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Rhys-Davies Not Returning for The Hobbit

Source:Empire

October 30, 2009

John Rhys-Davies told Empire magazine that he has been asked to return for The Hobbit and it's sequel, but has declined. He played Gimli in "The Lord of the Rings" trilogy and could have perhaps played his father, Gloin, as Gimli doesn't appear in "The Hobbit."

"I've already been asked and to be honest with you, I wouldn't," Rhys-Davies said. "I have already completely ruled it out. There's a sentimental part of me that would love to be involved again. Really I am not sure my face can take that sort of punishment any more."

He added that this time around, "They've got a different set of problems... because you've got 13 dwarves, a whole band of them... You're trying to represent a whole race... You're trying to do for dwarves what 'The Lord of the Rings' did for hobbits."

You can check out the full interview here. The first film is scheduled to hit theaters in December of 2011, followed a year later by the second film in December of 2012.

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COMMENTS (32)

Posted by:

Zac

October 30, 2009

Sad though this makes me, I do understand. I've read that he was allergic to the prosthetics or the make-up or something and it made playing Gimli quite uncomfortable to play (which is what I suppose he meant by the comment about his face not being able to "take that sort of punishment anymore"). It'd be nice, though, if he could at least return as the voice for Treebeard, if they found a way to put him in the movies, or perhaps another Ent.

Posted by:

Ben Hur

October 30, 2009

I agree, to have him in the films in some fashion would be really cool and exciting for fans, not that we're not excited enough just that the movie is being made.

Posted by:

bloop

October 30, 2009

aww bummer. That would have been cool.

Posted by:

Brandon

October 30, 2009

I saw him in an interview about a year ago and he looks like he's not in pretty good health. He looked pretty gaunt...

Posted by:

Ryan C

October 30, 2009

He's definitely a man of his word. On the Return of the King DVD he says something like "I'm here to tell you I'll never play a dwarf again, ever." Also it is VERY TRUE he couldn't stand the makeup they put on him.

Posted by:

Jackson

October 30, 2009

That's too bad I really would've liked him to return but I know what he means. In the extras of The Lord of the Rings DVD, on the last day of shooting he got his prosthetic face as a gift and he burned it happily. LOL

Posted by:

KyleC

October 30, 2009

Okay so they can't use a different prosthetic? They can't CGI his face? Nothing they can do?

Really?

Posted by:

Roger, Roger

October 30, 2009

Ok so wait...so Rhy-Davies would instead rather continue making Sci-Fi Channel trash over appear in The Hobbit? Right...

whatever floats his boat

Posted by:

faustapp

October 30, 2009

The make up removed all the skin from his eyes! But, i mean, i don't see why he couldn't play his father and just not wear make up, or as much, just change his nose perhaps?
But Gimli really doesn't appear in the Hobbit, unlike Legolas who theoritically could have, and the man already played both Gimli and Treebeard, so his LOTR legacy is more than secured.
Brenden Glesson would make fine Gloin, or Balin.

Posted by:

Morty

October 30, 2009

It would have been cool, although I think every time I heard him speak, I would automatically think of Gimli. Probably best to get a whole new group to play the dwarves.