Lord of the Rings ranks, without a doubt, among the most influential film series in the history of cinema. This trilogy was directed by Peter Jackson and based on the novels of the same name by J. R. R. Tolkien. The first film in the series, The Fellowship of the Ring, premiered in 2001, and in the following years, The Two Towers and The Return of the King were released as sequels. In these productions, the audience follows Frodo Baggins, a hobbit from Middle-Earth who sets out on a quest alongside the Fellowship to destroy the One Ring and its creator, Sauron.

This trilogy featured a huge ensemble cast, with actors such as Elijah Wood, Ian McKellen, Viggo Mortensen, and Sean Astin, among many others. Lord of the Rings proved to be an absolute box-office success, and all three films were widely acclaimed by critics, earning 800 award nominations and winning over half of them. The trilogy ranks among the highest-grossing film series of all time, grossing a total of $2.991 billion worldwide. Naturally, such a large-scale production did nothing but boost everyone who was part of it. Therefore, following their roles in the trilogy, the cast members’ careers kept on rising. Take a look at the actors’ most prestigious projects following Lord of the Rings.

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Elijah Wood

     Focus Features

Elijah Wood starred in the Lord of the Rings trilogy as Frodo Baggins, a role that made his career skyrocket. After the film series, he took part in a number of projects, such as Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind, Spy Kids 3D: Game Over, Sin City and No Man of God, in which he also served as a producer. In 2012, he reprised his best-known role in the film The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey.

Viggo Mortensen

After playing Aragorn in the Lord of the Rings trilogy, Viggo Mortensen went on to star in three David Cronenberg films for which he won critical acclaim: A History of Violence, Eastern Promises and A Dangerous Mind. In 2022, he starred in a fourth production by the same director, Crimes of the Future. Among his other major films in recent years was Green Book, a 2018 production based on a true story, featuring him alongside Mahershala Ali, for which he earned nominations at the Oscars and Golden Globe Awards, among many other ceremonies.

Sean Bean

     Revolution Films

Boromir is one of Sean Bean’s most iconic characters, although the actor is also well-known for playing Ned Stark in the HBO series Game of Thrones. After starring in Peter Jackson’s Lord of the Rings film series, Bean went on to perform in the 1974 and 1983 films of the Red Riding trilogy. Among his most memorable credits in recent years are the films The Martian, Dark River and Wolfwalkers.

Sean Astin

     Lionsgate

In Lord of the Rings, Sean Astin is Sam, Frodo’s faithful friend and sidekick. Since that role, the actor spent a few years working in TV series and lending his voice to different animated characters, but he never stopped starring in films. He collaborated with Adam Sandler in the comedies 50 First Dates, Click and The Do-Over, and also starred in productions of other genres, such as the horror film Borderland and the dramas Gloria Bell and Charming the Hearts of Men.

Ian McKellen

     BBC

Ever since he started his career back in 1961, Ian McKellen has performed an impressive number of roles in many productions. However, two of his most memorable parts are without a doubt Gandalf in Lord of the Rings and The Hobbit trilogies and Magneto in the X-Men films. After appearing in Jackson’s trilogy, McKellen was featured in films such as The Da Vinci Code, Mr. Holmes, where he played the famous detective Sherlock Holmes, The Good Liar and The Dresser, a TV movie in which he starred alongside Anthony Hopkins.

Dominic Monaghan

     IFC Films

Merry Brandybuck was the first film role in Dominic Monaghan’s career, and one of his most famous roles to date, along with his part in the iconic TV show Lost. After wrapping up the Lord of the Rings trilogy, the actor appeared in a variety of projects, including the films X-Men Origins: Wolverine, I Sell the Dead and Star Wars: The Rise of Skywalker.

John Rhys-Davies

     Freestyle Digital Media

Before playing dwarf warrior Gimli, John Rhys-Davies was already well-known, among other things, for his role as Sallah in the Indiana Jones franchise, a role he will be reprising next year in Indiana Jones and the Dial of Destiny. After appearing in The Return of the King, Rhys-Davies worked on film and TV projects and even lent his voice to several video game characters. Among his most popular films are The Princess Diaries 2, Time Lapse, Aquaman and Bad Cupid.

Orlando Bloom

     Walt Disney

Legolas was Orlando Bloom’s breakthrough role, which he would later reprise in The Hobbit trilogy. However, a few years later, he became even more famous for starring alongside Johnny Depp and Keira Knightley in the Pirates of the Caribbean film series. After starring as Sindar Elf in Lord of the Rings, Bloom went on to star in films such as Elizabethtown, Troy, Kingdom of Heaven and The Three Musketeers. In 2023, he is expected to appear in the sports film Gran Turismo, per IGN, inspired by the video game of the same name.

Andy Serkis

     Granada Productions

Andy Serkis is among the highest-grossing actors of all time, and has appeared in productions of all sorts throughout his career. He has even branched out into directing, helming the productions Mowgli: Legend of the Jungle and Venom: Let There Be Carnage. In the Lord of the Rings trilogy, Serkis played Smeagol, better known as Gollum, one of his best-known performance capture roles. He has also appeared in films such as 13 Going on 30, the reboot trilogy of Planet of the Apes and The Prestige, among many others. As well, he has been part of both Marvel and DC superhero films: he starred as Ulysses Klaue in Avengers: Age of Ultron and Black Panther, and as Alfred Pennyworth in the 2022 film The Batman.

Billy Boyd

     20th Century Fox

In the Lord of the Rings trilogy, Billy Boyd played Pippin, Merry’s lifelong friend and cousin. Following this film series, the actor took part in Master and Commander: The Far Side of the World, a production starring Russell Crowe and Paul Bettany. He also voiced Glen/Glenda in the film Seed of Chucky and several characters in the 2021 film The Loud House Movie. Boyd’s other popular films from recent years include Space Milkshake, On a Clear Day and Tell It to the Bees.

Cate Blanchett

     StudioCanal

Wrapping up this list is renowned actress Cate Blanchett, who played Galadriel in Lord of the Rings. After appearing in Peter Jackson’s trilogy, she starred in both indie films and blockbusters with worldwide million-dollar earnings. Among her most popular productions are The Aviator, Blue Jasmine, Carol and The Curious Case of Benjamin Button. She has also appeared in films aimed at a younger audience, such as the live-action Cinderella and the MCU film Thor: Ragnarok, where she played Hela, the Asgardian Goddess of Death. In 2022, she appeared in Guillermo del Toro’s Pinocchio as Spazzatura the monkey and in Todd Field’s TÁR, the latter of which is garnering Oscar buzz for Blanchett’s performance.