Jamie Dornan cried when he was cast as Aragorn in The Lord of the Rings: The Hunt for Gollum, and he still says the role belongs to Viggo Mortensen.
Dornan, the 44-year-old actor known for Fifty Shades of Grey and Belfast, has finished filming his turn as Aragorn in the film. Taking over the character from Mortensen carries particular weight for an actor who counts Mortensen’s performance among his favourites.
Dornan described getting the part as “an absolute dream and an honour.” His story takes place before The Fellowship of the Ring, during Aragorn’s years as the solitary ranger Strider, before he becomes king of Gondor.
Released from 2001 to 2003, The Fellowship of the Ring, The Two Towers and The Return of the King all featured Mortensen as Aragorn. Dornan has been clear about how he approaches that legacy: “But for me, Aragorn will always be just Viggo.”
“His performance is one of my all-time favourites, and I feel honoured to try to recapture at least some of the energy he originally brought to the character. There’s no part of me that’s trying to outdo him,” Dornan said.
The film is due in December 2027. Reflecting on the shoot, Dornan said: “It was an incredible experience, and I hope people welcome our story into that world because a lot of people care about it, and I really realise that.”