16 members
Peter Jackson mixed legends like Ian McKellen and Christopher Lee with near-unknowns, shipped them all to New Zealand for over a year, and got back one of cinema's most iconic ensembles. They got matching tattoos. Half of them became stars.

Elijah Wood
45
Frodo Baggins

Ian McKellen
86
Gandalf

Viggo Mortensen
67
Aragorn

Orlando Bloom
49
Legolas

Cate Blanchett
56
Galadriel

Sean Astin
55
Samwise Gamgee

Liv Tyler
48
Arwen

Hugo Weaving
66
Elrond

Sean Bean
67
Boromir

Dominic Monaghan
49
Merry

Ian Holm†
1931-2020
Bilbo Baggins

Christopher Lee†
1922-2015
Saruman

Karl Urban
53
Eomer

Martin Freeman
54
Bilbo Baggins (The Hobbit)

Andy Serkis
61
Gollum

John Rhys-Davies
81
Gimli
Ian McKellen reprised Gandalf for all three Hobbit films, anchoring the prequel trilogy just as he did the original.
Cate Blanchett returned as Galadriel in all three Hobbit films, expanding a role that doesn't appear in Tolkien's Hobbit novel at all.
Martin Freeman played young Bilbo in The Hobbit trilogy, creating a direct narrative link between both Middle-earth film series.
Viggo Mortensen earned an Oscar nomination for Eastern Promises just four years after the trilogy wrapped.
Elijah Wood, Sean Astin, Dominic Monaghan, and Billy Boyd stayed close enough to keep a group chat called 'Shire Folk'.