Richard Armitage's acclaimed performance as Thorin in the "The Hobbit: The Desolation of Smaug" can now be seen in theaters worldwide. Armitage's performance was described by Latino Post as one that "provides the film with emotional gravitas."
Armitage has long been an accliamed TV actor who has appeared in "Robin Hood," "Strike Back," and "MI-5." He also appeared in "Captain America: The First Avenger," as well as many TV movie and independent films including the highly regarded movie "Frozen (2005)."
The British actor is also known for his stage performances in Shakespeare's "Macbeth" and "Hamlet."
While promoting the new film, Armitage conversed with Latinos Post to talk about his experience of creating Thorin, working with Peter Jackson and the way the franchise has changed his life.
Latinos Post: What are the differences and similarities between you and Thorin?
Richard Armitage: I think there are a lot of similarities really between myself and the character but he is a complete fantasy creation. So you know I have to imagine most of him, the whole idea of a warrior king or the warrior prince is so far away from myself but Tolkien created such a well-rounded character in the book in terms of his skills and his emotional sense so that really wasn't that hard to do. But I share his beliefs in honor and nobility and I disagree with him on certain thing. I try not to be as greedy as he and as single minded as he is.
LP: How difficult is to create a fantasy character that has so much textual history behind it?
RA: I find it easier when you do have a lot of material and the more material that you can find in the literature the better because you have Tolkien creating such a great genealogy for his world and for the dwarves. He had a great essay [in which] he wrote about the history of the Dwarves right from their creation. So I actually found it really useful to have all that information. But of course you have to then lift it off the page and turn it into something that's [going to] resonate with today's audiences.
LP: How grueling was the processing of making such a massive film?
RA: It's probably the longest time aside from a TV series that I've spent with a single character in a single storyline. And what's interesting is coming back to it again this year to do 12 weeks of pickups and in those pickups we had some crucial turning point scenes to shoot. It was nice to allow the character to develop and mature and for me to discover more and more about him because then he feels like a much more layered and complex character and I think that pays off at the end of the third film because the audience has been on a journey with him.
LP: What was the most difficult scene to shoot and what was the biggest challenge of this film?
RA: I think the greatest challenge of this film was fighting the dragon inside the mountain and the finale of the film. Aside from the physical demands of that shoot such as being on a wire, fighting with a sword and all the running around, we pretty much shot inside a green box with no set really. We occasionally had some fill-ins to work around but everything was green. And finally seeing that animated for the film has been such an exciting pleasure for me because engaging the imagination to create all of these things and to be acting at the same time was quite a challenge.
LP: What are you most excited for audiences to see?
RA: I think the dragon. I think it's something that we've waited for for a long time. Its been talked about from the beginning of the film. And I know its been in the back of Peter's mind for many many years. When they even conceived about doing The Hobbit years ago the first thing they would think of is "How are we going to do this dragon?" When they finally present it to the audiences on the 12th of December, I think audiences are going to be thrilled and mesmerized.
LP: How has playing such an iconic character in The Hobbit changed your career?
RA: I think the global reach of a character in a story like this has been the big game changer because it really is seen by so many people in so many different countries and languages and cultures. I think that has an impact on the work that I can do in the future because every country has its own audience. So in that respect it's been a really positive thing.
LP: What was the experience of working with Peter Jackson?
RA: He's kind of changed me as an actor. I think's he made me lighten me up a bit, relax and enjoy myself more and to trust in my imagination and not to disregard anything because that's the way he works. He embraces everything. There is not a single choice that he won't investigate and its always a good way to work because then he doesn't miss anything. But he also has a very childlike imagination so I can learn not to disregard that.
LP: How was it like to work with the cast and what was the last day of the shoot like?
RA: We had a number of last days on this shoot. We always think the last is never the last day but we were all together for such a long time we became great friends and of course the last day of the shoot is always very emotional. But the last day that I shot, a lot of the characters had already left so it really it was just myself left shooting some scenes. It was a slow decline and I said goodbye to the crew and to Pete and he gave me a hug and said see you next year. It was very moving.
LP: How will Thorin and Bilbo's relationship change from this film to the third installment "The Hobbit: There and Back Again?"
RA: Well in this film Thorin's trust for Bilbo is certainly intensified. Bilbo is proving himself to be a great asset to helping them escape from quite a lot of hair-raising situations. And in the next film that relationship becomes very singular and quite intense and it sort of catapults them to the finale of the next film.
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