Long before The Lord of the Rings film trilogy, the book series had a devoted fanbase. Since the first part of the series came out in 1954, people have been obsessed with the epic fantasy novels. During the 1960s and 1970s, the phrase “Frodo Lives” was a common graffiti tag. People also made authentic-looking campaign buttons that said “Gandalf for President.”
When the live-action films finally debuted in the early 2000s, they came into being because of the superfans. Director Peter Jackson, and much of the cast and crew, had been huge fans of the book from a young age. So Peter Jackson took it upon himself as the director, writer, and producer to create a cinema experience for all the world to enjoy. And, as a superfan, Peter Jackson slipped in a cameo in each film.
The Lord of the Rings: The Fellowship of the Ring
The first cameo is in The Fellowship of the Ring which premiered in 2001. Although the film’s run time is 2 hours and 58 minutes, Peter Jackson’s cameo is fairly early in the film. Frodo, Sam, Merry, and Pippin left the Shire on their quest. After outrunning a Ringwraith on horseback, the four hobbits made it to their first stop. Getting off of the ferry, they arrived at the fortified city of Bree. Right after they enter the town, Peter Jackson stumbled across the street munching on a carrot. The hobbits moved past him and on to the Prancing Pony where Frodo was supposed to meet Gandalf but found Aragorn instead.
The Lord of the Rings: The Two Towers
Next, came 2002’s The Two Towers. Jackson’s cameo does not appear until around the halfway point of the movie. Sauron raised an army of Uruk-hai to take over Middle-earth. The kingdom of Rohan knew Sauron would come for them first. So they packed up and fled to their mountainside fortress, Helm’s Deep. In the stone castle, Rohan’s people rained arrows, spears, and rocks down upon their enemy. Decked out in Rohan armor, Peter Jackson tossed a spear from the parapet.
The Lord of the Rings: The Return of the King
Finally, in 2003, the Oscar-winning The Return of the King arrived. However, Peter Jackson’s cameo only appeared in the extended home release version. Even though the battle of Helm’s Deep was monumental, it paled compared to the Battle of Pelennor Fields. It became the battle for Gondor and the rest of Middle-earth. Armies of men and elves joined forces to protect against the onslaught from Mordor. Aragorn, Legolas, and Gimli took a detour to gather a ghost army. When they came to the battle, they saw the Corsairs of Umbar approaching Gondor to pillage. One ship held a piratey Peter Jackson.
Peter Jackson created cinematic masterpieces with the Lord of the Rings films. It is only fair that he got to cosplay in all three of them. Also, he included cameos of his children in the films so they are all part of Middle-earth. I would have done the exact same thing.
Which cameos did you spot?
(featured image: Warner Bros./New Line Cinema)
