Following Viggo Mortensen in Lord of the Rings, Jamie Dornan feels the weight
Taking on Aragorn in a new Lord of the Rings movie brings serious pressure, says the actor stepping into those boots—and he’s got thoughts on carrying it.
Before heading to set on The Lord of the Rings: The Hunt for Gollum, Jamie Dornan says he sat his kids down for a full rewatch of Peter Jackson ’s trilogy — a reminder, he admits, of the shadow he’s stepping into with Aragorn. Speaking on the Happy Sad Confused podcast, he talked about the weight of inheriting a role many fans associate forever with Viggo Mortensen.
“We're offering something new and I am very aware I've never been more proud or privileged or felt the weight of something more,”
Dornan said he knows comparisons to Mortensen’s performance are inevitable, and he’s not trying to top it. In a separate chat with L’Officiel, he emphasized he isn’t out to outdo Mortensen — just to bring his own take to a character he’s loved for years.
The casting hit him hard, too. Dornan told Entertainment Tonight he cried when he learned he’d landed Aragorn, calling the part one of the most meaningful opportunities of his career.
Who’s back in Middle-earth
Dornan said the production has wrapped filming and promised both new and familiar faces in the mix. Among the returning veterans he cited:
- Ian McKellen — Gandalf
- Elijah Wood — Frodo
He added that the cast poured everything into the movie and hopes audiences will make room for a fresh chapter inside Middle-earth.
The Lord of the Rings: The Hunt for Gollum is slated to open in theaters on December 17, 2027 .