Two Aragorns

[King of the North]

I was recently rewatching the "Fellowship of the Cast" on the FotR EE Appendices and during it, PJ said "we had a hiccup in the casting process" and then went on to say that another actor had been cast too young for the character. I don't know if this has already been addressed on the Barrow-Downs, but does anyone know who was originally cast for the role of Telcontar?

[lord of dor-lomin]

Dakota Fanning

[radagastly]

Actually, I believe it was Stuart Townsend (he was in Queen of the Damned ). There used to be a thread here in The Movies that had a picture of him in the costume, but I can't find it. Probably lost in the change-over. I thought he did indeed look far too young for the part.

[Eruanna]

Stuart also played Dorian Grey in 'The League of Extraordinary Gentlemen', alongside Sean Connery (who played Alan Quartermain). A film I had high hopes for, but ended up being very disappointing.

To his credit, Stuart Townsend himself went to Peter Jackson to express his doubts over his casting as Aragorn. Their parting of the ways was by mutual consent, at least that's what I've read.

I, for one, think that the gods smiled on PJ when Viggo came in at the last moment. He is Aragorn.

[Bêthberry]

Well, I had heard that Jackson and Townsend had "creative differences" over how to interpret the character, but I can't remember where I read that. It is something when an actor is changed once filming has already begun. It means money in terms of reshooting scenes and refitting costumes.

Such is the way with movie gossip. For my part, I wish they had cast someone who was less a matinee idol type and more a character actor. Scruffy types like Strider are common these days, but a heroic "once and future king", there's a harder character to depict.

[Snowdog]

Originally Posted by Bêthberry

For my part, I wish they had cast someone who was less a matinee idol type and more a character actor. Scruffy types like Strider are common these days, but a heroic "once and future king", there's a harder character to depict.

Hear Hear Bethberry! To Viggo's credit, I think he did a remarkable job of portrayal but I always thought a character actor would have fit better in the changing role. I don't think there was enough 'change' from Strider to King Aragorn and the stress caused him bu wrestling with Sauron via the Palantir.

For his part, I think Suart Townsend would have done alright as Strider/Aragorn

[Ainaserkewen]

I love Stuart Townsend, he'll always be Lestat in my mind; the damnedest creature Lestat.

However, when I heard that he was the mysterious "original Aragorn" I flipped. I certainly could not see him in that role. Stuart had always been a bit of a sensual sex-god in all his roles. Aragorn as a character is no sex-god, much to many's contraversy. Stuart's acting is very detailed and precise, getting every movement, every quirk down flat. The ambiguous way he moves and even speaks is not the emotionally hardened character of Aragorn who is a man of action. Viggo, who plays a lot of heroes, played Aragorn very well as we can all agree. Viggo and Stuart are too completely different actors. Stuart was too young, whatever happend, he was not the same kind of seriousness as Viggo. Something only age can bring.

[Essex]

I remember him sitting near the front row at the Oscars (he was dating one of the contenders for best or supporting female, I believe). Now I can't remember what year it was - whether if it was for two towers or return of the king. I hope for his sake it was two towers. having your nose rubbed in it four times is bad enough, but eleven....!!!!?????

[Celebuial]

I'm glad that Stuart was replaced by Viggo, I think it would have been diastrous to have him as Aragorn. I think that thay needed an actor who gos as far as Viggo to get in to the character (I mean, taking Anduril with you to restaurants, and walking the streets in costume, and rolling around in mud and walking through fields just to get everything authentic? Who else would've done that?). I think he played the part perfectly with my only complaints for the writers and Pj.

[Evisse the Blue]

Reportedly, Stuart Townsend wasn't 'physical' enough for the role, which I can very well see happening. Viggo Mortensen brought a very cool dynamic to Aragorn, doing the stunts and fight scenes himself. He's lean and graceful but strong. Stuart Townsend looks a bit efeminate, and much more like a teen idol than Viggo.

All in all, Viggo did a great job with the script he's been given.

[Mithalwen]

I did read an article where Stuart Townsend whinged a little about being replaced by an actor "twenty years older and a completely different type" .. which is a bit harsh on Viggo. But I guess we have to forgive a little pique since despite being physically not my idea of Aragorn, he so clearly was Aragorn mentally (if that makes sense) that the mere triviality of not being tall enough or having quite the right colouring paled into insignificance.

Maybe it helped that I hadn't seen him in any other role at that point - and those I have seen him in later were a little disappointing. He may not be a character actor as such, but he was surely born to play this character. I think the fact that he cared so much about the intellectual as well as physical aspects of the role really paid off (ie he and Hugo Weaving working as much elvish as possible into their scenes...) and of course his Danish/Irish ancestry may have helped him identfy particularly with the cultural significance of his role - his Aragorn is much more than an action hero.

I think in many ways he was the making of the films - not just because I feel that Aragorn's role holds the disparate threads together ( while at one level the film has to be Frodo's story as PJ said - I think an underplayed Aragorn would have been disastrous) - but because he so clearly inspired the rest of the actors.

The only plus point for Stuart Townsend is that I think he would have made a better pair with Liv Tyler ... who made Viggo look a bit short

[Ainaserkewen]

It's so funny how we're all so biased. I mean, any real fan of the movies has been spoon-fed so much pro-Viggo info (about how he got into character/what a great guy he was from the other actors/all his little quirks that make him so wonderful) that we jump to his defence at the drop of the hat. Not that that's a bad thing, mind you, he's very deserving of such a fanbase. I just think it's funny, is all.

Stuart Townsend looks a bit efeminate

I think you hit the nail of the head with this one, Evisse. A lot of recent stuff that I've seen from him has either been overtly homosexual (Will and Grace) or smelling faintly of homoerotic overtones (Queen of the Damned). And though some fanfic authors would have had a field day with these qualities added to Aragorn's character, mondieu, that would have stretched the original morals a little far. And in true spirit of the "real movie fan": Go Viggo!

[Mithalwen]

lol - but for myself, I knew virtually nothing about the casting before I saw the films and certainly had never heard of either viggo or Stuart at that point. I had such clear mental pictures in my head from the books that until i saw the trailer, I was convinced I would not want to see the films. So in my own case the f irst thing I knew about Viggo was that he was very good as Aragorn.

[Holbytlass]

It must be hard not to get a part based on something one cannot help, in this case Townsend's age. However, I'm glad Viggo got it. It was hard enough trying to remember that Frodo was fifty when a cherubic looking Elijah Wood played him. I am a fan of Wood's since he was a wee babe, but, man, that's tough.

[Ainaserkewen]

Probably was his accent a little too. Where on earth is Stuart from anyway?

[Folwren]

I don't know who they had for him to begin with, but I think Sean Bean, who played Boromir, was an awesome actor and should have (and definitely could have) played Aragorn. He was far more kingly, even as Boromir, than Viggo. Extremely noble...and an excellent actor.

Personally, I think that Mortensen played Aragorn rather poorly, and I'm sorry that they had to botch one of the most awesome character in the book. (Sorry, Ainaserkewen.)

[Arod]

Honestly, I can't see Townsend playing Aragorn. Townsend is very precise (as was mentioned earlier) in his acting. You can see that in his portrayal of Dorian and Lestat. Viggo is more rugged than Townsend IMO and if I had to choose a character that Townsend would fit in LOTR it would be an Elf not Aragorn.

[Mattius]

Crikey could you imagine if Townsend had played Aragorn together with Orlando Bloom as Legalos? The pre-teen ladies would have been having continuous heart attacks. PJ might as well have cast Brad Pitt as Gimli.