Lord of the Rings Star Reveals the Near-Miss Casting That Would Have Ruined 2 Characters

The Lord of the Rings trilogy is so brilliantly cast that every actor feels like they were the only choice for their respective role. However, that wasn’t the case. Famously, Aragorn proved to be a difficult character to cast. Stuart Townsend was originally going to portray the Ranger of the North, but he was fired just before production began on the ambitious project. Viggo Mortensen came in as Townsend’s replacement, but there were others being considered around this time. If one of the trilogy’s producers had his way, there could have been a development that might have ruined two characters in the films.

During an appearance on the podcast Happy Sad Confused, Sean Bean, who played Boromir in The Lord of the Rings, recalled at one point, people wanted him to portray Aragorn instead. “There was talk about Aragorn at one point, and I know Barrie Osborne, one of the producers, I think he was quite keen on me to play Aragorn,” he said. “But I mean, you know, I was playing Boromir, settled on that, and then Viggo came along, and he made a magnificent Aragorn.”

Sean Bean As Aragorn Would Have Had a Domino Effect on The Lord of the Rings

Bean is undeniably a great actor, but there’s a scenario where Osborne’s idea could have had a negative impact on the trilogy overall. For starters, Mortensen is synonymous with Aragorn; it’s impossible to envision another actor in the role. The films wouldn’t have been the same without his presence. Despite being such a late addition to the ensemble, Mortensen seamlessly disappeared into the part, expertly conveying all aspects of Aragorn’s arc from Ranger to King of Gondor. His Aragorn felt like a natural born leader and commanded the audience’s attention whenever he was on screen. Mortensen’s delivery of Aragorn’s speech at the Black Gate was a powerful culmination for the character’s journey. In addition to those dramatic chops, Mortensen proved he could also handle intense action sequences.

If Bean was playing Aragorn, obviously someone else would have to play Boromir, which would have been another loss for The Lord of the Rings. Bean is one of the standout performers in The Fellowship of the Ring, tapping into Boromir’s inner turmoil as he struggles between his commitment to keeping Frodo safe and his desire to use the Ring to help his people. It would have been interesting to see Bean’s take on Aragorn (and the actor has shown he can be a great fit for noble fantasy heroes), but much like Mortensen, Bean was the ideal choice for his character. He was a bit of a wild card within the context of the Fellowship, as audiences (and the other characters) weren’t sure if they could fully trust him. Boromir, of course, proved his heroism by doing his best to save Merry and Pippin, cementing Bean’s portrayal of a well-rounded character who made a tremendous impact in just one movie.

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Mortensen and Bean complement each other nicely in The Fellowship of the Ring. In some ways, their characters represent the duality of man in Middle-earth. Boromir seemed easily susceptible to the power of the Ring, while Aragorn was stronger at resisting its temptations. Boromir illustrated a fate Aragorn could have suffered, driven mad by the Ring. There are a lot of reasons why The Fellowship of the Ring is a great film, but the movie arguably wouldn’t work as well as it does without the dynamic between Mortensen and Bean. Their exchanges together provide Fellowship with a satisfying mini-arc; Boromir has some animosity towards Aragorn when he learns of his status as Isildur’s heir, but by the end, the two have come to love and respect each other as warriors.

Characters are an important component of any movie, and especially ones in genres like sci-fi or fantasy. Nailing the portrayal of the characters can help ground the story in something emotional and relatable, allowing viewers to be immersed in fictional lands populated by elves, dwarves, and wizards. This means it’s pertinent to find the right actors to play each and every role, and that’s something Peter Jackson excelled at when making The Lord of the Rings. It’s impossible to imagine anyone but Mortensen and Bean as the cinematic Aragorn and Boromir.

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