|
Trivia
Birth name: Elijah Jordan Wood
Date of birth: 28 January 1981
Place of birth: Cedar Rapids, Iowa, USA
Nickname: Elwood, Lij, Monkey
Height: 5' 6" (1.68 m)
Melissa Joan Hart wanted him to play the male lead in Drive Me Crazy
(1999) because she thought it would take some of the pressure off her in
her first leading role. However, she was told that he looked too young
next to her, and the role went to Adrian Grenier.
Wood is a huge music buff who claims to own something in the range of 3,000 CD's, and cites his favorite band as the Smashing Pumpkins.
Parents' names are Warren and Debbie Wood
Elijah has an older brother Zack (b. 1974) and a younger sister Hannah
Wood (born 7th October 1983).
Presented at Academy Awards in place of Macaulay Culkin.
He dated German actress Franka Potente but the relationship ended late in 2002. Wood blamed the separation on age difference and distance, but still wears a ring Potente gave him which bears a Hebrew inscription meaning "if not now, when?". During a recent interview with Conan O'Brien, he laughed off rumors that he is gay, even recommending one website which makes such claims, calling it "hilarious".
He was the first recipient of the NATO/ShoWest Young Star of the Year
Award
He heard about the Lord of the Rings trilogy while filming The Faculty
(1998). Immediately, he sensed that this was the chance of a lifetime.
Director George Huang, a personal friend of Wood's, filmed his audition
tape for the Lord of the Rings Trilogy. He shot the scene from different
angles which were cut together for the video. They sent the video off to
New Zealand for director Peter Jackson and a few months later, he got
the part.
The cast of the Rings movies was nominated for Best Ensemble Acting at the Screen Actors Guild Awards for three years in a row. They finally won in 2003, for the third film The Return of the King. For his performance as Frodo Baggins, Elijah Wood was nominated by the MTV Movie Awards.
While filming The Faculty he learned that casting had begun for New Zealand director Peter Jackson's epic production of J.R.R. Tolkien's classic novel trilogy The Lord of the Rings. Wood immediately had his friend, director George Huang, film an audition tape of him running in the fields with crudely made Hobbit feet, and sent the tape to Jackson. Despite Jackson's initial assertion that all of the Hobbit characters would be played by British actors, he was immediately won over by Wood's audition and the American Wood was cast in the lead role of Tolkien's diminutive hero Frodo Baggins. Jackson later said he could not possibly imagine another actor in the world who would be better-suited to Frodo.(
The Smashing Pumpkins are his favorite band.
Owns one of two prop rings used in "Lord of the Rings." The
other went to Andy Serkis, who played Gollum.
Plays piano.
As of December 2003, Elijah lived in a New York apartment with his
sister Hannah Wood. However, within a few months he moved back into his
mother's guest house in Santa Monica, California, where he lived
previously, stating he couldn't justify the rent on the apartment since
he spent so little time there.
He became a child model when his mother wanted him to burn off excessive
energy.
Admits to owning thousands of CDs in many musical genres, because he
loves music so much.
Two of his favorite books are "The Hobbit" and "The
Hunchback of Notre Dame."
Wood smokes clove cigarettes.
Is a fan of ex-Smashing Pumpkin Billy Corgan's new band, Zwan.
According to a survey of movie stars done by PC Gamer magazine, The Secret of Monkey Island is his favorite videogame.
Considers Frodo Baggins to be his best role.
In an Elle magazine interview, recently stated that his ideal woman is Torrie Wilson.
In an interview about his latest film Everything Is Illuminated, director Liev Schreiber commented that his leading man Elijah Wood has a "generosity of spirit" and a "sincere goodness as a human being".
Is the first member of the official "Lord of the Rings"
fanclub.
Studies singing professionally.
Suffered acute appendicitis and was briefly hospitalized [August 2003]
Aspires to start a record company.
Wears clear contact lenses.
[about urinating in Peter Jackson's favourite fountain in Wellington,
NZ, after a night out drinking:] "We were walking home and saw this
fountain. Dom [Dominic Monaghan] and I looked at it and he said 'We
should conquer it.' Once we got to the top, what else was there to do
but urinate in it?" [quoted in MX (Melbourne, Australia), December
11, 2003]
[hearing that Sean Astin wanted to correct rumors that his character Sam
Gamgee had a homosexual love for Frodo:] "Yeah, we've never had
that perspective on the relationship, but there is a real bond and a
real closeness. Which was easy for Sean and I because we became so close
making the film. So it's a natural thing to display and to show and I
think it comes across without any real effort ... Frodo really starts to
fail physically and emotionally and mentally, so Sam is there to kind of
pick up the pieces and show his affection for Frodo and really almost
carry him to the end. So that relationship is really important in this
film, particularly. ... I think it's really refreshing and nice. I'm
really close with my friends and affectionate, and I don't think that
there is anything suspicious about that, necessarily. So it's good to
show it and have it be an unisexual thing, definitely." [The
Toronto Star, December 12, 2003]
Dressed up and rode on a float as the god of wine and mirth to head the
Bacchus 2004 parade in New Orleans, Louisiana, for Mardi Gras in
February, 2004.
In the original book The Lord of the Rings, Frodo is 50 years old when
he leaves Bag End, which makes him the oldest of the four lead hobbits.
Elijah Wood is actually the youngest of the four actors.
Loves The Hives.
Supports West Ham United Football Club.
Currently dating Gogol Bordello drummer Pamela Racine.
His favorite movie is Harvey (1950).
His uncle is Turk E. Krause from the band Molly Nova and the Hawk.
Each of the nine Fellowship members got the same tattoo: the number nine
written in Elvish. Elijah's is just below his waist.
Served as the Bacchus of the 2004 Mardi Gras Parade, and returned the
next year.
Received an injury under his eyebrow during the filming of "The
Yank," leaving a visible scar.
Favorite food is fried artichoke hearts dipped in ranch dressing. During
the filming of The Lord of the Rings: The Fellowship of the Ring (2001),
he found a small restaurant that served him artichokes at least three
times a week.
Frequently attends the popular annual gaming convention known as E3
(Electronic Entertainment Exposition) which takes places in Los Angeles
at the convention center. The week long event features all of the
soon-to-be-released games and gaming systems and is open to those
working in the gaming industry.
In 2005, he started his own record label.
His favorite music groups include the Smashing Pumpkins, the Stone
Roses, the Beatles, the Sundays, Black Sabbath, and Verbena.
Among his favorite actresses are Liza Minnelli and Vanessa Redgrave.
Was number 75 on vh1's "100 Greatest Kid Stars."
Appeared in Paula Abdul's "Forever Your Girl" video.
|
