James McAvoy as Bilbo Baggins?

[skip spence]

Originally Posted by Mithalwen

I always thought Michael C.Hall would have been a good Bilbo - his portrayal of David Fisher in Six Feet Under had that hard combination of prissiness, courage and compassion...

I don't know... His role in Six Feet Under is forever etched in my mind and I wouldn't be able to see him as Bilbo without thinking that the unmarried and childless Bilbo is in fact gay.

Oh, the thought of Jack Black as Bilbo makes me shudder. But there's surely no truth behind these rumours, is there?

[Mithalwen]

Originally Posted by skip spence

I don't know... His role in Six Feet Under is forever etched in my mind and I wouldn't be able to see him as Bilbo without thinking that the unmarried and childless Bilbo is in fact gay.

Oh come on, he is an actor. Playing a role, seemingly very well.
If you could believe in him as a heterosexual actor playing a homosexual character, and presumably don't believe him a RL serial killer for his role in Dexter, then why can you not accept him as Bilbo whose sexuality is irrelevant?

After all to say Ian McKellen is openly gay is the understatement of the century (the love that dare not speak its name has truly become the love that won't shut up in his case), do you see Gandalf as gay? Of course for me the difference is that I never managed to suspend my disbelief and accept McKellen as Gandalf.

[skip spence]

Originally Posted by Mithalwen

Oh come on, he is an actor. Playing a role, seemingly very well. If you could believe in him as a heterosexual actor playing a homosexual character, and presumably don't believe him a RL serial killer for his role in Dexter, then why can you not accept him as Bilbo whose sexuality is irrelevant?

Haven't really watched Dexter. The thing is, some things are just hard to accept, often for emotional reasons that can't be supported by rationality. I've nothing against gays or Michael C. Hall (he is a very good actor), I just don't want him to see him play Bilbo for the said reason.

d o you see Gandalf as gay?

Could be. He is unmarried. No love interests are ever recorded. Also a clever linguist who clearly takes good care of his body, looking at least half his age. Could very well be.

[Eönwë]

Originally Posted by skip spence

Could be. He is unmarried. No love interests are ever recorded. Also a clever linguist who clearly takes good care of his body, looking at least half his age. Could very well be.

Well, I don't thin so, but you never know. But we never hear about Bilbo. "Could very well be" as skip spence just said.

[Aganzir]

Originally Posted by Eönwë

Well, I don't thin so, but you never know. But we never hear about Bilbo. "Could very well be" as skip spence just said.

Ah, but to quote the Unfinished Tales:

Originally Posted by Gandalf

"He was already growing a bit queer, they said"

[Sauron the White]

If Gandalf looked half his age .... would he not be a pile of dust?

[Eönwë]

Ah, yes, I didn't think of that Aganzir.

And from FoTR:

Originally Posted by A long expected party

Bag end's a queer place, and its folk are queerer.

All I can say is lucky for Sam (or maybe Rose, in fact) that he didn't live in Bag End at that time.

Anyway, I think we're (mostly me) getting off topic here.

[Mithalwen]

Don't forget "Queer lodgings"

And of course Buckland "where folks are so queer" Presumably to "live on the wrong side of the Brandywine" is a Hobbit euphemism for an alternative lifestyle.