Why LOTR Is Cemented as JOHN RHYS-DAVIES’ Favorite Experience
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- เผยแพร่เมื่อ 5 ก.พ. 2025
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John Rhys-Davies (Indiana Jones, The Lord of the Rings) joins us this week for one of my favorite interviews yet. The guy is prolific! He gets into everything from his pessimism heading into Lord of the Rings, the intimidation of working alongside Sean Connery, the immense difficulty of filming Indiana Jones: Raiders of the Lost Ark, and so much more. John was an open book this week, going on to talk about the pain of losing a child, his outlook on life after death, and the current vacuum of creativity our industry is stuck in. Hope you enjoy.
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Why LOTR Is Cemented as JOHN RHYS-DAVIES’ Favorite Experience #insideofyou #johnrhysdavies #lotr - บันเทิง
His part as the voice of Treebeard was criminally underated.
Thank you I didn’t know that
most because many people dont know he voiced Treebeard ^^
burárum
Whhhhhhhaaaaaat lol I'm embarrassed I didn't know that
The ents are the best part of those movies and the only reason I don't rewatch them often is because of how little they are used.
John rhys-davis is a monumentally underrated actor with such a beautiful voice
Agreed, he can start his own podcast for sure
Right? I could listen to him talk all day. And he's got some stories to tell. 😊
I was just looking and it turns out he voiced one of my favourite characters in the video game freelancer! Never realised all this time!
I've never heard him just speaking as himself, in a normal conversation. His stage/movie voice is always big and resonant, but here it's soft and soothing and beautiful, and exudes class and culture.
@@jackpowell9276 I just googled it because i couldnt believe it. He is Tobias. I sank so many hours into this game as a kid
I was an extra on Fellowship I was a soldier in the NZ Army at the time it was a once in a lifetime experience I’ll never forget it 🔥
lucky! ive heard the cast + extras all became quite close and sounds like it was a blast to be a part of
Thank you for your service - to western culture as well as to your country!
Orc?
@@TheGroundedAviatorNew Zealand
@@protalghulnist4126 I'm a Kiwi as well, I meant I heard many army personal were recruited as Orcs at one point.
And they call it a mine.
A MINE.
I just love this line. I repeat it myself at random. He's just so offended by the comparison 😆
This is no mine. Its a tomb!
They have a cave troll..
@@ainiel7602 My cousin and I say it all the time.
TREE?!?! I am no tree! I’m an Ent!
The fact that Lord of the Rings trilogy was made is a small miracle.
The odds against this working out are so astronomical.
Especially back in those days nobody had ever done 3 movies of that scale.
And the fact that they succeeded.
They actually made the definitive movies. There will probably never be an adaption of Lord of the Rings that is better than those movies forever.
Their popular success is all the more remarkable when you consider that fantasy as a genre was kind of walled off from the mainstream as nerd stuff at that point.
I grew up on the original Star Wars movies, and for a long time, I considered them to be the greatest trilogy ever made. But then I saw the original Lord of the Rings movies, and now I have no doubt that they are the greatest trilogy ever made. They are a masterpiece of filmmaking, and even if you're not a fan of the fantasy genre, you have to admire the sheer scale and skill that went into creating them.
@@stevec8131the behind the scenes/making of stuff is absolutely mind blowing.
You can bet that someone in Hollywood is already getting wet at thinking to remake it more lame and gay
@@llothar68 and black
Considering in LOTR he had to wear prosthetics that he was actually allergic to and came out with a swollen face after taking it off, it really is testament to the cast and crew that it was his favourite experience.
True, but I never understood why they couldn’t have given him non latex prosthetics, knowing he has that allergy.
@@iwatchthings231 Maybe they simply didn't have access to it in that part of the world at the time, or the budget was so tight they couldn't afford it. Bear in mind that he was not reusing the same prosthetic every day - he had to have a new one applied instead. I think in one of the DVD interviews, he did say that the makeup artists would put some appropriate medicine between his face and the mask, just to minimize the reaction, but it wasn't foolproof.
@@Moviefan2k4 And Jackson kept Rhys-Davies despite the allergy because he thought Davies was perfect for Gimli, and because at 6' 1" Davies was proportionally correct compared to the shorter hobbit actors, so with editing, perspective, and camera tricks he could be a short dwarf standing next to the hobbits and it would look natural and not super jank.
“Toss me... I cannot jump the distance, you’ll have to toss me.”
"Don't tell the Elf."
@@jordanluyendyk1281Not a word
@@17Watman Legolas with his elf hearing: I heard everything.
Beat me to it@@jordanluyendyk1281
Not the beard!!! 👀
I'd happily listen to any audiobook narrated by John Rhys-Davies.
He's narrated parts of the New Testament, parts of The Trials of Saint Patrick, and the entirety of The Purity Code by Jim Burns
AI
fact he talked about the crew says everything.
Definitely. I have 2 takeaways: 1, that the crew and extras were dedicated and talented enough to be brought up. 2, that John Rhys-Davies is humble enough to remember them and lift them up.
Exactly. Not only that tho, the fact that they all got paid basically nothing, comparatively, and he still loved the experience that much
Completely agree - you can see how much everyone loved working on these movies. It is beautiful
They all worked together, not just his Co stars but everyone on set. From what I have seen, everyone made friends in every department
The man is and always has been, a class act
This is why LOTR is so special. It’s truly rare to see a cast and crew where everyone got along, loved their part, respected the writers and director, etc. The fact that they all speak so highly of one another and are incredibly close friends to this day makes a fan like me so happy. I recommend watching all the behind the scenes of these movies if you haven’t, so much heart went into the films, an authenticity today’s films don’t have. I’ll forever be a huge fan of this trilogy and it will always be #1 in my opinion…❤
As someone who has practically religiously watched the LotR movies since they came out, him naming them as his favorite experience, even down to the crew, makes me so happy
80 years old and still killing it. Fuck yeah
You know he loves it because he says it is one of his favorite movie experiences despite the hell he had to go through being allergic to the prosthetics they put on him, He spent like a year with swollen, puffy, lymph covered eyes due to it.
"I went with duplicity in my heart." LOL
The younger actors love working with John. Elijah Wood told the story of how John took Elijah and the rest of the cast out to dinner and John told the waiter "No menu, lets have filet mignon and lobster for everyone" and then he paid for it.
Dom Monaghan said it :)
Red meat off the bone! And some lobster.
No salted pork?
@@Henu_K Dang Hobbits ate it all! Smh.
I got to meet John 2 years ago in Knoxville. He is one of the nicest people I have ever met. He stayed till most of the lights had been turned off to make sure he was able to see everyone who came to see him. He took lots of time with his fans to answer questions, talk, even play around a little. Even when the event staff was trying to rush him, he would ignore them and focus on his fans. He wanted to make sure everyone who came to see him was able too. Such a great person!!
I just met him two weeks ago and 100% correct on taking the time to talk to me and my brother and sister in law. He was so kind and even asked how we were doing as individuals and so glad I got the chance to meet him and will cherish watching his films even more
@@danielcantu859 So glad you got to meet him!! I wish everyone could. Such an amazing man.
He like an another Bata Kanda
Just hearing him say “Lord of the Rings” sends shivers down my spine… 💯🔥
I loved this guy in Last Crusade. "That car belonged to my brother in-law."
Did you hear him singing in his introduction to series? So much talent.
His voice is so regal
“We dwarves are natural sprinters! Very dangerous in short distances!” 😂
Yet he was the tallest member of the fellowship cast. 😂
Watch the extended films and all the appendices - it’s as close to living that wonderful experience as us mere mortals will get. It looked such a wonderful, once-in-a-lifetime experience for pretty much everyone involved.
The BtS material honestly makes those movies even better than they already are :)
Even Christopher Lee - who continued doing Hammer Horror films well beyond their sell-by (sacrificing a lot of his future credibility and cache in the process) to keep a family of talent and crew together out of pure loyalty - said that was the best crew he ever worked with.
That says it all. Glad John echoes that.
My earliest memory of John Rhys-Davies is Wing Commander III on playstation, one of the best video games of all time. The game also featured Mark Hamill and the guy who played Biff in Back to the Future.
Malcolm McDowell as well!!
I saw him first in Indiana Jones and the Last Crusade. Then in "Raiders of the Lost Ark". It was not lost on me that the scripts seem to think them different characters. In Crusade he was kind of a goofy sidekick, in Raiders he was a serious family man with connections.
Hell yeah, loved Heart of the Tiger.
One of the kindest, most generous with his time, thankful for his fans men I have ever had the great honor and pleasures of meeting. Even got his autograph on a gimli figure. He took the time to speak with every fan. When he ran out of time for the next signer, he went behind the stage and continued signing and meeting with fans. A true class act.
Met this sweet man a couple of months back. He was so kind and lighthearted.
I think the first I watched John was on Sliders ages ago. His work on LotR was incredible, that entire cast was a once in a century gathering that won't be repeated for many decades. Each actor brought their character to life in such splendor that I'll never be able to see the Fellowship as anyone other than the actors that portrayed them in those movies. John IS Gimli, end of story. It's funny, the actors that talk so highly of the humble "behind the scenes" people always seem to be the most stellar folk, never forgetting where they came from and always offering praise for everyone else before themselves. Keanu Reeves, Johnny Depp, John, they ALL never forget the "little guys" who make the magic happen.
What a terrific guest & episode this full interview was.
The best part of this era of proliferation of podcasting is that you sometimes get to hear long form content from someone you never thought you would, but are glad you did. I don’t think I’ve ever seen even an interview with JRD outside of a couple short LOTR behind the scenes type things. This was great.
As someone who’s had eczema around my eyes, it really says something that he came out of that experience still saying it was the best.
0:11 he is such a sweetheart look at his face here I’m crying 😭❤️
No you're not crying. 🙄 Grow up
@@Canthatcrazy incel alert^
I still watch the 1980's classic 'Shogun' every two years or so and his character Rodriquez is my favorite!
Ahoy Ingles!
I agree. He really stole the show in Shogun
@@stallion78 His role in Shogun is what got him the role of Sallah in Raiders
Just had my yearly extended edition binge. 21-23 years old and they STILL hold up to modern cinema. Masterpiece. Always will be, no matter what year we get to
rosenbaum is such a great interviewer tbh, never noticed it before but he asks really great questions and articulates them well
Wtf, that was Michael Rosenbaum? I honestly did not recognize him with all those hair. 😂😂😂😂
3:50 I’ve never heard anyone pronounce “New Orleans” the way JRD pronounces it - and I love it!
You haven’t talked to many Brits then, I guess? 😊
This is another example of what I appreciate about Lord of the Rings: *EVERYONE* who worked on it loved working on it!!! You look at some of the most popular actors who worked on great films, and you find at least one who really hated it. For example: Harrison Ford, who played Han Solo in the Star Wars saga, hates everything about the movies, so much so that he makes a face that’s so angry whenever they mention Star Wars.
That’s not the case with the Lord of the Rings cast at all. You ask anyone who worked on the films and they’ll tell awesome stories about how it was. Some of them will even say that it’s their favorite movie that they ever had the honor, no, the privilege, to act in.
Reminds me of the time I was talking to the father of a guy I had known who played the flute in the local orchestra I had played in myself. I asked him what his son was doing these days, and he said that at the moment he was working in the Sound department on the Lord of the Rings. I replied, "the lucky b***ard!!!"
I have been a fan of this man since I was about 7 years old, I'm 34 soon and in my humble opinion he has as much gravitas and command of a room, stage or set as he always has.
John Rhys-Davis has a beautiful voice and obviously a beautiful heart. Watching the LOTR making if truly does show the Genius of Peter Jackson. Incredible how so many inexperienced Kiwi contributed to these movies. It was truly a work of passion.
It was Quest for Glory IV: Shadows of Darkness, that cemented this man's voice in my head. His work as narrator for that one little game has stuck with me for decades.
John Ryes-Davis made us all fall in love with Gimli all over again! ❤ - He's truly one of the greatest because of his acting skills but also his transparency and humbleness. Hugs from Colombia!
Man, I wish they would do an audio version of the books with him being the narrator. ❤
Wonderful voice and wonderful actor!
You should hear him read the Tale of Durin
Thank you for bringing John in for a chat - I love hearing the BTS stories he shares, and is such a positive person with good words to share about others (and cheeky sense of humour with it! 😅haha)
Man hearing his voice reminds me that we're nearing the last of a generation. We won't have people who speak like this anymore soon! Dont get me wrong, we still have many great voices, just not with this old school style of anumciation and projection.
A gentleman
It makes me sad too. Not just the loss of the manner of speaking, but the articulation. Most famous British people are clowns these days.
The new are training to speak like the old. The lead European actor in shogun speaks the exact same as Richard burton
Very true and well said.
Lord of the Rings is the "Gone With the Wind" of this era. It won't be until another 61 years has passed until we get another epic movie.
Dune
@@BederikStormnah. I love dune but it's nowhere near lotr
@@BederikStorm Dune is stunning and worth every penny in IMAX and at home. But it cant and never will reach LotR the water. LotR is the peak.
@@RoxxSerm it's not finished yet. We need to see what will happen with this franchise but you must agree that it's the most promising out of all others.
Avengers with Thanos were engaging but they were flat, lacking deep philosophy
Lotr will always be in its own league, but I gotta say dune 1+2 are the first movies since then who gave me a different kind of special experience nearly on the same level.
John is such an entertaining conversationalist🤩
From what I've heard about JRD's experience on LotR I'm surprised he holds it in such high regard. For example when the actors of the fellowship went out to get tattooed, JRD wasn't among them, but the stuntman for Gimli ironically was invited in his place. Brett Beattie (the stuntman) is one of the most interesting human beings I've ever met.
They initially invited JRD but he turned them down
I tend to think this story has been somewhat overblown. Pretty sure some people wanted to create negative press for political reasons and tried to destroy his reputation with the films in the last couple of years.
Similar to how certain corners of the internet are trying to destroy Kubrick's reputation, recently
@@matthewmosier8439 He says in this podcast that he didn't get the tattoo
Love how he is honest about how he thought of the project initially. I feel too often some big movie or show will come about and the people in it or making it post release are like "i just knew it was going to work out well" or "didn't doubt it for a second". Thats what i love about LotR, about how much the cast and crew enjoyed making it but they dont pretend or lie about the experience. I saw a snippet of some behind the scenes stuff recently of when the first time the cast and crew watched Return of the King and a bunch of people were asked about how doing it was and how they felt now it was over. They did not hold back in saying how badly it affected their lives, how much stress and turmoil they went though to do it but not a single one of those people would say no to doing it again if it was done over. Like a guys son was born just after the movies started to be made and he basically didn't see him for like 4 years and missed some of the most personal moments a parent could have with their child but he didn't hold it against the movies he helped make or the job he was doing.
It’s hard to believe there are real people in this world that still have this cool of a voice
For me he will aways be the professor from Sliders. It was the first time I was allowed to decide from the evening programm as a kid and this was my series.
Met him at the airport and he was the nicest guy.. selfie and a video to my partner too. Meeting him was amazing and I’ll never forget it
He also played a Roman Centurian in "I Claudius".
The first role I remember seeing John Rhys Davis in was as Vasco Rodriguez in the 1980 "Shogun" TV mini series adaptation of Clavell's book.
I could listen to his stories for hours.
The voice of Thor, Macbeth and Hades.
Don’t forget Man Ray!😁
He's also the voice of Gimli
And treebeard
And Aladdin’s dad in the 3rd Aladdin movie.
He did the cinematics for the video game DUNE2000
Hell yeah the cinematics in that game were an iconic part of my childhood
In the book treebeard has “a deep voice like a woodwind instrument.” Perfect description of his voice.
Wow, wasn't expecting a shout out to my hometown of Stratford in this video! 😁
I got my Extended Edition DVD of Fellowship of the Ring signed by him, but I wasn't there to meet him for the signing lol. Basically he was a guest at a Con that my friends were attending and I asked them if they'd get him to sign. One friend was a huge Indiana Jones fan and was going to meet him for that so was willing to get my DVD signed too. I sent along a letter asking John to sign whichever was his favorite of the trilogy or whichever he enjoyed working on the most. He signed Fellowship.
I met his son Ben in college back in the day ... in SF
I recently watch behind the scene of LOTR how the made Edoras from scratch on a conservation lands, means they have to return the land the exact meter once they've done was insane. And how they build the real grond and how the door they made could stand the real grond was crazy!
I love John, his voice acting in Freelancer and Risen games is just absolutely amazing!
Haven’t watched all of these but in light of the new Shogun now out has anyone asked him about the old Shogun? He played an outstanding role!
I love the stories that the other cast had about John whilst filming LOTR. Proper legend.
So happy they mentioned ’Victor/Victoria’ such a great film.
First memory of Rhys was a movie that was mostly big here in Sweden, Ivanhoe. Rhys have a tendency to make every movie he is in that notch better, so he is a quality stamp.
He have a Gandalf like attribute, to bring out the best of people, intended or not.
I'm so happy he still has such a beautiful, eloquent, and commanding voice and a sharp wit to match.
Never forget Ivanhoe! As a Swede his character Front-de-Boeuf is iconic!
Sliders. Man... haven't thought about that in years and years. Loved it.
One of the more senior people leading the production, who'd returned to The Hobbit along with many others, commented in the Hobbit BTS that the average age of the typical crew member on The Lord of the Rings was around 25 years old. My mind is still blown by this.
I wouldn't be surprised if this was the entire cast's and crew's experience. It's hard to believe it's been over 20 years since the LOTR films released in theaters.
You know, he would be epic at recreating the scene "and what is the charge, eating a meal? A succulent Chinese meal?"
His dulcet tones are still engrossing. Best of luck and good health to him...
"NOT THE BEARD!" amazing performance from Mr Rhys-Davies
I remember the first time I saw John Rhys-Davies in any medium was as a mentat for house atreides in the dune 2000n2155 PC video game. He has a scene where he gets held at knife point during a mission briefing by a fremen warrior and he just drinks his coffee like nothing else matters LOL.
His role in The Living Daylights ( James Bond film ) was great
I know a lot of people's favourite Gimli line in the Lord of the Rings is "That still only counts as one". But my favourite Gimli line is "Bring your brutish face to my axe!" (Fortunately it was a digital creature's face he was referring to!)
The man is awesome! Every part he plays elevates the production to greatness. My personal favorite is Sliders which should get a serious reboot.
His character from Sliders, Maximilian Arturo, will always be my favorite character of his ^^
He sounds here like some classically trained Shakespearean stage actor - I never would’ve guessed he could be the same person as the gruff, unrefined Gimli. Incredible acting range.
He is. He started on stage as a member of the Royal Shakespeare Company. The likes of Patrick Stewart, Ian McKellen, and Judi Dench all started their careers in the same period. That would of been around in the 50s
John Rhys-Davies is one of our favorite actors of all time. a freaking legend.
Looks like he did in Indiana Jones 1981! 😮
I’m gonna meet him this Saturday I’m so excited! 🥰
The fact that this well spoken English actor plays a scruffy dwarf is awesome
He also dabbled in videogames, in the wonderful Wing Commander series
He was also great in The Living Daylights.
Such an underrated Actor; who simply is Not at the Best of Health in these Times.....A Classical Treasure Like Brian Blessed. Simply Class in a Jar!
I love from the behind the scenes features of LOTR that John Rhys Davies didn’t pull any punches during the action scenes. All the stunt men and actors talked about he was really swinging his axe and hitting the stunt men with his full force. lol.
I'm surprised he speaks so well of it, I remember reading he had a really rough time of it because of the prosthetics he wore to play Gimli. Nice to hear though!
Later you remember the good, the annoyance of prosthetics probably falls away with time 😊
Yea, they overdid his makeup. All he needed was a wig, a beard, and regular makeup, maybe a nose.
Imo he made Gimli even better than in the book. His humor was on point and he was still a goddamn badass. That leap into uruk *pikes* was nuts.
One of his best was his Role in Robin of Sherwood as King Richard. JRD
I'm so old that my first experience of John Rhys Davies was actually in the first Black Adder series, and since then I've just sat back and enjoyed his parts of whatever I've seen. Well, I may be wrong, but I think he had a part as a bad guy on a boat in one of the 80's Sherlock Holmes episodes? I only recognized him later, I'm afraid.
Because I loved the LOTR & the Hobbit so much, I was so looking forward to the Rings of Power. So disappointing… So I ditched the new series and just revisited the old ones. They never get old… outstanding acting, stunning visuals and storytelling at its finest. John was magnificent!
I loved him in Indiana Jones too but sad they never feature him in majority of the other series.
I love that he admits he doubted it.
I dare say this man created the dwarven race in LOTR the same way Leonard Nimoys Spock portrayal created the Vulcan race in Star Trek. Also the comic relief his Gimli provided cannot be understated how great it is for the movies as a whole.
Peter Jackson, the crew, and the cast were all BORN to make those movies happen. Once in a lifetime!
Got to meet him in person and he said he like my beard. Gimli complimented my beard!!!
The only lex I can accept as a proper interviewer ;)
JRD is a treasure. Lord of the Rings trilogy is epic, and he is phenomenal. Indiana Jones 1 & 3 I love his supporting role of Sallah. I loved his voice of Thor in the Marvel cartoons of the 90s. So many good parts!
Who are the 21 leading parts?
Fellowship
-Frodo
-Sam
-Merry
-Pippin
-Gandalf
-Aragorn
-Legolas
-Gimli
-Boromir
(9 parts)
Gondor
- Faramir
- Denethor
(2 parts)
Rohan
- Saruman
- Grima
- Theoden
- Eowyn
(4 parts)
Elves
-Elrond
-Arwen
-Galadriel
(3 parts)
Ringbearers
- Bilbo
- Gollum
(2 parts)
The last one I am honestly not so sure. It cannot be Treebeard. They did cast a real Ent but he was not credited for species protection, they are very rare. Eomer, Lurtz or the Witch King would make a lot of sense, more than Haldir. It is probably Eomer even though his part is not that big, but bigger than the others.
well this is nothing unheard of...an elf to go underground while dwarf dares not? i would never hear the end of it