OUTLANDER Star Sam Heughan Teases Mystery Role in THE LORD OF THE RINGS: THE HUNT FOR GOLLUM
Sam Heughan might be heading to Middle-earth, and the Outlander star has dropped a pretty interesting hint that he's involved in The Lord of the Rings: The Hunt for Gollum.
During an appearance at Scotland’s Wigtown Book Festival earlier this month, Heughan found himself discussing J.R.R. Tolkien and The Lord of the Rings movies. When the moderator suggested that the franchise was “exhausted,” the actor had a response that certainly got fans thinking.
"No, it's not exhausted. I'm not giving anything away, but I may have been in New Zealand recently."
That's an interesting thing to say, especially since The Hunt for Gollum is currently filming in New Zealand with Andy Serkis directing and returning to play Gollum.
Heughan didn't confirm that he's part of the cast, but his comment makes it sound like he knows a little more about the upcoming movie than he's willing to share
Heughan has a personal connection to Tolkien's world as he was actually named after Samwise Gamgee, while his brother, Cirdan, was named after an Elf from Tolkien's mythology. Their parents were also members of Gandalf's Garden, a London hippie community. So, getting to appear in a Lord of the Rings movie would be a pretty cool full-circle moment for him.
There's also another interesting clue that suggests Heughan could be involved. As reported by Winter Is Coming, an Outlander fan account, Samwise Gamgee, spotted the actor's name among the signatures on a rare edition of The Letters of J.R.R. Tolkien being auctioned to benefit the ALS Network.
The book was signed by “people who have taken his world to the screen, and people who are taking it there next.”
Several actors and producers involved with The Hunt for Gollum signed the book, with their roles in the production identified. Heughan's signature was also included, although his potential involvement in the movie remains a mystery.
It's possible Heughan simply visited the production as a lifelong Tolkien fan, but between his New Zealand comment and his name appearing alongside people working on the movie, it's looking increasingly possible that he has joined the cast.
Of course, nothing has been officially announced, and there's no indication of what character he might play. Still, Heughan would be an interesting addition to Middle-earth, and given his work on Outlander, it's easy to imagine him fitting into Tolkien's fantasy world.