Who Should Have Played Tom Bombadil?
 

Everyone has their own image of Tom Bombadil, but there are a few things that are set in stone by the text. Based on those holy words describing Tom, who would you choose to play him, if Jackson had fit him into The Fellowship?<P>"He was a short, stout Man, with blue eyes, a red face and a brown beard. He wore a blue coat, a tall battered hat with a blue feather, and yellow boots. Always singing or speaking in rhymes..." [from A Guide To Tolkien, by David Day]<P>Robin Williams came to my mind. Have you seen him grin? Of course, people might not like that idea...

Williams certainly has the blue eyes, but I'd be partial to Richard Karn, he's got the physique <P>(He's the guy who played Al Borland on Home Improvement)

Robin Williams has got the blue eyes and the huge grin, but I don't know about Richard Karn. He isn't...cheery enough, I think. I can't think of a good enough actor to portray Tom Bombadil.

William Shatner.

How about Sean Connery? OK, no brown beard, and he's quite old, but I could see him doing it.

Brian Blessed would have been perfect for Tom Bombadil in my opinion.

What about the guy playing the title role in "Willow"?

Warwick Davis? Also Professor Flitwick in Harry Potter, which kind of ruins the image for me.<P>I still stick by my decision for John Rhys Davies. If he hadn't played Gimli, that is.<BR>Heck, he could do every role. A one-man show.

Sorry for the rather limited choice (I don't some of the actors mentioned!), but Sean Connery would make a great voice actor for Old Man Willow.<P>Robin Williams would make a good Bombadil as well, though the chioce seems predictable.<P>How about Goldberry?

Ummm...I would have probably cast Keira Knightley as Goldberry, or maybe Kirsten Dunst.<P>Sean Connery's not that old - he's only about 60, and he still makes action movies (Indiana Jones and the Last Crusade and The League of Extraordinary Gentleman as examples) so I don't see why he couldn't play Tom Bombadil. And I suppose there's always hair dye or stick-on beards to make him look right for the role...

I think Connery is too "serious" for a role like Bombadil. I keep hearing that he was offered a part in the trilogy, but refused because he didn't understand it Too bad. He woulda been a great Denethor, Saruman or Theoden.<P>EDIT: On second thought, no not Theoden. Would have been odd for him to have a scottish accent while the rest of his people had british ones <p>[ August 18, 2003: Message edited by: Shy Hobbit ]

I know this sounds rather weird, but I would have liked to try my hand at the role of Goldberry, and I don't think I would have done too badly. Well, not in my eyes, but then we all have different ideas about her character and appearance.<BR>I think Diane Kruger has the right look for Goldberry. Or perhaps someone light and golden as Cate Blanchett was as Galadriel in the gift-giving scene. I could see her, perhaps a bit younger, as Goldberry.

Hooray for the Brian Blessed suggestion!<P>I personally think that the character of Bombadil is utterly un-filmable (hence my earlier Shatner suggestion), but having suspended my disbelief, I think Brian Blessed would have been pretty good for the part nonetheless.

Absolutely Brian Blessed! Only they'd need to find a way to make him seem lighter and bouncier, but he's jovial enough, that's for sure! Take a look...<BR><A HREF="http://news.bbc.co.uk/olmedia/225000/images/_229119_blessed.jpg" TARGET=_blank>Brian Blessed</A><BR>Good suggestion!

Lush, <BR>I think Shatner would be more suited to portraying Tim Benzedrine from 'Bored of the Rings', judging from his singing career anyway!

Oh my god Grimbold!!!!<P>Thats the exact image I have of Tom!!<P>Hes vary woodsey and vary bright faced. I swear thats the face in my head!!<P>Now if I could just hear his voice. It kinda booms in my head.<P>Hey Tom Bombbbadill Ho Tom Bombbadillo. Not deep but big.<P>But who plays Goldberry?<p>[ August 18, 2003: Message edited by: Eruantalon ]

I think Brian has the right voice, too.

Definitly Brian Blessed for Ol' Tom! That's just how I imagined him! Give him the hat, coat and trademark boots and that man IS Bombadil!<P>As for Goldberry, I think she would be harder to cast. I don't know if they would be able to find someone with the young yet wise and mysterious look. I think, if Cate Blanchette had not been playing Galadriel I would have said she could be Goldberry.<BR>But, I really don't know. It's late here and my mind is a lot slower when I'm tired, so any hope of coming up with an impressive suggestion died a long time ago!<P>Yours hopelessly,<P>~Naurwen

Sean Connery couldn't do it for the same reason he couldn't be Gandalf! <P> <BLOCKQUOTE>quote:<HR>"Ish it shecret? Ish it shafe?"<HR></BLOCKQUOTE><P>I've never heard of Brian Blessed, but he certianly <I>looks</I> the part.

I dont know. I kind of thought that Oliver Platt would make a good Tom. Even thought he is tall, he's kinda of got the personality.

I believe like most of you that Robin Williams would have made a great Tom, but David Attenborough has a twinkle in his eyes that would place him in number one position for the role.

Mae Govannen, Samrohan! "O happy to be dead!"<P>Welcome to the Downs, Rilarien884! I <I>love</I> your name.<P> <P><B>Frodo Lives!</B> <I>Revive the slogan!</I><p>[ August 19, 2003: Message edited by: Arwen Eruantale ]

Thanks Arwen Eruantale...you're the first person to comment

I'm not sure of Brian Blessed. What about the guy who played "Lawrence of Arabia"? I forgot his name but he had been given an honorary Oscar. He's quite old, though.<P>OR Tom Hanks?<P>As for Goldberry, why not Nicole Kidman? She's got great golden hair and is very good in acting. <P>p.s. and if Nicole is Goldberry, why not cast Tom Cruise as Tom Bombadil? hee hee hee... NAH.

WOW. Brian Blessed IS Bombadil! And as for Goldberry, I don't know...

Tom Hanks? Nicole Kidman? Uhhh...NOOO...<BR>Have you hit your head?

The idea of Brian Blessed as ol' Tom Bombadillo really is very amusing. He certainly <I>looks</I> the part and would be great with all the joviality and bellowing out those songs (can he sing though?). But I really do think he would portray the buffoon side of Tom to the exclusion of the ageless wisdom beneath. No offence to Mr Blessed, who I think is great, but that's just the way he plays parts. Just look at him as the leader of the winged men in <I>Flash</I>.<P> <BLOCKQUOTE>quote:<HR> Gordon's alive? <HR></BLOCKQUOTE><P>Here's one a bit off the wall. How about the Big Yin, Billy Connolly (a Scottish comedian for those who don't know him)? He certainly looks the part too. And he'd be great with the nonsense rhyme, but he'd be better at getting across the depth of the character, I think.

hahaha! yeah just messin' around with the tom hanks idea. well, if you don't like nicole why not penelope cruz? hee hee hee<P>was it mentioned in the book the color of goldberry's hair?<P>i think jennifer connely can be a great black-haired goldberry. she's got grace and inner beauty. hey! she should've been casted in the movie! she can be a great elf, too!<P>as for tom bombadil...he acts like santa claus, except for the appearance ( the outfit).

What a question! I think that Tom Bombadil is literally unplayable and anyone PJ had chosen wouldn't satisfy anyone. And it would be so hard to stop him looking like a raving lunatic (Tom, that is. We all know about PJ... okay, just kidding).<P>But Robin Williams... no, just can't picture it. And I can't see Sean Conner (James Bond, no?) leaping around in yellow boots. But David Attenborough? Intriguing...

Believe it or not, I always thought that Ian McKellen could have pulled off a Tom Bombadil! I kind of thought the voice, if less gravely and more light and merry (kind of like when Gandalf says "Ah, s'that way!" in Moria) could be good for Tom.<P>Also, if you've seen Peter Jackson's rehearsal of the Bag End stuff on the FotR EE, you can see that PJ is an okay actor, and would have possibly been able to act loony enough to be Tom.<P>But you'll notice, all the debate about who would be best, you can see how hard it was for Peter Jackson to decide.<P>Naurwen_of_Lothlorien, I just love your avatar - "Do the wave"!

yep...robin williams

Had Robin Williams been an old man, then maybe yes, he has the correct glint in his eyes for the role. But the role of Tom would have to be played by a man of minimum 60 years old as Tom is supposedly ageless...

I agree with Daisy Brambleburr actually.