Uma Thurman Regrets Turning Down Major Lord Of The Rings Role

In 2001, the world of fantasy films changed when Peter Jackson released the first part of his Lord of the Rings trilogy. The epic series adapted J.R.R. Tolkien's masterful novels and brought characters like Frodo to life. The groundbreaking franchise pushed blockbusters in a new direction thanks to its massive scale and innovative CG effects. Stars like Elijah Wood and Ian McKellan saw their star power bolstered exponentially by their part in the series. And, now, one of Hollywood's starlets admits she regrets not joining the series when she had the chance.

Recently, Uma Thurman sat down with Stephen Colbert for an interview, and the host used his famous Lord of the Rings knowledge to pry information from the actress. Colbert asked Thurman if it was true that she turned down the role of Eowyn, a prominently female warrior of Rohan. Without pause, Thurman confirmed she did pass on the role for good reason.

"It was a very long time ago and I do consider it one of the worst decisions ever made, but I just had my first child and I was a little housebound," she explained.

When asked about the choice, Thurman said she didn't want to bring her newborn to New Zealand for the three-year shot. Jackson elected to film the entire trilogy in one massive schedule, but Thurman does wish she had been able to play Eowyn.

"It's really definitely a regret," Thurman reiterated. As fans know, the role ultimately went to Miranda Otto.

Of course, Thurman is not the only one in Hollywood who had near brushes with The Lord of the Rings. Last year, a casting director told The Huffington Post that David Bowie had been approached about playing Gandalf.

"He was unavailable," Amy Hubbard said about the music icon. "It was a very quick conversation with the legendary Chris Andrews at CAA. I do believe that [David Bowie] went over and played for everybody at the Millennium party. That would've been New Year's Eve in the year 1999, which was when the films were being shot. He went over and entertained everybody, but he never auditioned. That's for sure."

Jake Gyllenhaal could have nabbed a lead role in the franchise as well. The actor told Jimmy Fallon last year he auditioned for Peter Jackson but blew it in front of the director.