race. There are others, including Boromir, along the way that make him doubt his own abilities. He harbours some doubt. I felt that this was something interesting to try to convey. It was mostly something that was unspoken. The thing about film acting that is interesting is that if someone is really working in a way where they are feeling certain things - and it works and is shown properly - the audience can see that, and it does come across. Even very subtle reactions can come across. Peter is very good at showing those things. When he wants something to come across, he knows how to film that and bring that out in a scene. You see that with all of the characters in the Fellowship at different times - as well as the main characters from Rohan and Saruman, Faramir, and Denethor. It is one of the reasons I really enjoyed the extended versions of both the first and second films. The Two Towers is much better because in the second film the weight was equally - and in some cases more - on effects and the great sweep of certain sequences than the intimate character details and relationships as compared to the first movie. In the extended version, you have a lot more background and details in terms of behaviour and relationships. You get more information about Eowyn and Eomer, Osgiliath and Denethor were my favourite parts of the extended version. It sets so many layers with that flashback, and it really serves Faramir, Denethor, and Boromir.

Was it particularly bittersweet for you this last time, though, knowing that you wouldn't be in front of the camera again as Aragorn after The Return of the King?

Yeah, in the last scene I was running with Legolas and Gimli with the new sword that was broken and reforged. I was aware of it, but I don't know if it completely sunk in. It was sort of shocking really. The farewells that everyone had, including the one for Aragorn and myself, were kind of shocking. I knew it was coming because I had been there for the other farewells, so I knew something would happen. I didn't really know how to express myself when I had the floor to say goodbye. I wasn't as coherent as I would have liked to have been. You would have thought that after four years I would have prepared myself for that, but I didn't really. It didn't seem real for some reason. Although what did feel very real and was very moving was the fact that the crew and the cast was there and celebrated with me, even though they had to get up the next morning and go back to work. It was very moving. I felt kind of paralysed by it in a way. It was a very special night. The stunt team was there. It was a night I will remember for a long time. It is something that you are not sure how to deal with - you can't really prepare for that kind of thing.

It seems like this was a group of people that got along very well and had no egos.

Yes, it did turn out that way, and I think Peter was lucky or just very smart in that he put together a group of people that were both discreet and loyal to one another and fairly selfless almost without exception. That made a big difference. Shooting in New Zealand with a mostly all-Kiwi crew created a team spirit, which is a part of that society. I haven't seen that anywhere to that degree. There are other places that talk about that, including America and places I have worked in Europe, where they talk about being part of a team, but on a daily basis, no matter how tough it got, everyone came together. People would have their complaints and their bad days, but almost always people put the group before the individual. That was the sort of cast you had as well.

What was your favorite thing about New Zealand?

I would have to say the people as well as the landscape. In both cases, they are unequalled in their quality anywhere in the world.

Aragorn is considered a hero to many fans. Did you have any heroes growing up?

I really wasn't into heroes. I guess one of the weird things is that people will say to me or write and tell me I am a hero, and many times I will think, "That is really amazing, and that is a good thing." People have become more aware because of my acting of other things I've done like photography writing or painting. There are people who have said to me, "Well, I used to draw a lot or paint or write but then I stopped doing it." People stop because they get too busy or they lose faith in themselves or whatever. They say, "In seeing what you do, you seem to imply that everyone has the right to do it." People have said that I have encouraged them to go back to doing it and that they are grateful and thank me. If seeing my work has inspired them to be more creative just for their own sake and made them happy, then I guess that is a good thing. But, there have been lots of other things that have been attributed to me or debts of gratitude that have been expressed which just seem odd. A lot of people have said "Thanks" for this or that inspiration, and how could you say that is a bad thing? For me, it is just nice to know that someone is thinking about something they used to do or something they had always wanted to try and is now doing it. I really just like to do my job, and I figure that my communication and my connection with people is through my work. But, when I am acting, writing, drawing, or taking pictures, I am not doing it with an audience in mind. I am trying to do it with a story in mind. There are some who tailor what they are doing for a reaction or an end result or to win approval. Of course, I would prefer that people got something out of what I do and liked it. Certainly, I need approval as much as the next person, but I am not consciously performing or creating things with the thought in mind of someone liking or not liking it. I am trying to explore things that I learned from and are interesting to me, and I believe that that is the surest way to find some connection with someone else. If you are coming from a more-or-less honest place in your work, at least in intention, then there is a chance that you will connect with people. I think that most people in the world look at things that way, and that's why when a movie or a work of art comes from a true place - even if it is offensive - it has an impact. People react to it in an honest way - pro or con.

You have been travelling around the world for The Lord of the Rings as well as your art and photography. Do you find that people are reacting to you and your work the same way, or are there different reactions?

I have gotten the same response from Japan, Scandinavia, South America, Canada, and lots of different places. I am not aware of there being regional differences in that regard. I never really worried about any movie story having that problem either. Marketing people will have fears about that, and they are probably right because they know about that, more than I do. In terms of The Lord of the Rings, I know that there were certain trepidations in regard to Asia and, particularly, the important market of Japan. How would they react to the movie? Since they didn't have a history of being familiar with Tolkien's work, would it just be a case that since it was a hit movie in North America and Europe that then Japanese people would be curious? I didn't think there was any room for concern, and I think that has been proven true. The Japanese audiences took to this story in a big way. Some of them who were familiar with both English and Japanese had some questions about some of the subtitles not working. I'm sure any time you are translating a movie there are going to be some slight differences. But I would say, overwhelmingly, from what I saw when I went to Japan, they have completely embraced The Lord of the Rings as much as they have anywhere else in the world. There are many elements in that story and book that I thought were almost tailored to a Japanese audience - the world of the Elves, a respect and connection to nature, a respect for tradition and history, a healthy respect for respectable authority, and intention on the part of the Fellowship as a microcosm of all well-intentioned, free-thinking individuals in Middle-earth. I think they connected to those ideas and recognized them in their own stories. Tolkien's work and Peter's reinterpretation of it is so firmly rooted in universal mythology, archetypes, and symbols that it is hard not to relate to it, especially when it is reapplied with the vigour of fresh thinking and a desire to make it applicable to the times in which we live - as Peter did.

He and his writers were pretty brave about not worrying about changing a few things from the book. When you are doing that, there is a certain amount of chaos, just as when Tolkien was writing the book. He had no idea when a character came in the book what they would be called later or how they would turn out and where the overall story was going. By splitting the Fellowship at the end of The Fellowship of the Ring he set himself a bunch of traps. I'm sure he was saying, "Now what am I going to do?" The only way to get out of that situation was to take even more risks. He had to create further complications before he could simplify and tie all the strands together which has been Peter's problem, too. The second movie, by his own admission, was very tough to put together, even though he had this book as a guide. It was very tough to keep all these storylines going and keep all these strands equally interesting. He had to almost inflame the problem. At the beginning of the third movie, things have to get a lot worse before they get better. He is taking that by the horns and is going for it. I think the work he did struggling through the shooting and editing of the second movie has set the table for the third, and he knows where he is going with it. My feeling although I haven't seen all of it, is that the third one will be interesting, and a lot of the subtlety and interaction that one might think of in terms of The Fellowship of the Ring is combined with the big, impressive action sequences of the second movie. As far as battles and things like that, I believe the third movie will dwarf the great accomplishments of the second movie. It will be the combination of the best of the first and second movie. It will be the culmination of all the characters and all the storylines, and I don't think Peter, any more than Tolkien will tie every single loose strand together. I think there will be some feeling that there was a cost to the journey and that life goes on and will remain complicated. People, as they always have had to, will work at being good, thinking of each other, and taking care of the world. Those obstacles will always change and will never completely go away. That makes life interesting and memorable - like any good story. I think you will have that feeling from the end of this story. It will be sweet but also bittersweet. I think it stands a chance to be the most layered and challenging of the three films, but it wouldn't be so without the first two. I have never thought of it as three movies more than I think of it as three books. It was a publisher's necessity - that wasn't Tolkien's choice. It certainly is the way to do it for movies. You are not going to make a 16-hour movie, but in the end with the extended versions, I think they will be historically the most legitimate versions of all three movies. They essentially are going to have a good 11 hours of the story. That sounds like a good weekend to me.

What is the most dramatic way your life has changed since becoming involved in The Lord of the Rings?

I think I am permanently exhausted! I don't think I, or any of the others, have gone through this and not appreciated it. In fact, I think we appreciated it as we went along. We would often just look at each other and say, "Can you believe this?" You would be on a soundstage and be on these incredible sets and think, "I can't believe I am here." It was the sheer artistry and the sheer execution of a communal vision rooted in an unembarrassed commitment to doing right by one man's book, which I think was palpable. Even ardent Tolkien fans have been able to forgive the detours, which in spirit have almost been nil. In content, [they] have sometimes been quite noticeable, but they were choices I think the filmmakers had to make. Everyone has their own idea of how things should be done, and I am no exception. There were times when I didn't understand whey they didn't stick to the book, but you can't film all of it. It is one thing seeing it now. I am sure a lot of filmmakers go, "Yeah, that's cool. Very impressive." It is like looking at a series of paintings in a museum or an exhibition by a very good modern painter and maybe they are deceptively simple with some good draughtsmanship, but as ideas some of the works of art seem simple to the point where someone thinks, "I could do that." The fact is that Peter Jackson did do it. He did convince New Line to back it and he did get all these people together and he did execute this plan of his, which changed and moved as he went along. There is some uncertainty in that and some chaos and frustration for those trying to help him create this thing. But, that is not unlike the way Tolkien wrote the book - he was making it up as he went along. He had the benefit of the vast storehouse of knowledge that he had accumulated in his life to that point as a scholar and someone who was curious about mythology and languages. He wrote that book using all of those tools that he had and added equal parts of imagination. That's what Peter has done, too. He has used all the tools at his disposal, including the biggest one of all, which is the book.

How has your son been affected by your participation in The Lord of the Rings? Has he had some great experiences as a result of all this, too?

I think so. It was not only based upon his recommendation that I embarked on this, but he has spent a good deal of time in New Zealand. He not only spent time with me there and watched me work, but he also worked a little bit himself. He played a small part at Helm's Deep as a young lad of Rohan. He also played an Orc in The Two Towers, which was a thrill for him. He also was put to work by Weta in the weapons department, which I think he loved just as much. One time when he was there for a while, he worked in wardrobe with Ngila Dickson. This last time, he was so big and strong that they suited him up as a Gondorian soldier. He did some fighting. He is pretty good with a sword. So I think he has enjoyed it a lot. In this way, he gets involved with the stories and the roots of the stories as he does in school. Different things interest him, whether it is language or history, and he has a good memory for it.

Does he have aspirations of going into the film industry like his father?

I have no idea. It is certainly nothing I would press on him. If he wants to try it, it isn't something I will tell him no. When they offered for him to help out on the films, he leaped for it. That was kind of the family thing - anyone who was around for any amount of time in Wellington, any family members of crew and cast that were available and were right for anything and interested, were put to work. It was almost like a moving photo album. When you look at these movies, you recognize faces of kids and department heads. You see all of these faces that you know from working with them, which makes it even more intimate of an experience to watch even as huge as the movies are on the screen and in their reception around the world. They still have, for us, a real intimate qualiyy.

What was it like being away from home so long, knowing that you weren't going to see your son for a while?

That was probably the most trying thing for me personally. It became more so because of all the breaks that they intended to give everyone along the way evaporated gradually to the point where once we got halfway through the shoot and realized we hadn't gotten all the breaks we were supposed to get, each break got shortened. The second half of that long principal photography period was very tough for the crew and cast. I know for Elijah and myself we almost didn't have any breaks at all. The last six months I don't think I really had a day off. We never worked less than 15 or 16 hours a day. You get so tired that you get past it, and everybody did as a group, so you didn't really think about it.

We know that your son encouraged you to participate in this project. Did he request a particular souvenir that only you could obtain from the shoot? Did you have a favorite memento as well?

As far as a memento is concerned, that is really something I carry inside. It is not a tangible object. It is really the memory of my experience that I value more than any other possession. Like each of the other actors, though, I was given something that Peter thought might be of particular sentimental value to me. In my case, they gave me the original sword I used all the time with all the nicks, scratches, and dents in it. It had visible signs of it being sharpened and cared for even though it was pretty beat up. It is the sword I started with and went through most of the trilogy. That will be an important thing to have, but I don't prize it as highly as I do my memory of the experience. As far as Henry is concerned, I would say that it is his memory of being there and being, not only part of my family, but the whole family of The Lord of the Rings that is most special to him. I think it will become even more valuable to him .is he grows older. He has gotten a few souvenirs from New Zealand, but the memory of it is his most valuable prize.

Were you inspired by any other characters in fiction or history in your portrayal of the brave but insecure Strider transforming into the self- assured King of Gondor, or was it simply the direction you received from Peter Jackson?

I had two directors in a way - three if you count my conscience: Peter Jackson, J.R.R. Tolkien, and my conscience. I have a connection, as does everyone in the Fellowship, to every hero's journey ever imagined. The Lord of the Rings, in many ways, is the same story that has been told for as long as there have been people on earth. That's why people connect with it - it touches so many universal themes. Personally, I was proud to play a character that in some way had antecedents going back to well-loved and in some cases well known characters in the Icelandic sagas, Beowulf, etc. I can also see connections with lots of other stories from other places whether they be from epic gaucho poems from Argentina or Samurai movies or Mediterranean medieval heroic poetry, Greek myths - any number of sources. I felt like we were all under Peter Jackson's watchful eye. making a connection to an almost timeless story retold in a new way. It is just as vital as the people who sat around by the fire in the Middle Ages in Iceland and told stories that had been handed down for generations. They adapted them for their times. You can look at many stories in that way. In a way, this experience has reminded me that pretty much any story you are involved with, you don't have to be a scholar and have read all of these books and be an intellectual film critic to know in your gut that there is more to this than meets the eye. I certainly feel the same way about Hidalgo. which is the only other movie I've done since The Lord of the Rings.

What was it like getting to learn how to fence? Was it hard and did you enjoy it?

I liked it, and it was also something very important to my character. As you know from the book. Aragorn isn't by nature a fighter. He has taught himself and learned to be that, but it is a necessary skill. Once he commits to it, that is more a part of his character. The Fellowship is committed to each other and committed to doing right. Once they throw themselves into the fight, they really do it - and Aragorn is no exception. I don't think there is anyone who throws themselves into a fight more than he does, but it is something that he only does if absolutely necessary. He is nor like Gimli who is always spoiling for a fight or even Boromir who is more warlike, being raised in a military family with a military frame of mind. His first reaction is probably to fight or to use force to accomplish something he thinks is the right thing like taking the ring by force. Aragorn is someone who would rather reason his way through a difficult situation than fight - not because he is a coward but because he knows there is always a consequence and always a cost of getting into a fight. Violence is never without a price, and it should not be engaged in faultlessly. It is something he needs to survive and that he has needed for a long time to help others primarily and not really to carve a place for himself in the world. In fact, all through his life, until we get to the end of The Fellowship of the Ring, he is someone who has always operated under pseudonyms and in disguise. Anything he has done to help others has almost always ended with him leaving the scene without a trace. He is the sort of person that when he camps out you would never know he had been there. That is his approach, and one of the things he has had to get used to is how to be more regularly a warrior and a public warrior as well as a public leader. It is something that I don't think he will ever be completely comfortable with. As a kid, I played at those games and made swords out of wood and played with sticks, and I had imagined rescuing people by fighting monsters. In this production, I got to work with real swords of extremely high quality in situations that were easy to believe. I didn't have to use my imagination - the sets and the peril that we were supposed to be pretending we were in, often times, seemed quite real! It was like a grown-up version of a kid's game! Some of those Uruk-hai were pretty fierce-looking. I could recognize the different performers by their particular way of running, walking, their height or bulk, or speed, so I kind of knew who was coming each time. Even knowing that, it was still a bit frightening partly because of the excellence of the special effects makeup, the weaponry, and costumes. It was also because of the total commitment of the stunt people. I don't think I will ever see a stunt team as committed and as excellent. There is just no way that I could ever sing their praises enough, and I will never get close enough to describing how integral they were to my performance and probably that of Legolas and Gimli.

In an interview we did a while ago with Liv Tyler, she had related to us, rather humorously, that in every scene she did with you that you always made a point to touch her pointed elven ears. She says you had a thing for elven ears. Is this true?

It might be true! I do like the ears! I think that it is an outward part of the Elves that is different from Humans. If you really care about someone, you are quite aware of everything about them and you are interested. I just thought they were interesting, and I liked them, In the beginning, I remember that she was actually uncertain about them. Her hair was covering them a lot, and I remember in the first movie I had to move her hair a lot to get to them! I don't know if she was that comfortable with them, I felt that it was something that could be very true of those two characters. It just seemed like an obvious thing to me. I know that the makeup people's eyebrows would raise as they were worried I might damage her ears. But, I think I was pretty careful with them. I just thought it was nice craftsmanship. I thought those ears were essential and showed the good work that people did in creating that look and the actors did in making them look real. I felt that was as essential as, say, my sword. You have to believe that those ears are real. They shouldn't be untouchable. I don't know, maybe I have an ear fetish that I was exploring!