New Zealand, “Lord of the Rings” and me

By Jae-Ha Kim
jaehakim.com
December 13, 2012

True story. A decade or so ago, when I was on the New Zealand set of “The Lord of the Rings,” someone accidentally spilled grape juice all over me, dousing my pants and turtleneck. There wasn’t enough time to go back to my hotel to change. So, they let me wear one of Liv Tyler’s outfits.

Anyhow, here’s the piece I wrote for the Chicago Sun-Times:

As a handful of extras ride out on magnificent white horses, you forget you are in a former paint factory. Rather, you feel as though you really are in Rivendell–the ethereal home of the elves in “The Lord of the Rings” trilogy.

It is nearing lunchtime on the set of “The Lord of the Rings: The Two Towers”–which opens Wednesday–but there still are a few more shots to complete before they will be dismissed. A beam of light radiates above the actors, making them appear even more angelic than they will be on screen. With their flaxen, waist-length hair, these elves are the gorgeous supermodels of the movie. Even the horses know it.

A willowy elf whispers that the selection process for the 26,000 extras was rather distinct and not particularly kind. If you were tall, slender and looked as if you could be related to Cate Blanchett or Orlando Bloom, you were an elf. It didn’t matter if you were blond–meticulously detailed handmade wigs took care of that. But if you were short and squat, and nature hadn’t hit you with the pretty stick, you were relegated to being a hobbit, dwarf or–worse yet–an orc.

You may read the full article here.