Childhood
Elijah was born on January 18, 1981 in picturesque Cedar Rapids, the heart of Iowa. He is the second child in the family of Debbie and Warren; Elijah has a brother and a sister. From childhood, the boy showed creative abilities; he learned to play the piano and sing.
Elijah Wood as a child
When Elijah was 7 years old, his mother took him to the Avant Studios agency, and soon accompanied him to the Young Actors Conference in Los Angeles, where the boy was noticed by one of the jury members, Gery Scalzo, who later became his manager. According to Scalzo himself, it was impossible to take your eyes off little Elijah; he attracted the attention of everyone in the room.
Elijah Wood in childhood and now
After signing a contract with Elijah's manager, the family moved to Los Angeles, where the talented boy began acting in commercials and studying acting. In 1989, he starred in Paula Abdul's video for the hit "Forever Your Girl", written and directed by David Fincher himself.
The beginning of a creative journey
From his very first film roles, no one doubted that the nimble boy with unruly curls was a future star. His first role is considered to be a small episode of the second part of the fantastic comedy, beloved by millions of viewers around the world, “Back to the Future.”
Still from the film "Back to the Future"
In 1990, Elijah starred in the historical film Avalon. He played the role of Jules' son, played by the famous Aidan Quinn, and was immediately nominated for the Young Artists Awards.
Elijah starred in the historical film "Avalon"
Over the next two years, the boy took part in several films, the most notable of which were “Paradise”, “Radio Commercials”, “Forever Young”, and, of course, the famous Disney film adaptation of the novel about Huckleberry Finn. In this film, Elijah played with Ron Perlman and Robbie Coltrane; he was only 12, but he did a great job in his first leading role.
The 1993 thriller "The Good Son" made a strong impression with its complex plot and the performances of two young actors, Elijah as Mark, a serious and intelligent boy beyond his years, and Macaulay Culkin as Henry, a wonderful guy with an angelic appearance and sadistic inclinations.
Macaulay Culkin and Elijah Wood
In 1994, Elijah played the main role in the family film North. The kind and instructive film, in which Wood starred with Bruce Willis, was equally enjoyed by adults and children.
Elijah Wood and Bruce Willis
In 1995, Elijah participated in the recording of The Cranberries' "Ridiculous Thoughts" video. He played a lonely, lost guy who has nothing but the music playing in his headphones. The Cranberries - “Ridiculous Thoughts” 1997 was marked by such works of the actor as the role of Jack Dawkins in the film adaptation of “Oliver Twist”, and Mickey in the drama “The Ice Wind”.
Still from the movie "Oliver Twist"
In 1998, two more films featuring the young star were released. The thriller with elements of fantasy “Deep Impact,” in which Elijah played the role of Leo, who heroically saved his lover and her brother from certain death, and the detective-comedy drama “The Faculty.” In these films, the actor starred with Josh Hartnett, Famke Janssen, and Sigourney Weaver. Both films are considered iconic in the actor’s filmography and cemented his popularity. However, real success awaited Elijah ahead.
Elijah Wood: forever young - forever a hobbit
“Hostage to one role” - for many actors this “title” is akin to a curse. “Oh, this is the one who played Harry Potter...”, “She also played Carrie Bradshaw” - even the real names of the actors become victims of their characters. However, this also has its advantages: if an actor is remembered for one role, this only means that he “resonated” with the film and his character so accurately that culture chose and fixed this particular image of him.
Elijah Wood celebrates his birthday on January 28th . You can do a simple exercise: imagine this actor in any role. Most likely, the barefoot Frodo Baggins from Peter Jackson's Lord of the Rings trilogy is now in your mind's eye. To date, this is the most high-profile role of 36-year-old Elijah Wood, whose acting career began in childhood.
Lord of the Rings
Little Elijah Wood appeared on television back in the early 90s: he played a small role in the video of the popular singer Paula Abdul. Then there were roles in school plays, and then small works in films. Elijah Wood was lucky: critics spoke positively not only about the films with his participation, but also about the actor himself. American critic Roger Ibert, in his review of the film War (1994), called Elijah - then 13 - "the most talented actor of his age in the history of Hollywood."
Wood's film career did not stand still: in 1989, he appeared in one of the episodes of Robert Zemeckis Back to the Future 2. Elijah was one of the boys at the slot machine in the future diner that Marty went to. In 1993, Elijah played one of the main roles in Joseph Rubin's film The Good Son . His partner on the set was Macaulay Culkin , who was at the peak of his fame at that time. But - unlike Culkin, whose future life went slightly downhill - Elijah Wood managed to avoid a similar unenviable fate for child actors.
Already as a teenager, Elijah Wood played one of the main roles in Robert Rodriguez's science fiction horror film The Faculty (1998). Along with him in the film were such future famous actors as Josh Hartnett and Salma Hayek . It was during the filming of The Faculty that Elijah Wood learned about director Peter Jackson's plans to film the famous trilogy of John R. Tolkien .
War
It looked like Chance, so Elijah Wood decided to take the initiative: he ordered an authentic costume, climbed the slopes near Los Angeles and acted out several scenes from the book. Aspiring director—and Elijah's close friend— George Huang filmed the audition, and the tape was sent to Peter Jackson. The acting abilities of the young actor - Elijah was 19 years old at that time - impressed the director, and he called Wood to audition. Afterwards, no one had any doubt that he was the ideal Frodo Baggins. Wood's type fit perfectly with the description of the hero given by Tolkien himself. Even numerous Frodo toys and figurines released based on the film had Elijah's appearance. “I never thought that I would be sold as a toy!” – the actor subsequently said.
Thus, talent and initiative allowed Elijah Wood to beat more than 150 applicant actors (including Jake Gyllenhaal ) and get the role that changed his life. The Lord of the Rings allowed him to become part of something great - even iconic. He gained not only acting, but, above all, life experience. In an interview, Wood recalled: “It was as if I was invited on a journey that allowed me not only to learn acting, but also to develop as a person.” We can say that for the young actor such a large-scale project became something of an initiation; some kind of transition into adulthood.
But... the definition of “adult” is very dubiously suitable for Elijah Wood. And the point is primarily in his appearance: at 36, he looks the same as at 19. Many jokingly attribute this “forever young” look to the magical properties of the ring that the actor received after finishing work on the trilogy. However, the fact remains: despite his advanced age, Elijah Wood looks like a teenager.
However, it was precisely this freshness, youth and a certain naivety of his appearance that allowed Wood to brilliantly play in Liev Schreiber’s film “The Light Around” (2005). After the famous trilogy, the actor began to prefer independent films that would allow him to open up in a new way. “I always try to participate in films that are different from each other. This especially intensified after “The Lord of the Rings” - because of its scale,” Elijah noted in an interview.
“The Light All Around” (sometimes translated as “Full Illumination” or “And Everything Is Illuminated”) is based on the book of the same name by the American writer of Jewish origin Jonatha Safran Foer . In 2002, this book became a clear bestseller in the United States and brought the author many prestigious literary awards.
Fully Illuminated is very much a biographical novel based on a real-life journey. At 22, Jonathan Safran Foer traveled to Ukraine to find the woman who saved his grandfather from the Germans. “Of course, I didn’t find it,” recalls Foer. “I was very naive and ill-prepared.” Perhaps he wrote the book to smooth over the impressions of the failed trip and imagine what would have happened if the trip had been successful.
The result is a multi-layered work, both in form and content, that cannot be fully filmed. In an interview, Elijah Wood said that Jonathan Safran Foer did not insist on the exact transfer of the book to the screen. He was generally quite “distanced” from the filming of the film (although he appeared there in several cameos: a man removing leaves in a cemetery and a hand that writes chapter titles). “I think Jonathan gave Liv the book as material for interpretation,” says Elijah Wood. “In the end, the book is one thing, and the film is another.”
In fact: the characters and storylines were shortened for the film, but the center still remained the story of the journey of a young American Jonathan (Wood) to Ukraine. There he is looking for the woman who saved his young grandfather from Nazi massacre during World War II. Jonathan's Ukrainian guide becomes Alex, a young Odessa resident, played by Evgeniy Gudz (lead singer of the popular group Gogol Bordello ), and Alex's supposedly blind grandfather becomes his personal driver. “Loaded” into an old car along with a mad dog named Sammy Davis Junior, this company sets off on a journey that will lead them... no, not to Mordor, but to the abandoned Ukrainian village of Trachenbrod.
Many critics have noted a certain duality in The Light Around: the first part of the film is an eccentric journey, a kind of mixture of comedy and farce, while the second takes the viewer into the dark, sad and thought-provoking territory of World War II and the Holocaust. However, this was the “highlight” of the film: American critic Claudia Puig wrote that “it’s rare that films with such light humor talk about such difficult things as the Holocaust and anti-Semitism.”
"The Light Around" was the directorial debut of actor Liev Schreiber, known for the films "Scream", "The Painted Veil" and the remake of "The Omen". The book attracted him with the idea that the past illuminates the present and that all people - one way or another - find themselves connected by invisible threads of fate. Like, for example, the main characters – Jonathan and Alex.
“I loved this story about a Ukrainian guy obsessed with American culture and a neurotic American obsessed with nostalgia for Eastern Europe,” says Liev Schreiber. According to his idea, the character of Elijah Wood was to be as different as possible from the stereotypical American. “The protagonist of the story needs to be vulnerable, open, nostalgic, vulnerable—but willing to look beyond their own country for their story,” says Schreiber. And - according to the director - Elijah coped with this task perfectly.
By the way, most of the roles in this film were played not by actors, but by ordinary people - this is how Liev Schreiber sought to give this story greater realism. “You can see a real person by the dirt under his nails, the color of his teeth and his burnt skin. A real person is always very powerful! At least for me,” says Schreiber.
However, the character of Elijah Wood can hardly be called realistic - but only because such people are rarely seen in real life. His Jonathan is intriguing both in appearance and behavior. Elijah himself spoke of his hero as “a calm and quiet observer, cut off from the rest of the world.” “Practicality is Jonathan's main quality. It’s expressed in his clothes: the hero wears the same suit throughout the film,” says Wood.
Large glasses with magnifying lenses are such a detail characteristic of Jonathan’s personality. On the one hand, they emphasize his nature as a researcher and observer, on the other hand, they seem to “fence off” Jonathan himself from the outside world. “In general, the comic in this hero is born precisely from the contrast of his inner world with the outer world,” notes Wood. If Jonathan is rigor, practicality, the desire to organize and collect, then the outside world is chaos, a riot of colors and spontaneity.
In an interview, Elijah Wood noted that his character made not so much a geographical journey as an emotional one. And conveying these emotions - with the external calm of the character - was the main challenge for Elijah as an actor. “On the outside, Jonathan is expressionless, but at the same time, something is constantly happening inside him,” Wood said.
Elijah Wood's career does not stand still - this is largely facilitated by the various projects that he takes on. In one of the interviews, the actor admitted that he loves the horror-thriller genre - and that is why he agreed to play a maniac in the film of the same name by Frank Khalfoun. Television also attracts him: since 2011, he has starred in the series “Wilfred ,” and since 2016, in an unusual variation of the show about detectives called . ” In addition to his acting career, Elijah Wood is known for his passion for music: he collects vinyl records, acts as a DJ, and also founded his own record label.
In an interview, the actor once said: “Daniel Radcliffe should play in a film about me – because we are constantly confused!” So, despite his stellar past, successful present and certainly promising future, Elijah Wood remains a simple and easy-to-communicate person who treats himself and his popularity with humor.
Lord of the Rings
In 2000, Peter Jackson conceived the idea of filming tales of Middle-earth. In the legendary “Lord of the Rings” the young man played the brave Frodo, which brought him worldwide fame.
Elijah Wood as Frodo
An interesting fact is that no one invited Elijah to play this role. The actor heard that Jackson was starting to work on the cast, recorded several scenes from the book and sent the tape to the director. As a result, Peter Jackson, who had previously considered Jake Gyllenhaal for the role of the main hobbit, gave the role to Elijah. Subsequently, the director said more than once that he was very pleased with his choice and could not imagine anyone else in the role of Frodo.
After filming was completed, each actor was able to keep one souvenir, and Elijah chose one of two rings of omnipotence; Andy Serkis took the second ring.
After completing The Lord of the Rings, Elijah received the ring as a souvenir
But this is not the only souvenir of the Fellowship of the Ring; Elijah also has a tattoo on his thigh in the form of an elf nine.
For his role in the legendary trilogy, Elijah was nominated for all the most prestigious awards in the film industry, but received only “Empire”.
Cher's daughter - Chastity San Bono
Cher's daughter Chastity San Bono can be called a scandalous person. She was born in the singer's first marriage to Sonny San Bono and was named Chastity after the film Cher starred in early in her pregnancy.
The scandal about this girl is that at the age of forty, Chastity underwent gender reassignment surgery and also changed her name. By the way, she had to achieve the latter for a whole year. As a result, in 2010, information about the gender change was officially confirmed, as was the fact that Chastity San Bono became Chaz Salvatore. As for Cher, she accepted this decision for her daughter with great difficulty.
It's only begining
After the overwhelming success of The Lord of the Ring, many critics predicted that Elijah would become a lifelong good guy, like his character Frodo. But Wood did not agree to play one-dimensional roles.
Critics predicted Elijah would be a good guy for life.
Over the course of several years, the actor’s filmography has been replenished with such notable works as the role of Patrick in “Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind” and Kevin in “Sin City.” The incredibly cruel and realistic story of 2005 about an American student who accidentally found himself in a group of British ultras took pride of place in Elijah’s filmography. His performance as former student Matt Buckner in Green Street Hooligans completely discouraged all critics and envious people from gossiping about the “eternal hobbit.” In “Hooligans,” Elijah worked with Charlie Hunnam and the incomparable Leo Gregory. “Hooligans” - trailer The 2008 crime thriller “Murders in Oxford” became a real gift for fans of the actor. In the film he starred with the legendary John Hurt, as well as with Dominic Pignon. Elijah's role as Martin, an Oxford student who helps investigate a series of murders at the most famous educational institution in Britain, brought him fame as an intelligent actor. Subsequently, Elijah will prove more than once that he can master any role, even one in which, it would seem, he cannot be imagined. Trailer for the film "Murder in Oxford" The horror film "Maniac", a remake of the classic American slasher film of 1980, became a cinematic sensation in 2012. “The atmosphere of hell” is how critics described the film. The disgusting maniac who collects human scalps seemed even more disgusting in the performance of the pretty Elijah.
Still from the movie "Maniac"
The gloomy, depressing film, shot in the best noir traditions, hardly became anyone’s favorite film, but it showed the pinnacle of Elijah’s acting skills, which for many will forever remain unattainable. “Maniac” - trailer In 2013, a film was released in which Wood again played the role of a maniac, but unlike the 2012 slasher film, the audience liked this role more. The film “Chronicles of a Pawn Shop” consists of several stories that are unrelated to each other, but merge at the end into one storyline. In a good black comedy from director Wayne Kramer, the actor played the role of a maniac: a sophisticated, intelligent young man, seemingly incapable of keeping women in slavery who, to the horror of the audience, did not want to escape from him.
Also in 2013, a brilliant thriller with an unexpected ending, “The Grand Finale,” was released, in which Elijah was helped by his ability to play the piano. In this film, the actor collaborated with John Cusack and Allen Leech.
From the filming of the film “The Grand Finale”
From the works of the period from 2014 to 2020, the most notable roles of the movie star were in the fantasy thriller “The Last Witch Hunter” and in the exciting film “Trust”. “Trust” - trailer for the film In 2017, the actor starred in the touching comedy “I Don’t Feel at Home in This World Anymore.” A slightly crazy guy from the house opposite, whose name you don’t know, and who will always come to your aid - Elijah was very harmonious in this role, as in all his images. The audience liked the film for its touching atmosphere, which was perfectly conveyed by Elijah Wood and his co-star Melanie Lynskey. I don’t feel at home in this world anymore - trailer The actor’s own company, Specter Vision, and computer game developer Ubisoft are creating a new game that is being prepared for release at the end of 2020.
Elijah Wood spoke about the machinations of pedophiles in Hollywood, who are covered up by influential film figures
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Famous actor Elijah Wood said that there are pedophiles in Hollywood who are covered by influential people in the world of cinema Global Look Press
Speaking about the dark side of the film industry, Wood recalled a similar high-profile scandal involving the late BBC presenter Jimmy Savile, who is accused of hundreds of sexual offenses, including against minors Reuters
Let us remind you that this topic has already been raised in the press. Thus, actor Corey Feldman, who also began acting as a child, several years ago reported that as a teenager he was surrounded by pedophiles in Hollywood Reuters
Famous actor Elijah Wood said that there are pedophiles operating in Hollywood, who are covered by influential people in the world of cinema, The Telegraph reports. Speaking about the dark side of the film industry, Wood recalled a similar high-profile scandal involving the late BBC presenter Jimmy Savile, who is accused of hundreds of sex crimes, including against minors.
According to investigators, for almost 50 years, the pedophile TV presenter collaborated with the Ministry of Health, using charity to find new victims. Savile raped at least 103 people aged between five and 75 in 28 medical settings.
According to 35-year-old Wood, who began his acting career at the age of eight, in an interview with the Sunday Times, a similar picture is observed in Hollywood, where underage actors become victims of pedophiles. According to Wood, he himself did not experience sexual abuse as a child, but he knows that child actors were hunted by pedophiles at parties.
Elijah Wood said that the search for victims is still ongoing, and those who were sexually assaulted prefer to remain silent about what happened to them. According to the actor who played Frodo Baggins in the Lord of the Rings trilogy, fortunately, he managed to avoid such an experience, since his mother did not allow him to attend parties in Hollywood.
However, later on Twitter the actor said that his words about the dominance of pedophiles in Hollywood were taken out of context. He explained that he was simply discussing a documentary with a correspondent from The Sunday Times, in connection with which some of the phrases mentioned were heard. In reality, Wood emphasized, he was not sufficiently aware of this important issue.
Let us remind you that the topic of pedophilia in Hollywood has already been raised in the press. Thus, actor Corey Feldman, who also began acting as a child, reported several years ago that as a teenager he was surrounded by pedophiles in Hollywood. The actor had problems with alcoholism and drug addiction.
Several years ago, two prominent Hollywood figures were indicted. Composer Fernando Rivas, who wrote the music for the famous children's television program Sesame Street, was accused of forcing a child to participate in explicit sexual acts, as well as producing and distributing child pornography. In 2013, Rivas was sentenced to 15 years in prison.
Hollywood manager Martin Weiss, who represented the interests of child actors, was also charged with sexually assaulting a former client - the boy was under 12 years old at the time of the incident. Despite the severity of the charges, Weiss spent only six months in prison.
Another Hollywood agent, Bob Willard, was found guilty of sexually assaulting a 13-year-old boy and sentenced to eight years in prison in 2005.
Elijah Wood began his acting career in elementary school. His film debut in 1989 was a cameo role in the film Back to the Future 2. He then starred in dozens of films, including Avalon, Forever Young, Flipper, Oliver Twist, Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind, Sin City, Day of Zero and other films. His most famous role remains the role of Frodo Baggins in the Lord of the Rings trilogy.
Personal life of Elijah Wood
The actor is not one of the stars who flaunts the details of his personal life. He doesn't like to talk about his romances and avoids mentioning girls' names. It is known that Elijah had a relationship with Bijou Phillips, and then with Franka Potente. Until 2010, he had a five-year affair with Pamela Racine.
Elijah Wood with Pamela Racine
Since 2020, the actor has been dating Mette-Marie Kongsved, she is a producer.
Elijah Wood now
In the fall of 2020, the premiere of the thriller “Mandy” with the famous Nicolas Cage took place. The film was produced by Elijah Wood. In an interview after the premiere screening, he said that he intended to start producing, but hastened to please fans that he was not going to end his acting career. Wood also shared his dream of one day starring with Lars von Trier.
Elijah Wood and Nicolas Cage
Movies
Elijah Wood started with episodes and in a few years grew to serious work. In 1991, when he was 10 years old, he played one of the main roles in the film "Paradise" - the boy who reunited the family. Critics responded enthusiastically to Wood's performance and called him the best actor in the film.
Elijah Wood and Scarlett Johansson
In 1993, Elijah starred in the film “The Good Son” with Macaulay Culkin, but the film was not particularly successful with audiences. The next film was The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn: the character played by Wood was very different from his previous roles. In 1994, the film “War” was released, in which the actor played opposite Kevin Costner. And again, critics were generous with their praise. Also in 1994, Elijah Wood played the lead role in the family comedy North. Along with Wood, young Scarlett Johansson played in the film.
1999 was a landmark year for the actor. After the role of Frodo Baggins in The Lord of the Rings, Wood woke up famous and forever wrote himself into the history of world cinema. Elijah accidentally found out about the upcoming filming and persuaded the director to audition with him. The film was shot in New Zealand for quite a long time - the actor had to change his place of residence. The guy did a great job with the game, so it's hard to imagine anyone else in the role of Frodo Baggins.
In addition to expressive eyes and a boyish face, the role of the popular hobbit was also brought to Elijah Wood by his short height (168 cm). The main roles in the trilogy were played by Sir Ian McKellen, Viggo Mortensen, Sean Austin, Cate Blanchett, Billy Boyd, Dominic Monaghan, John Rhys-Davies, Orlando Bloom and Liv Tyler.
After The Lord of the Rings, Elijah starred in the fantasy drama Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind. In 2005, the actor played in the noir crime thriller Sin City.
Also in 2005, Elijah Wood played the main role in the adventure tragicomedy “The Light Around” (in another translation “And Everything Came Light”), based on the biographical novel of the same name by the American writer Jonathan Safran Foer. Elijah Wood plays Jonathan, who is searching for the woman who saved his family during the war.
Also in 2005, the actor played the main role in the crime drama “Green Street Hooligans” about groups of hooligan football fans.
In 2008, Wood appeared in Murder in Oxford, and in 2010 he played the lead role in the American-French horror crime film Maniac. The actor played a cruel maniac who suddenly met love.
In 2011, Wood played the lead role in the black comedy series Wilfred. The second main role of the dog named Wilfred was played by the creator of the television series, Jason Gann.
In 2012, Elijah returned to the role of the hobbit that made him famous in the prequel to The Lord of the Rings, The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey.
In 2013, Elijah Wood played the main role in the thriller Open Windows. The crime film became Wood's producing debut. Another feature of the film was that the main role in the thriller was played by former porn actress Sasha Gray.
In the same year, Wood played the main role in the mystical film “Grand Finale.” In this film, Wood played the talented pianist Tom Selznick, who became the victim of a maniacal fan.
In 2014, the actor played in the British biographical drama Lighting Up the Stars about the life of Dylan Thomas in New York. Wood played the role of John Brinnin, who invited Thomas to this city to give lectures and literary meetings. In the same year, the actor played the main role in the sci-fi comedy “Kutis” about a zombie virus that penetrated a private school. Elijah Wood once again produced.
In addition, Elijah Wood played minor roles in “Treasure Island” (2012), “The Pawn Shop Chronicles” (2013), “The Last Witch Hunter” (2015), and voiced cartoon characters. In 2014, Wood again played Frodo in the epic fantasy The Hobbit: The Battle of the Five Armies.
