All actors of the nine companions in The Lord of the Rings
got a common tattoo, but Gimli chose not to. MeinMMO reveals what it’s all about.
What kind of tattoo? Elijah Wood (Frodo), Ian McKellen (Gandalf), Orlando Bloom (Legolas), Sean Astin (Sam), Dominik Monaghan (Merry), Billy Boyd (Pippin), Sean Bean (Boromir) and Viggo Mortensen (Aragorn) decided to symbolize their connection with a tattoo after the filming. They chose the number 9 in Elvish script, a reference to the nine companions.
However, the actor John Rhys-Davies, known for his role as the brave dwarf Gimli, opted out and has good reasons for it.
I don’t like needles in general
What reasons does he provide? He explained that he has an aversion to needles and declined the tattoo out of respect for traditions.
He states the following:
Damn, no… I’m not a tattoo person. I don’t like needles in general. But even more, it seems to be a generational issue. I belong to a generation that actually respects two types of tattoos. One of them is tattoos for military personnel. It’s part of that bond you have with your regiment, your marine colleagues, or your air force colleagues. And of course, there are also tribes, like the Maori, who have tattoos. […]
John Rhys-Davies via Screen Rant
He explains that tattoos like the tattooed beard
on a woman’s face among the Maori have a meaning and indicate that the bearer is of royal descent
. These tattoos have cultural value and significance
.
Who got the tattoo? Instead, he let his stunt double have the shared memory tattoo. I did what any self-respecting actor would do when faced with a dangerous stunt. I sent in a stunt double
.
Peter Jackson also chose to get a tattoo. He opted for the number 10 in Elvish, symbolically joining the actors – but at the same time respecting his place outside the fellowship.
The director even gifted the actors a prop that they could take home. Orlando Bloom took his bow as a keepsake, and Liv Tyler, who plays Arwen, chose Arwen’s dress. Thorin from The Hobbit
was also allowed to take a keepsake, but it was stolen – and he didn’t notice it: ‘Are you low on cash?’ – Peter Jackson asked Hobbit star if he needed money because he saw his sword for sale
