Richard Armitage: Thorin Oakenshield to ******* in The Battle of Five Armies? (possible spoiler)

YAHOO MOVIES
By Daniel Wood | Yahoo Contributor Network – 6 hours ago




A few weeks back I reported that an online petition has surfaced on the internet with the sole purpose of asking Peter Jackson to go against the Hobbit book and common sense narrative progression and let Richard Armitage's Thorin Oakenshield live.

I also wrote another article explaining who I thought should die in 'There and Back Again'. Sorry it's 'The Battle of Five Armies' now isn't it! Anyway, Thorin Oakenshield was one of those characters who should definitely die. Not just because it's what happens in the book but because his character arc means that dying is the only way of getting redemption for his actions.

Well, according to a report from Ecumencial News the people signing the petition will be incredibly happy as it looks like they're going to get what they want. That's because the website is reporting that Peter Jackson is going to largely follow J.R.R Tolkien's book to a tee, with the massive exception of Thorin Oakenshield's death.

Ecumencial News says ""It has been reported that the film will follow Tolkien's book, though one character who died in the book, Thorin Oakenshield, will remain alive, It is still not sure whether Oakenshield's presence in the movie will have any major effect on the plot."

This would seem to wholly go against the current plot-line for Thorin that we've seen in 'An Unexpected Journey' and 'Desolation of Smaug' as well as the subtle hints that Richard Armitage himself has been dropping in interviews.


READ MORE HERE: https://uk.movies.yahoo.com/thorin-oakenshield-survive-battle-five-armies-095800440.html

Richard Armitage Answers the Eternal Question - Are You a Cat or Dog Person

CLICK ON LINE
by Daniel Anderson
30 September, 2013
@ClickOnline_

We recently had the chance to sit down with the one and only Richard Armitage to talk about his upcoming fantasy epic The Hobbit: The Desolation of Smaug. But before all that, we had a really important question to ask.

We asked our followers on Tumblr and Twitter to send us their questions for Richard and managed to get a few burning questions answered. And one of the most popular questions was a simple one - is he more of a cat or dog person. His answer, in picture form, follows.

The English actor, who plays Thorin Oakenshield in The Hobbit trilogy, had a little more to say on the subject. "I’m a dog person. I don’t have a dog but if I were to have an animal it certainly wouldn’t be a bloody cat! Theyre just temperamental and dogs are just cute and faithful" he continued. And he illustrated these thoughts thusly.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TVi1CDRkAe8

 - See more at: http://www.clickonline.com/movies/richard-armitage-answers-the-eternal-question--are-you-a-cat-or-dog-person/20313/#sthash.oV18D76O.dpuf

'The Hobbit': Ian McKellen Says Goodbye to Gandalf (Photo) 11:06 AM PDT 6/28/2013 by Rebecca Ford (THE HOLLYWOOD REPORTER)

Goodbye, Gandalf.

Ian McKellen has played Gandalf, the wise wizard in Peter Jackson's Tolkien films, since The Lord of the Rings: The Fellowship of the Ring began filming in 1999.

But now the English actor has finally wrapped up his role as the iconic wizard, having completed work on the final film in Jackson's Hobbit trilogy, There and Back Again.

The director posted a photo of himself with McKellen on set in New Zealand.

READ MORE: http://www.hollywoodreporter.com/heat-vision/hobbit-ian-mckellen-says-goodbye-577258

Richard Armitage: Popcorn Taxis Hobbit Q&A with Richard Armitage May 4th, 2013 by Kelvarhin (ONE RING.NET)

To celebrate the release of The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey in Australia on May 1st, Popcorn Taxi had a special showing of the film with a Q&A session with Richard Armitage.  RingerSpy and long time message board member, Deleece Cook aka Elven, was lucky enough to attend and sent us the following report on the night.

Cremorne Orpheum Theatre, Sydney Australia – Wednesday 1st May, 2013

Introduced by: Chris Murray (Creative Director Popcorn Taxi)

Hosted by: Oscar Hillerstrom from Popcorn Taxi

by: Deleece Cook on behalf of theOneRing.net

700 smiling excited Thorin Fans were in the audience – and they had come from all over Australia for the event – this is what they had been waiting for hours to see. And it didn’t disappoint. It was a wonderful night of entertainment and surprises – Richard was a talkative guest; relaxed, smiling and laughing through the interview and he tried as best as he could to answer every question put to him from the fans, and from the host Oscar Hillerstrom.

Here’s how the night went – plenty of laughter and cheering and just a great vibe all round!…

Chris Murray: “Good Evening! Do I need to ask how you’re doing? Um, I’ve never been to an underwear sale at David Jones but I suppose this is the closest thing. Ladies and Gentlemen my name is Chris Murray and I am the Creative Director of Popcorn Taxi. It gives me no greater pleasure and enormous privilege to have you here tonight to see on the big screen The Hobbit. But not only that I know why you’re here… Richard Armitage on that seat ladies and Gentlemen”

Mad applause.
~~~~~~~~~~~~

 Oscar Hillerstrom: It’s an honour and a privilege to be here with you ladies and gentlemen.  I think not many of you won’t know that Richard Armitage literally ran away to join the circus as a young chap. He has then continued down a career path which I think most people would have been quite  happy with. We have seen him in North & South, Spooks, and of course as Guy of Gisborne in Robin Hood (applause & cheers) – some of you may have even seen these shows, I don’t know (laughter)… but it is the one moment where he had a meeting with some friendly New Zealanders in London – that changed his life, and changed our lives – because it’s a fruition of Actor, Director and soirée which has bought Thorin Oakenshield to life. And now ladies and gentlemen I’d like you to meet the Actor who has done just that. Put your hands together for Mr Richard Armitage.

Richard walked on stage to a deafening round of applause, looking relaxed and happy he greeted and waved to the audience, and then said hello to a few fans that he recognized who had been at a TV studio earlier on in the day. Some fan questions had been sent in from the Richard Armitage Army and Oscar was going to put those questions to Richard in the course of the interview.

Richard sat down in his chair opposite Oscar and they began to talk…

 Oscar Hillerstrom: You brought yourself to Thorin Oakenshield. There’s so many facets of the role but at the same point this is a character that’s is indelible in the mind for many audience – What does in fact playing Thorin Oakenshield leave with you with as a person and an Actor?

Richard Armitage: I think it’s kind of an interesting question because I haven’t left Thorin Oakenshield yet. So, he’s kind of  still with me, but I think the one thing I discovered about myself creating the role was the realization about leadership by example – because I’m not really a born leader as a person and I found in him a nobility which is about leading by example – not necessarily by dictation, so really, that’s the biggest thing I learnt for myself.

Oscar Hillerstrom: So if you’re in trouble… pick up a piece of wood and hit somebody…

Audience: laughter

Oscar Hillerstrom: Words to live by.

Oscar Hillerstrom: One of the most interesting things about this particular character is the heavy make-up that you work with. Were you surprised and shocked by how different you look onscreen – and was the acting process similar to say mask work where you’re trying to convey emotion through that makeup and the giant beards?

Richard Armitage: When I met Peter – you actually get a character breakdown and it does say ‘will be required to wear some prosthetics’ so I knew there would be something whether it was some ears or something like that. But it was extensive and the initial manifestation of Thorin was much greater than what you see there. They worked with my own face to try and make it look like it wasn’t too dramatic – which was a slow process – it changed throughout the course of the filming.

I did do mask work at drama school so it was useful to see my face and try and make it move in the mirror, and I spent a lot of time doing that. I also worked with Tammy  my prosthetics artist to try and make sure that the flashing on the eyes wasn’t too heavy so I could move my eyebrows. And the eyes move in such a sensitive way that I didn’t want it to be prohibitive in any way because I felt that the key to seeing into Thorin’s heart was through his eyes, and I was nervous about having all of that on his face. But I think it worked out ok and when I took the prosthetic off, my face was much more animated than I normally am as a person, but that was because of the muscles being exercised a little bit more.

READ THE ENTIRE ARTICLE: http://www.theonering.net/torwp/2013/05/04/71345-popcorn-taxis-hobbit-qa-with-richard-armitage/2/

Richard Armitage: Great Dan & Maz Interview Richard Armitage, star of The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey!

Richard played the 'Ikea Furniture or Lord Of The Rings Character?' game with Dan & Maz.... Listen here! 

Richard Armitage: 'I told Prince William he'd make a good elf in The Hobbit' YASMIN VOUGHTWEDNESDAY, MAY 1, 2013 (MOVIE FIX)

Image credit: Getty/Warner Bros Pictures

MovieFIX reporter Yasmin Vought settled in for a chat with Richard Armitage while he was in Sydney this week to promote the DVD and Blu-Ray release of The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey — where he told us a hilarious story about Peter Jackson's pants falling down, what it was like to go to dwarf boot camp and why Prince William, Duke of Cambridge would make a great elf. Read the full interview below.

How has your Australian stay been so far?

Richard: Yeah good, easy. I 've never been to Sydney before — I've had a great time.

I've climbed the Sydney Harbour bridge, did karaoke, I've eaten a lot of crazy seafood.

Karaoke huh, did you go to Ding Dong Dangs?

Richard: Yes I did. I don't remember what I sang, but I can't seem to get [Bon Jovi's] 'Living on a Prayer' out of my head, so maybe it was that.

But I thought your voice was more baritone.

Richard: Yeah, so did I. Maybe I sang the baritone version of it.

So I know we can't ask you about The Hobbit: The Desolation of Smaug, but can we ask you about Tauriel?

Richard: We like to call her towel rail. No I can't actually, I would be absolutely slaughtered. All I can say is that I love Evangeline [Lilly], very much.

I'm very curious about her character, because she wasn't in the books?

Richard: I'm quite curious! I think she's quite curious about her character as well, because nobody really knows. I never really saw her doing any shooting. I saw her doing some weapons training, which looked awesome.

And you went to dwarf boot camp for your training.

Richard: We did about eight weeks of learning how to walk like a dwarf, dwarf insults, wrestling and headbutting. They supposedly had a secret hand language, but we didn't quite manage to get that into the story because there just wasn't enough time to figure out what these hand signals were that they were doing.

But yeah it was interesting. We went into the woodlands to do a war improvisation and we started using these hand signals, like the SAS (Special Air Service) might. Which was fun.

You have your own lego character! That's pretty awesome.

Richard: There's one Thorin Lego which I'm very proud of. You now you've arrived when there's a Lego for your character.

This is why I was surprised that Tauriel had her own Lego figurine.

Richard: Well yeah, originally she was possibly going to be in movie one, so that's why a lot of those characters you would have seen already.

When you first read the book did you always feel a connection with Thorin's character?

Richard: No, when I read it as a kid, of course you follow Bilbo because that's what [JRR] Tolkien wants you to do. I loved Gollum, but I never thought that I might be playing Thorin.

Now I can't really imagine playing anything else, which is possibly a good thing. It's a sign of a connection with your character, because I'd thought aboit him a lot, read about him and had a connection with him.

266 days of filming is a long time with one character.

Richard: Yeah it is, but I think he'll stay in my head for a long time. I'm curious to see how he evolves for the second and third films. Because we shot it, but I don't quite remember what we did. I mean, I saw movie one and there were moments when I was like "I don't remember doing that".


READ THE REST OF THE ARTICLE HERE: http://yourmovies.com.au/article/8651311/richard-armitage-i-told-prince-william-hed-make-a-good-elf-in-the-hobbit

Richard Armitage hopes "The Hobbit" film will stand ‘test of time’ March 19, 2013 | 2:30 p.m. (LA TIMES)

For his turn as dwarf king Thorin Oakenshield in Peter Jackson’s “The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey,” actor Richard Armitage drew inspiration from a very different regal figure created not by J.R.R. Tolkien, but rather William Shakespeare.

“I was in a production of ‘Macbeth,’” Armitage told Hero Complex on the occasion of the film’s release last December. “So I went back to all my notes about ‘Macbeth,’ because I just felt there was something about that character unwinding that was relevant to Thorin unwinding in this story.”

Thorin, of course, plays a key role in the first of Peter Jackson’s planned three-part adaptation of Tolkien’s beloved 1937 children’s novel, “The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey,” which makes the trek to Blu-ray and DVD this week.

Audiences have a new opportunity to enjoy Armitage’s performance as the mighty warrior who joins forces with an initially reluctant Bilbo Baggins (Martin Freeman) to reclaim his homeland and the treasure that’s been stolen by the dragon Smaug.

READ MORE: http://herocomplex.latimes.com/movies/hobbit-star-richard-armitage-hopes-film-will-stand-test-of-time/

Exclusive Video: Martin Freeman on The Hobbit The star of The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey has some NSFW words for his co-star Benedict Cumberbatch. (CRAVE ON LINE)

March 5th, 2013 William Bibbiani

Bibbs grills the star on his personal history with J.R.R. Tolkien's fantasy series, how the ending of The Hobbit changed when the film split from two films into three, and Andy Serkis's first turn behind the camera as Peter Jackson's 2nd Unit Director. Freeman also has some decidedly choice words for his "Sherlock" co-star, and the future voice of Smaug, Benedict Cumberbatch. You can see them on-screen together (sort of) in The Hobbit: The Desolation of Smaug, which hits theaters on December 13, 2013.

READ MORE: http://www.craveonline.com/film/interviews/453879-exclusive-video-martin-freeman-on-the-hobbit

MARTIN FREEMAN DISCUSSES THE HOBBIT SEQUELS (FAN SHARE)

BY JON GALT

English actor Martin Freeman has become a global superstar, thanks to his portrayal of Bilbo Baggins in The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey. However, Martin admits that there is a certain question that he is often asked, which is not quite fully correct.

Martin says that he is often asked how he enjoyed doing The Hobbit movies, before confirming that he still has to head back to New Zealand for a couple of months to continue filming the sequels.

Read more at http://www.fansshare.com/news/martin-freeman-discusses-hobbit-sequels/#ecuMXPLf1YZwOwC9.99 

‘The Hobbit’ Passes Two ‘LOTR’ Pics At Worldwide Box Office By THE DEADLINE TEAM

Warner Bros and Peter Jackson have taken heat (including from Deadline) for turning JRR Tolkien’s The Hobbit into three movies, but if the first film’s box office performance is any indication they might not much care. This weekend The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey eclipsed both Lord Of The Rings: The Fellowship Of The Ring and Lord Of The Rings: The Two Towers in worldwide box office.

READ MORE: http://www.deadline.com/2013/01/hobbit-box-office-worldwide-passes-lord-of-the-rings-movies/

RICHARD ARMITAGE JOINED A CIRCUS WHEN HE WAS 19 (FANSHARE)

Richard Armitage is full of surprises, not least of which that he joined the circus when he was a young boy.  In a new interview with Nylon Guys, Armitage talks about his youth, and adds that while he didn’t run away as originally rumored, he did join the circus.  He says, “I did join a circus, but I never ran away. I was 19 and needed an Equity card.”

Armitage has become a familiar face to the global audience thanks to his strong performance as Thorin Oakenshield in ‘The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey’.  With two sequels coming out in the next few years, Armitage is here to stick around.  Of his work in ‘The Hobbit’, he says, “If this opportunity had come to me 10 years ago, I would not have survived.  I wouldn’t have known what to do with it. Now I feel like I’ve got an opinion to bring to it, my own interpretation of the character and the book, but other things as well, attitudes that I think we can make resonate with a contemporary audience: honor, loyalty, nobility, corruption.”

http://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=player_embedded&v=u6YV7mkqc1g#!

Read more: http://www.fansshare.com/news/richard-armitage-joined-circus-when-he-was-19/#ixzz2IR6ONlRn

Who's Richard Armitage? (ASIA ONE SHOWBIZ)

By Esther Ng
The New Paper
Sunday, Dec 23, 2012

Who's that guy?

Like most British actors, Richard Armitage, 41, started his career in theatre, performing in shows like the musical Cats, as well as theatre productions Macbeth and Hamlet, before moving on to television and film.

Where have you seen him?

He plays Lucas North, a spy in the acclaimed British espionage series Spooks from 2008 to 2010. Last year, he played a German spy, Heinz Kruger, a character in Captain America: The First Avenger.

Why him?

Peter Jackson, director of The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey, described Armitage as a "powerful actor with a wide range".

Considering the sum total of all the parts he has played in television and film - Cold Feet (comedy), Star Wars Episode I: The Phantom Menace (action, sci-fi), North And South (drama) - plus he plays the cello, the flute, and sings, you would agree with Jackson.

What's new?

Armitage hopes investors will come forward to fund the filming of Richard III, a project that he has been working to get off the ground for a few years.

Armitage intends to play the 15th century English king who was believed to have murdered his nephews in a bid to grab the throne. Richard III was the last English king to be killed in battle on English soil.

Incidentally, Armitage was named Richard as he was born on the anniversary of Richard III's death on Aug 22.

READ MORE OF ASIA ONE SHOW BIZ: http://news.asiaone.com/News/Latest%2BNews/Showbiz/Story/A1Story20121221-391021.html

Martin Freeman talks to Digital Spy about John Watson's reaction to seeing Sherlock Holmes alive again.

http://www.digitalspy.com/video/v2035167955001/martin-freeman-on-sherlock-series-3.html?_tmc=kTxQ6efiELEExN2w0blsQxgj--SmHnnOKiVBEAn6Zyk


THANKS AGAIN TO SCOOP.IT DAILY

Benedict Cumberbatch on the future of Sherlock (DEN OF THE GEEK)

 Louisa Mellor Dec 18, 2012

Are Benedict Cumberbatch and Martin Freeman getting too famous to return to Sherlock?

Short answer? No. Not on your nelly. Speaking to Yahoo recently, Cumberbatch assured Sherlock fans that there's no reason the show "can't continue until we get too old".

Asked if he could ever get too big for Sherlock, Cumberbatch replied "I don't think that's a possibility because I love it too much. Making [Sherlock] is all about availability. Martin Freeman has the same kind of pressures on him now. It's a thing of quality not quantity that show - thank God. We started young with it. We started when they meet and we still are young for those roles. There's no reason why it can't continue until we get too old."

Phew.

READ MORE: 

http://www.denofgeek.com/tv/sherlock/23879/benedict-cumberbatch-on-the-future-of-sherlock?_tmc=2X5Cq5IeMEEV6_mjL0zP0gYrJhfmGCx3YeDFXNtUSmI

Richard Armitage, Martin Freeman - MAX 60 seconds

https://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=player_embedded&v=eLIK-DREmJA

The Hobbit: An Unexpected box office smash with $200 million global opening weekend (INDEPENDENT)

The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey has set a box office record with the biggest December opening ever in the US, beating the three previous Lord Of The Rings films with a haul of $84.8 million (£52.4 million).

Peter Jackson's Middle Earth epic surpassed Will Smith's I Am Legend, which opened with $77.2 million (£47.7 million) in 2007, and Avatar, which opened with $77 million (£47.6 million).

Internationally, The Hobbit also added $138.2 million (£85.4 million) for an impressive debut well north of $200 million.

Despite weak reviews, The Warner Bros adaptation of JRR Tolkien's first novel in the fantasy series was an even bigger draw than the last Lord Of The Rings movie, The Return Of The King. That film opened with $72.6 million (£44.9 million).

READ MORE: http://www.independent.co.uk/arts-entertainment/films/news/the-hobbit-an-unexpected-box-office-smash-with-200-million-global-opening-weekend-8421955.html

Richard Armitage on The Hobbit, beard grooming and dwarf workouts (GQ)

By Oliver Franklin 14 December 12

"I just want to convince people I'm not 5"2 and hairy," smiles Richard Armitage, sitting back in a comfortable chair at London's Claridges hotel. "That'll be the biggest challenge." The 41-year-old actor's concern is understandable: as dwarf leader Thorin Oakenshield in Peter Jackson's long-awaited Hobbit trilogy, he's shrunken and wigged-up beyond all recognition. So, let GQ settle it: in real life, Armitage cuts an enviably handsome figure. He's easily 6"1, lightly stubbled and today clad in a sleek J. Lindeberg suit with a plaid shirt and tie. After almost two decades on British TV in the likes of Spooks, Robin Hood and Chris Ryan's Strike Back, The Hobbit marks a step up for Armitage - into the newly world of global franchises and screaming fans. Arriving nine years after the release of The Return Of The King, the film is a visually stunning return to Middle Earth, shot in ultra-clear 3D - but by the time Howard Shore's inimitable score sets in,  and Andy Serkis is shouting "precious", it feels like we never left. Ahead of the film's release this weekend, we sat down with Armitage over a glass of wine to talk beard grooming, Hobbit obsessives and why Brits work best in the shire.

GQ.com: We were at the Jack Reacher junket yesterday talking to David Oyelowo, who was also in Spooks. Do you think there was something about that show, or is this just a great moment for British actors? 

Richard Armitage: We were at the same year at drama school! I loved that show so much. I found it really challenging, it forced you to work at speed. I always said when they finished Spooks they should have made a movie of it. Actually my ultimate role is to play another spy…

READ MORE: http://www.gq-magazine.co.uk/entertainment/articles/2012-12/13/richard-armitage-the-hobbit-film-interview

Benedict Cumberbatch Left Stunned After Hapless Paps Mistake His Niece For A Mystery Date! (E.)

'Star Trek Into Darkness' star Benedict Cumberbatch was left shocked when eager paps mistook his neice for a new mystery date!

The star of Sherlock spoke out on the error to the Associated Press, explaining "I went out with my niece, who is my PA Emily, and we got papped to the point that I couldn't actually see and I had to put my head down and just blink a couple of times."

"I was trying to get in the car with her and so immediately they presume, 'Ah, beautiful blonde...'"

Benedict's real concern was for his young niece though as he added "poor girl, she's never experienced that before. I've never experienced that. (There was) like 15 of them hanging off the bonnet of the car."

READ MORE: http://www.entertainmentwise.com/news/98520/Benedict-Cumberbatch-Left-Stunned-After-Hapless-Paps-Mistake-His-Niece-For-A-Mystery-Date

"Hobbit" debut reaps $13 million in U.S. and Canada, a December record

By Lisa Richwine
Fri Dec 14, 2012 3:52pm EST
REUTERS

The first of three "Hobbit" movies kicked off its box office quest with an estimated $13 million in ticket sales from showings at U.S. and Canadian theaters just after midnight on Friday, a record for a December debut.

The performance topped the $8 million from midnight sales for December 2003 film "The Lord of the Rings: The Return of the King." "The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey" is a highly anticipated prequel to the "Lord of the Rings" trilogy.

"The Hobbit" also rung up sales of $27.3 million in 42 international markets since its overseas debut on Wednesday, distributor Warner Bros. said. Combined with the early North American (U.S. and Canadian) sales, the global total stands at an estimated $40.3 million.

The new 3D film follows the epic journey of hobbit Bilbo Baggins, played by Martin Freeman, as he travels with a band of dwarves to steal treasures from the dragon Smaug. The film is directed by Oscar-winning "Lord of the Rings" filmmaker Peter Jackson and features many of the stars of the earlier films. All of the movies are based on classic novels by J.R.R. Tolkien.


READ MORE: http://www.reuters.com/article/2012/12/14/entertainment-us-hobbit-business-idUSBRE8BD18020121214

Martin Freeman crawls out of his 'Hobbit' hole (USA TODAY)

SUSAN WLOSZCZYNA

NEW YORK — As Bilbo Baggins, the reluctant traveler at the center of The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey, Martin Freeman survives encounters with all manner of Middle-earth menace, from rock creatures who burst forth from mountainsides and hurl giant boulders to a hygiene-deprived troll who mistakes our wee hero for a tissue.

It is odd, then, that during an interview, the British actor — who stars in the first of three films based on J.R.R. Tolkien's literary precursor to The Lord of the Rings, opening nationwide Friday — is thrown for a loop by a wooden stirrer that is topped by an ornate lump of rock-candy crystals.

"Is that sugar?" Freeman, 41, inquires while staring incredulously at the fancy utensil he just plopped into his room-service latte. "Is that a real thing here?"

Assured that the item is not considered a necessity in most American households, he looks relieved. "This is not part of Obamacare, then."

Such wit has served Freeman well throughout a career that began in U.K. sitcoms, including the original version of The Office as the prankster cubicle drone played by John Krasinski in the long-running U.S. knockoff.

For some reason, his Tim was changed to Jim on this side of the Atlantic.

"Are there many Tims in America?" asks Freeman, once again stymied by Yankee customs. "I don't know if I can think of many American Tims."

The specialist in awkwardly self-effacing Everymanliness moved on to features such as 2003's Love Actually, finessing a role as a shy movie double in explicit sex scenes who chastely falls for his female counterpart. The yuletide-set ensemble romance has evolved into a holiday perennial on TV. As Freeman observes, "People watch it whether they want to or not. It's become a new Wizard of Oz for Christmas."

READ MORE of the article: http://www.usatoday.com/story/life/movies/2012/12/13/martin-freeman-bilbo-hobbit/1744935/