From the latest issue of Total Film magazine, Evangeline Lilly discusses her character Tauriel the elf warrior in Peter Jackson’s adaptation of Tolkien’s The Hobbit: The Desolation of Smaug. This character, as lovers of the books know, is not a character in Tolkien’s world. This has set some fans of the books on edge about this new, non-canonical character. However, the character does give the opportunity for fans to see a strong woman character in the story full of powerful male characters. Powerful women are already established in The Lord of the Rings books and films with Galadriel, Arwen and Eowyn.
Evangeline Lilly discusses how young the character is as opposed to the other, greater elves in the Mirkwood kingdom, such as Legolas and his father Thranduil: “She’s a very, very young elf. She’s only 600 years old, unlike Legolas who’s like, 1,900 years old and Thranduil who’s about 3,000 years old. She doesn’t have quite the wisdom and pose that those two boys do; she’s a little more… gritty. A little more spontaneous, passionate perhaps.”
She also mentioned the balance needed because of Tauriel’s dueling nature of grace and ruthlessness:
“To play this character I need to have a certain amount of grace]. But I’m also supposed to be an absolutely ruthless, deadly killer.”
I, for one, enjoyed Lilly’s turn as the enigmatic Kate on the acclaimed science fiction series Lost and I have no doubts she will put in a fine performance in The Hobbit.
The Hobbit: The Desolation of Smaug will be in theaters December 13, 2013.
Be the first to comment