Evangeline Lilly interviewed by Entertainment Weekly.
In a recent interview for Entertainment Weekly, Canadian actress Evangeline Lilly discussed her role in the action movie ‘Real Steel’ and also described what it is like playing a warrior elf in Peter Jackson’s ‘ Hobbit’ movies. For the original interview click here.
30 Comments
Not good,not good at all. At this rate The Hobbit will look more like a Twilight movie than a film based on a Tolkien book.
I am not happy about this at all. “Head of the Elven Guard.” “lethal and deadly” “The big shot in the army”.
No army in Middle-earth save maybe from Rohan would have women in the army. And certainly not as captain of the guard. This is not anti-feminism and it’s not saying women are weaker and shouldn’t be in battle. This is middle-earth, people just would not put their loved ones in danger like that. I wish people would stop doing things like this just to please the crowd.
If what she says actually happens in the movie and I see a big bad female elf warrior swinging around with a sword I’m not going to buy these movies. Call me a stick-in-the-mud purist if you like. The Hobbit is not about she-elf warriors wielding swords, it’s about a hobbit of the Shire, a Mr. Bilbo Baggins who goes on an adventure that changes him completly and eventually triggers a chain of events that are the story of ‘The Lord of the Rings’. *gets off soapbox*
The idea of a female warrior is not strange in Tolkienverse, considering Haleth and Éowyn and ruling queens such as Ancalimë, though all were considered humans.
But yes, there are some powerful females within Elves as well. Galadriel has even been actively as a part of a battle, as we very well might notice if the attack on Dol Guldur is shown correctly. Even Lúthien used a same kind of skill when freeing the prisoners of Morgoth.
I just hope that Tauriel is not a Mary Sue, which is the picture that Evangeline is giving, unfortunately.
I understand your point, but Éowyn wasn’t the only female warrior out there. See Haleth of Haladin, a woman of 2nd Age.
As long as she doesn’t wind up anybody’s love interest or manipulate the plot in a big way, I’m ok.
Er…Twilight? Really? How many female warriors did you count in that one?
Just because she’s in the movie doesn’t mean it’s going to be all about her. Her part actually really isn’t all that big. You could probably just shut your eyes whenever she shows up and you wouldn’t miss that much of the film.
Also, female warriors were really not that weird in Middle-earth. Examples include not only Éowyn, but Haleth of the Haladin, Emeldir the Manhearted, and I think Aredhel Ar-Feiniel, who often went hunting with the sons of Fëanor. Tolkien was heavily inspired by Icelandic sagas, which also had a substantial amount of female warriors in them, so the concept was probably not alien to him.
Also also, consider this: Mirkwood is a really, really dangerous place at the time of the story. So for women living in Thranduil’s palace, it’s either know how to protect yourself or never, ever go outside. It’s perfectly plausible that one would occasionally choose to pursue the art further.
Boooo.
I didn’t mean that women never fight, what I meant was that especially in the Hobbit nowhere is it mentioned that there are women in the patrols or part of the guard. I thought I read in the interview that she had a bigger part in the second movie in the battle of five armies?
I think some people are misunderstanding my comment. I’m not saying that there weren’t women in Middle-earth who fought in battle. There are, that’s not what I’m saying at all. What I’m trying to say is that the idea of a female Mirkwood elf being part of the regular patrol in Mirkwood is not part of what Tolkien wrote. Yes women of Rohan would fight to protect their lands, yes Galadriel can hold their own and Aredhel is perfectly capable of taking care of herself but my point is there is not going to be a female elf-warrior on patrol in Mirkwood. This is something that the film industry (and I’m assuming Peter Jackson) is doing to draw people in instead of telling the story like it is.
She’s the leader of the Elven Guard and a big shot in the army. The Elven Guard could well be Thandruil’s own elite guard unit. She may know how to wield a weapon, and be lethal and deadly. Somehow all this may mean she could wield some influence within the halls as well.
Still an interesting interview. This will keep the boards busy for a week or so.
OK, not 2nd age. My bad. 😛
Tolkien didn’t write that women are part of the regular patrol in Mirkwood, but he didn’t forbid it either. Even if most of his characters are men, he didn’t write too strict restrictions for the gender roles in the end for Free Peoples.
Films are different than books, and what works in books might need to be told in different ways in the films. It’s something that Peter Jackson thinks, and he knows that he can’t please everyone, but in the end it’s just another adaptation of a fan – because that’s what he is, among us.
I didn’t accept all changes he did for Lotr movies (such as “go home, Sam”), but most of things in the movies were fine. And if the movies won’t please us, we can always remix the scenes and imagery, or use some other source.
But I understand that you don’t want Peter to add female characters to target certain audience. Certainly if the character is good, it doesn’t need to be male or female. We can get inspired none the less.
One thing makes me wonder though. If they already can show Galadriel as the badass female elf, why do they need Tauriel? 😀
Maybe there’s a chance that Evangeline only makes the Tauriel sound bigger character than she really is, because she’s excited, and really concentrated right now.
I love Evangeline Lilly, but this is killing me slowly inside.
Tolkien definitely wrote some strong female characters, but in most cases, I only recall women fighting in battle in extreme situations. I mean, with the Dol Goldur situation, I feel like it wouldn’t be a complete stretch to say women ended up fighting, but Head of the Guard…?! I’m just not seeing it.
However, I would rather this than her being a random love interest.
I guess we’ll see. 🙁
Name a single one that is an Elf. 🙂
But consider this – Galadriel was fighting for the lives of her kin at Alqualonde, but seemingly only used the power of her Ring in Guldur; Luthien also had no other choice than oppose the enemy – and she did so not with a sword, but with songs and charms. The idea of an ethereal elf-maid plus blade is really foreign to Tolkien’s world. It’s just too crude.
Well, they weren’t mentioned as NOT fighting either…(there’s me trying my damnedest for loopholes…)
Also, her part would naturally be bigger in the second film, but I imagine it would still be relatively small…I mean, I can’t think of anything they’d have her do besides fight, if her main role is the army captain. Maybe some interaction with other characters, or having her lead the Elven negotiation attempt with Thorin before the battle, but probably nothing beyond that. (Hopefully.)
Perhaps Aredhel? She’s mentioned as hunting with the sons of Fëanor in Valinor, so it’s reasonable to assume she would be able to use a bow or something, as it is difficult to hunt something without some implement to kill it. Also, she would have to be an idiot to travel through Nan Dungortheb without something on her person, and Elven women are not particularly known for idiocy. Granted, this is speculation, but it makes sense to me.
Maybe for the sake of variety? Galadriel would use her powers as a ring-bearer, whereas Tauriel will be using actual weapons…I dunno. It’s a fair question. Hopefully Tauriel will be more three-dimensional than just a chick with a sword…although if so, she might have a bigger role than would be desirable…gah. I’m all conflicted now.
Still, possibly carrying a weapon on a dangerous journey doesn’t make one an actual warrior, still less a leader of an armed guard. 😉
Really Peter Jackson? REALLY?!?!?!?!?!?!?!? Wow… I totally agree with starofdunedain. Women in Tolkien’s books only fought when they were really truly needed. Even then, the men were reluctant to let them fight! The producers are trying to please people who AREN’T EVEN GOING TO WATCH THE MOVIE!!!!!!!!!!!!!! The real fans do NOT want to see a girl wielding an ax and basically becoming a Mary Sue. (Sigh……….)
Agreed. I don’t understand what you mean by a “Twilight” film…at all. Tauriel or no Tauriel, I’m quite certain that the Hobbit will be miles ahead of the Twilight films.
Well,how many female warriors are in The Hobbit(book)?
How do you NOT understand what I mean? Why do you think Jackson is putting her there? Why do you think Kili looks the way he does? It’s to appeal to a broader(i.e. female and teens) fanbase. You really think any of Tolkiens Dwarves were intended to be “hot”?
Appealing to a broader fanbase is not the same as a cheesy, sappy teen romance with little to no character development. If I came off as rude, it wasn’t my intent. Please don’t be the same to me or anyone else.
Oh, and just to clarify, I wasn’t arguing with you about Tauriel’s character or Kili’s appearance. Personally, I’m not a fan of either, but I’m reserving all judgement till I see the film itself. My point was that even with these changes, it will still be better than the Twilight films, hence the confusion of your post. That is all.
“Please don’t be the same to me or anyone else”. Have I been? Do I have a rep as being rude?
No, perhaps you weren’t trying to be rude, but your comment to me and the other user was a bit condescending. Again, I apologize. I will not reply anymore.
Sorry,that was not my intention. No worries.