Billy Connolly Joins the Cast of The Hobbit
Posted 02.09.12 by BrentJS
Scottish folk singer, comedian, and actor Billy Connolly's raunchy stand-up routines have inspired drinking games on campuses throughout the US — if you value your liver, do not attempt to drink every time Connolly says the F-word. His portrayal of Il Duce in The Boondock Saints (1999) also helped turn the movie into a cult classic.
Now comes word that he's joined the cast of Peter Jackson's two-part adaptation of J.R.R. Tolkien's The Hobbit. Connolly will play Dain Ironfoot, second cousin of Thorin Oakenshield (Richard Armitage), the leader of the company of dwarves that hires Bilbo Baggins (Martin Freeman) to burgle for them from the dragon Smaug (voiced by Benedict Cumberbatch).
Jackson said in a statement to THR that with the addition of Connolly the cast of The Hobbit is finally "complete."
We could not think of a more fitting actor to play Dain Ironfoot, the staunchest and toughest of Dwarves, than Billy Connelly [sic], the Big Yin himself. With Billy stepping into this role, the cast of The Hobbit is now complete. We can't wait to see him on the Battlefield!
The Hobbit was written by Jackson, Guillermo del Toro, Fran Walsh, and Philippa Boyens. Reprising their roles from The Lord of the Rings trilogy are Elijah Wood as Frodo Baggins, Sir Ian McKellen as Gandalf, Hugo Weaving as Elrond, Cate Blanchett as Galadriel, Orlando Bloom as Legolas, Sir Christopher Lee as Saruman, and Andy Serkis as Gollum (motion-capture). New additions include Sylvester McCoy as the wizard Radagast, Evangeline Lilly as Tauriel, Barry Humphries as the Goblin King, Stephen Fry as the Master of Lake Town, Luke Evans as Bard the Bowman, Mikael Persbrandt as the shape-shifter Beorn, and Ryan Gage as Alfrid. Playing the dwarves are Richard Armitage as Thorin Oakenshield, Stephen Hunter as Bombur, Ken Stott as Balin, Graham McTavish as Dwalin, James Nesbitt as Bofur, William Kircher as Bifur, Jed Brophy as Nori, Adam Brown as Ori, Mark Hadlow as Dori, John Callen as Óin, Peter Hambleton as Glóin, Aidan Turner as Kili, and Dean O'Gorman as Fili.
Next Showing: The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey opens Dec. 14;
There and Back Again follows on Dec. 13, 2013