Quotes about Elijah Wood
I came across these wonderful quotes about Elijah on an old website some time ago, they are a must read.
"Elijah reminds me of those statues of idealized young men on war-memorials throughout the world: more sublime than human and with a complexion of molten marble. He is simply terrific." ~ Ian McKellan from The Making of The Towers Book
"Elijah Wood will never grow old! With that almost Elfin face, he *was* Frodo. In his gentleness and sincerity - and in his enormous enthusiasm as an actor - he was simply perfect for the part." ~Christopher Lee from The Making of The Towers Book
"I came to feel as protective of Elijah as Sam does of Frodo .. In turn, Elijah helped me discover a lot about myself and I literally might not have survived the journey had this young prince of an actor not taken me under his wing." ~Sean Astin from The Making of The Towers Book
"Those remarkable, God-given eyes! That glorious, good-natured personality! Elijah's Frodo is a dazzling light in the doom and gloom of war and despair." ~ Ian Holm from The Making of The Towers Book
"Elijah has the innocence of a child, the wisdom of a ninety-year old man, and the grace of an angel." ~ Miranda Otto from The Making of The Towers Book
"He really is such an impressive guy, he's an old soul in a way. But of course he's also extremely youthful and so much fun to be around." ~ David Wenham
"Elijah can register such subtle emotion on his face that I loved doing close-ups on him. He really brings a superb emotional level to Frodo's scenes and although he is a very instinctive actor, we discussed the character thoroughly." ~ Peter Jackson
"He has this great ability to focus entirely on his performance." ~ Peter Jackson
"Elijah looks angelic but his beauty of spirit is what makes his Frodo leap out of the screen. Unalloyed goodness is one of the most difficult attributes to act." ~ Ian McKellan
“He has skin of liquid marble and an other world look about him" ~ Ian McKellan
“As a person, well Elijah in reality is quite honestly one of the best people I have ever met. He’s honest and real. He comes with a great family and wonderful sensibilities. He’s what folks up north call, “Good People.”” ~ Harry Knowles, AICN
"You can look into Elijah's eyes and you can see right down to his heart." ~ Peter Jackson
Lord of the rings Digital Effects supervisor Richard Taylor, guest at the Bologna's Future Film Festival, said that he'd never seen a man with such perfect skin as Elijah's. His was so perfect, that it caused some problems when putting up the make up because the make up artists often use skin imperfections as help in fixing foundation and prosthetic make up.
"He can't fail - just look at his body of work," says Astin. "Should he be concerned if the film doesn't perform? It is Elijah's doe-eyes on the buses that go by. But he's got more confidence and more comfort in his own skin than anyone I've ever met. Do what you will to try to knock the guy off centre, he's just not going to go." ~ Sean Astin
“In fact Elijah Wood, who plays Frodo Baggins, had not read much of the books, though he knew the story and he had read The Hobbit as a kid. He was kind of embarrassed about not having finished the books. People were starting to gripe at him on the internet too, and yet he had read the scripts thoroughly, and knew the key points of the story well enough that even after I had read the books entirely from The Hobbit to Return of the King, I did not grasp the story as strongly as he did. I’d come to him with passages in the make-up trailer and read to him; look at what Frodo does here, look at what Sam’s relationship to Frodo is here. . .” ~ Sean Astin
"Elijah's great, I get a lot of questions from young ladies about Elijah. He's a really sweet guy. He's done a lot of jobs and is very experienced, but he's very sweet. Lovely, Lovely man.." ~ Dominic Monaghan
"Elijah is a very experienced actor and he is much wiser than most 20-year-olds you're going to meet. To have a leading man who is attentive to everybody and so genuinely interested in everybody, and so good-natured, is a very good emotional center for the cast. I was very impressed by the way he handled that. When you think of the monsters who might have landed that part and been absolutely horrendous to work with, well, it just redoubled how lucky we were to have had Elijah. He's a sweet man and a very good actor." ~ Ian McKellan
“No, I hadn’t worked with any of them. But I had been a huge fan of Elijah Wood even though he was only 18 when we started filming. I had seen almost all his movies, and I really like his work. I admired him because I was a child actor too and he was such an exquisite example of someone’s ability to carve out a career as a child performer with integrity and class." ~ Sean Astin
"If you think Elijah's good in this one [FOTR], wait till you see him by the end of the third one." ~ Ian McKellan
"Elijah is so amazing and talented and smart! He'd always hang around on-set and talk to the director. He would really get involved in the scenes and learn how it all worked... I've just finished filming a movie called Try Seventeen. I play a college girl who has a bit of a romance with Elijah's character." ~ Mandy Moore in TV Hits Magazine
"Life imitated art, completely. I ended up taking on the role of Elijah's protector - even though he didn't really need it! I kept wanting to take him under my wing, and he kept dragging me into different adventures. He's an amazing young man. He's genuinely filled with energy. I'm 10 years older than he is, and I had a lot of energy when I was his age, but he's like a cat. He's undaunted. They would tie him up and whip him around off these cherrypickers, and he was just game. He would go for it. And I was this Nervous Nelly of an old granny. I was like, 'Is that safe? Have you gotten something to eat?' I was like the grandma - or the big brother is really how it felt. We became very, very close. It's hard to put into words. I don't see him as a friend or a colleague. I see him as a brother. We did everything - bungee jumping, surfing, motorcycle riding, we did it all. Sightseeing, taking in the America's Cup regatta - we were the Fellowship around town in New Zealand" ~ Sean Astin
"Oh! He was such a cutie. I think what struck us was the simple fact that... when he walked out on stage, The room was silent. Elijah had this stage presence, and he commanded the stage with his smile. He did it with a natural charm and charisma, and he won the hearts of the people. It was just a quality." ~ David Guillod, modeling judge at the International Modeling and Talent Association annual convention in Los Angeles, 1988
"We were blessed with this cast. Elijah is one of today's finest actors and Paul Hogan as crusty Uncle Porter brings a level of humor and warmth to the story which is sure to delight audiences. If not for these two, I wouldn't have been able to see the script realized. I wrote stuff in there which I never thought we could accomplish" ~ Director Alan Shapiro, "Flipper"
"Elijah Wood is the perfect Sandy. We needed a seasoned young actor who could portray a complicated character. Sandy has tremendous movement in his character. He goes from spoiled urban city kid with a chip on his shoulder to a kid who, through his contact with a dolphin, learns about life and begins to bridge into adulthood." ~ Producer Perry Katz
"He's more experienced than some adults I've worked with. The good news is he's a normal kid." ~ Actor Paul Hogan, USA Today, August 21, 1995
"...his professionalism, his intelligence and his talent are singular. There's no one like him, period." ~ Director Jon Avnet, "The War"
"He's incredibly professional and very responsive to direction. He's more than a great kid, he's a great person." ~ Director Jon Avnet, on Prodigy
"He's the first child actor I've worked with that I think is really an ACTOR. He's not tied to his cuteness." ~ Director Jon Avnet, Entertainment Weekly, November 25, 1994
"He took the challenge to really act. This is a tough role. Elijah's a pretty happy kid, and he had to go out there and experience emotions that are pretty ugly. He wanted to be pushed, and I pushed him like crazy. The difficulty he had trying to find all of that pain Stu feels, I think, translates onto the screen and to the way you react to him." ~ Director Jon Avnet, Boston Globe, October 30, 1994
"It's amazing. I do believe that Elijah has an extraordinary talent that will, in fact, carry him through 30, 40 years. He really is a star of the future. And he's a nice guy. He's like a prodigy in a way. You know, I've worked with a lot of other young actors, and it's difficult to get a good performance at times. You have to be very careful...and help them along and spoon-feed them. But with Elijah, that's not the case. I mean, he really comes to the part full-blown. You give him a little tiny adjustment in a scene, and he takes it as if he's been acting 30 or 40 years." ~ Director Rob Reiner, "North"
"He doesn't sacrifice his heart or his being a kid. He's got a long career in front of him." ~ Actor John Ritter, "North"
"He's like a little man inside a boy's body. One minute he can be playing and the next minute he's doing his close-up and he's just as believable as anything." ~ Actress Faith Ford, "North"
"Elijah has such a wonderful face and such a winning way about him. You look at him and you just like the kid. I thought this movie was going to be a kind of nightmare, directing two twelve- year-olds, but both Mack and Elijah are ACTORS. They concentrate, they stay focused, they're not like kids in that respect." ~ Director Joseph Ruben, "The Good Son"
"He's just really quick. Elijah can give you the same reading or different readings with a lot of facility." ~ Director Joseph Ruben, Entertainment Weekly, November 25, 1994
"[Elijah has] an innate understanding of the characters he plays." ~ Executive Producer Daniel Rogosin, "The Good Son", USA Today, April 2, 1993
"He IS Huck. Elijah has previously played shy and introverted kids. But when I met him, his energy knocked me out..." ~ Director Stephen Sommers, "The Adventures of Huck Finn"
"Elijah's just a natural. You never get him going over the top.... He gets up, takes a deep breath and there's 100% energy...When the camera starts rolling, he's LIVING that scene. I'm talking like he's Marlon Brando, but he blew my socks off." ~ Director Stephen Sommers, USA Today April 2,1993
"It is a very infectious enthusiasm that Elijah exudes, and it contributed a great deal to his performance. Elijah is a high-energy boy who cares a great deal about other people..." ~ Producer Laurence Mark, "The Adventures of Huck Finn"
"Elijah's feet are firmly on the ground. And he is just so professional. If anyone had problems remembering lines, it wasn't Elijah." ~ Actor Courteny B. Vance, "The Adventures of Huck Finn"
"Every once in a while a kid comes along who 'gets it'~who really understands about doing a scene and can act even though he doesn't appear to be acting." ~ Director Steve Miner, "Forever Young"
"Elijah seems to have knowledge beyond his years for executing his job. He's professional and extremely talented. He offers his own thing and before you know it he's kind of borrowing bits and pieces. He's a bright and unspoiled kid." ~ Actor Mel Gibson, "Forever Young"
"I was very surprised how drawn to Elijah and Robert [Gorman] I became and how, out of everybody here, the person I'm closest to is Elijah. That's been a really terrific feeling." ~ Actress Jamie Lee Curtis, "Forever Young"
"Working with Elijah was quite amazing. He's a very intelligent 10-year-old. He instantly grasps what is being demanded of him, and contributed enormously to each scene." ~ Actor Don Johnson, "Paradise"
"Elijah is an amazing actor, and a true sweetheart." ~ Actress Melanie Griffith, "Paradise"
"When we got Elijah and Joey together, I just looked at Lauren and said 'Stop right now', because we'd found what we were looking for. The chemistry was simply phenomenal. It grew and developed throughout the picture. They became like real brothers ~ the teasing, the loving, the pain, the happiness. They would antagonize each other like brothers do, but let something try to come between them and you would see the incredibly strong bond there. They're two of the most amazing actors I've ever worked with. I spoke with Barry Levinson, who had just finished 'Avalon' and could not stop raving about this child. He showed me some footage on Elijah and, when I met him, I knew he would be wonderful in the role." ~ Director Richard Donner, "Radio Flyer"
"Elijah has a sense of assuredness without taking himself overly seriously. He has a wonderful sense of humor." ~ Producer Lauren Schuler-Donner, "Radio Flyer"
"He is an extraordinary kid and a great little actor. I really want to watch how he grows and where he goes. He'll probably own Hollywood!" ~ Actress Delta Burke, "Dayo"
"Half the cast from the Lord of the Rings were around here last night. I'm just like 'J****, what an incredible childhood they have.' All I could do was dream of meeting people like this when I was a kid. Elijah Wood is a really nice guy, very unaffected by the business, a real gentleman." ~ Ozzie Osbourne
"Elijah reminds me of those statues of idealized young men on war-memorials throughout the world: more sublime than human and with a complexion of molten marble. He is simply terrific." ~ Ian McKellan from The Making of The Towers Book
"Elijah Wood will never grow old! With that almost Elfin face, he *was* Frodo. In his gentleness and sincerity - and in his enormous enthusiasm as an actor - he was simply perfect for the part." ~Christopher Lee from The Making of The Towers Book
"I came to feel as protective of Elijah as Sam does of Frodo .. In turn, Elijah helped me discover a lot about myself and I literally might not have survived the journey had this young prince of an actor not taken me under his wing." ~Sean Astin from The Making of The Towers Book
"Those remarkable, God-given eyes! That glorious, good-natured personality! Elijah's Frodo is a dazzling light in the doom and gloom of war and despair." ~ Ian Holm from The Making of The Towers Book
"Elijah has the innocence of a child, the wisdom of a ninety-year old man, and the grace of an angel." ~ Miranda Otto from The Making of The Towers Book
"He really is such an impressive guy, he's an old soul in a way. But of course he's also extremely youthful and so much fun to be around." ~ David Wenham
"Elijah can register such subtle emotion on his face that I loved doing close-ups on him. He really brings a superb emotional level to Frodo's scenes and although he is a very instinctive actor, we discussed the character thoroughly." ~ Peter Jackson
"He has this great ability to focus entirely on his performance." ~ Peter Jackson
"Elijah looks angelic but his beauty of spirit is what makes his Frodo leap out of the screen. Unalloyed goodness is one of the most difficult attributes to act." ~ Ian McKellan
“He has skin of liquid marble and an other world look about him" ~ Ian McKellan
“As a person, well Elijah in reality is quite honestly one of the best people I have ever met. He’s honest and real. He comes with a great family and wonderful sensibilities. He’s what folks up north call, “Good People.”” ~ Harry Knowles, AICN
"You can look into Elijah's eyes and you can see right down to his heart." ~ Peter Jackson
Lord of the rings Digital Effects supervisor Richard Taylor, guest at the Bologna's Future Film Festival, said that he'd never seen a man with such perfect skin as Elijah's. His was so perfect, that it caused some problems when putting up the make up because the make up artists often use skin imperfections as help in fixing foundation and prosthetic make up.
"He can't fail - just look at his body of work," says Astin. "Should he be concerned if the film doesn't perform? It is Elijah's doe-eyes on the buses that go by. But he's got more confidence and more comfort in his own skin than anyone I've ever met. Do what you will to try to knock the guy off centre, he's just not going to go." ~ Sean Astin
“In fact Elijah Wood, who plays Frodo Baggins, had not read much of the books, though he knew the story and he had read The Hobbit as a kid. He was kind of embarrassed about not having finished the books. People were starting to gripe at him on the internet too, and yet he had read the scripts thoroughly, and knew the key points of the story well enough that even after I had read the books entirely from The Hobbit to Return of the King, I did not grasp the story as strongly as he did. I’d come to him with passages in the make-up trailer and read to him; look at what Frodo does here, look at what Sam’s relationship to Frodo is here. . .” ~ Sean Astin
"Elijah's great, I get a lot of questions from young ladies about Elijah. He's a really sweet guy. He's done a lot of jobs and is very experienced, but he's very sweet. Lovely, Lovely man.." ~ Dominic Monaghan
"Elijah is a very experienced actor and he is much wiser than most 20-year-olds you're going to meet. To have a leading man who is attentive to everybody and so genuinely interested in everybody, and so good-natured, is a very good emotional center for the cast. I was very impressed by the way he handled that. When you think of the monsters who might have landed that part and been absolutely horrendous to work with, well, it just redoubled how lucky we were to have had Elijah. He's a sweet man and a very good actor." ~ Ian McKellan
“No, I hadn’t worked with any of them. But I had been a huge fan of Elijah Wood even though he was only 18 when we started filming. I had seen almost all his movies, and I really like his work. I admired him because I was a child actor too and he was such an exquisite example of someone’s ability to carve out a career as a child performer with integrity and class." ~ Sean Astin
"If you think Elijah's good in this one [FOTR], wait till you see him by the end of the third one." ~ Ian McKellan
"Elijah is so amazing and talented and smart! He'd always hang around on-set and talk to the director. He would really get involved in the scenes and learn how it all worked... I've just finished filming a movie called Try Seventeen. I play a college girl who has a bit of a romance with Elijah's character." ~ Mandy Moore in TV Hits Magazine
"Life imitated art, completely. I ended up taking on the role of Elijah's protector - even though he didn't really need it! I kept wanting to take him under my wing, and he kept dragging me into different adventures. He's an amazing young man. He's genuinely filled with energy. I'm 10 years older than he is, and I had a lot of energy when I was his age, but he's like a cat. He's undaunted. They would tie him up and whip him around off these cherrypickers, and he was just game. He would go for it. And I was this Nervous Nelly of an old granny. I was like, 'Is that safe? Have you gotten something to eat?' I was like the grandma - or the big brother is really how it felt. We became very, very close. It's hard to put into words. I don't see him as a friend or a colleague. I see him as a brother. We did everything - bungee jumping, surfing, motorcycle riding, we did it all. Sightseeing, taking in the America's Cup regatta - we were the Fellowship around town in New Zealand" ~ Sean Astin
"Oh! He was such a cutie. I think what struck us was the simple fact that... when he walked out on stage, The room was silent. Elijah had this stage presence, and he commanded the stage with his smile. He did it with a natural charm and charisma, and he won the hearts of the people. It was just a quality." ~ David Guillod, modeling judge at the International Modeling and Talent Association annual convention in Los Angeles, 1988
"We were blessed with this cast. Elijah is one of today's finest actors and Paul Hogan as crusty Uncle Porter brings a level of humor and warmth to the story which is sure to delight audiences. If not for these two, I wouldn't have been able to see the script realized. I wrote stuff in there which I never thought we could accomplish" ~ Director Alan Shapiro, "Flipper"
"Elijah Wood is the perfect Sandy. We needed a seasoned young actor who could portray a complicated character. Sandy has tremendous movement in his character. He goes from spoiled urban city kid with a chip on his shoulder to a kid who, through his contact with a dolphin, learns about life and begins to bridge into adulthood." ~ Producer Perry Katz
"He's more experienced than some adults I've worked with. The good news is he's a normal kid." ~ Actor Paul Hogan, USA Today, August 21, 1995
"...his professionalism, his intelligence and his talent are singular. There's no one like him, period." ~ Director Jon Avnet, "The War"
"He's incredibly professional and very responsive to direction. He's more than a great kid, he's a great person." ~ Director Jon Avnet, on Prodigy
"He's the first child actor I've worked with that I think is really an ACTOR. He's not tied to his cuteness." ~ Director Jon Avnet, Entertainment Weekly, November 25, 1994
"He took the challenge to really act. This is a tough role. Elijah's a pretty happy kid, and he had to go out there and experience emotions that are pretty ugly. He wanted to be pushed, and I pushed him like crazy. The difficulty he had trying to find all of that pain Stu feels, I think, translates onto the screen and to the way you react to him." ~ Director Jon Avnet, Boston Globe, October 30, 1994
"It's amazing. I do believe that Elijah has an extraordinary talent that will, in fact, carry him through 30, 40 years. He really is a star of the future. And he's a nice guy. He's like a prodigy in a way. You know, I've worked with a lot of other young actors, and it's difficult to get a good performance at times. You have to be very careful...and help them along and spoon-feed them. But with Elijah, that's not the case. I mean, he really comes to the part full-blown. You give him a little tiny adjustment in a scene, and he takes it as if he's been acting 30 or 40 years." ~ Director Rob Reiner, "North"
"He doesn't sacrifice his heart or his being a kid. He's got a long career in front of him." ~ Actor John Ritter, "North"
"He's like a little man inside a boy's body. One minute he can be playing and the next minute he's doing his close-up and he's just as believable as anything." ~ Actress Faith Ford, "North"
"Elijah has such a wonderful face and such a winning way about him. You look at him and you just like the kid. I thought this movie was going to be a kind of nightmare, directing two twelve- year-olds, but both Mack and Elijah are ACTORS. They concentrate, they stay focused, they're not like kids in that respect." ~ Director Joseph Ruben, "The Good Son"
"He's just really quick. Elijah can give you the same reading or different readings with a lot of facility." ~ Director Joseph Ruben, Entertainment Weekly, November 25, 1994
"[Elijah has] an innate understanding of the characters he plays." ~ Executive Producer Daniel Rogosin, "The Good Son", USA Today, April 2, 1993
"He IS Huck. Elijah has previously played shy and introverted kids. But when I met him, his energy knocked me out..." ~ Director Stephen Sommers, "The Adventures of Huck Finn"
"Elijah's just a natural. You never get him going over the top.... He gets up, takes a deep breath and there's 100% energy...When the camera starts rolling, he's LIVING that scene. I'm talking like he's Marlon Brando, but he blew my socks off." ~ Director Stephen Sommers, USA Today April 2,1993
"It is a very infectious enthusiasm that Elijah exudes, and it contributed a great deal to his performance. Elijah is a high-energy boy who cares a great deal about other people..." ~ Producer Laurence Mark, "The Adventures of Huck Finn"
"Elijah's feet are firmly on the ground. And he is just so professional. If anyone had problems remembering lines, it wasn't Elijah." ~ Actor Courteny B. Vance, "The Adventures of Huck Finn"
"Every once in a while a kid comes along who 'gets it'~who really understands about doing a scene and can act even though he doesn't appear to be acting." ~ Director Steve Miner, "Forever Young"
"Elijah seems to have knowledge beyond his years for executing his job. He's professional and extremely talented. He offers his own thing and before you know it he's kind of borrowing bits and pieces. He's a bright and unspoiled kid." ~ Actor Mel Gibson, "Forever Young"
"I was very surprised how drawn to Elijah and Robert [Gorman] I became and how, out of everybody here, the person I'm closest to is Elijah. That's been a really terrific feeling." ~ Actress Jamie Lee Curtis, "Forever Young"
"Working with Elijah was quite amazing. He's a very intelligent 10-year-old. He instantly grasps what is being demanded of him, and contributed enormously to each scene." ~ Actor Don Johnson, "Paradise"
"Elijah is an amazing actor, and a true sweetheart." ~ Actress Melanie Griffith, "Paradise"
"When we got Elijah and Joey together, I just looked at Lauren and said 'Stop right now', because we'd found what we were looking for. The chemistry was simply phenomenal. It grew and developed throughout the picture. They became like real brothers ~ the teasing, the loving, the pain, the happiness. They would antagonize each other like brothers do, but let something try to come between them and you would see the incredibly strong bond there. They're two of the most amazing actors I've ever worked with. I spoke with Barry Levinson, who had just finished 'Avalon' and could not stop raving about this child. He showed me some footage on Elijah and, when I met him, I knew he would be wonderful in the role." ~ Director Richard Donner, "Radio Flyer"
"Elijah has a sense of assuredness without taking himself overly seriously. He has a wonderful sense of humor." ~ Producer Lauren Schuler-Donner, "Radio Flyer"
"He is an extraordinary kid and a great little actor. I really want to watch how he grows and where he goes. He'll probably own Hollywood!" ~ Actress Delta Burke, "Dayo"
"Half the cast from the Lord of the Rings were around here last night. I'm just like 'J****, what an incredible childhood they have.' All I could do was dream of meeting people like this when I was a kid. Elijah Wood is a really nice guy, very unaffected by the business, a real gentleman." ~ Ozzie Osbourne