The Hobbit: The man behind Thorin Oakenshield

The Hobbit ...a classic book. It was first published in 1937, and written by J.R.R. Tolkien. Believe it or not, it was written as a children's book. But it became a classic, and its appeal was widespread. In the mid-1970's, Rankin/Bass released an animated film version.

After years and years of waiting for a big production version, The Hobbit will soon be coming to a theater near you! If you haven't read the book, don't worry. Perhaps you have heard of a little film trilogy called The Lord of the Rings ? Yeah, thought so! LOTR had massive appeal, and that is putting it mildly. LOTR crossed all demographics with its audience. There were kids and their parents. There were geeks. There were jocks. There were girls. There were women. There were elderly people who had first come to love the literary works as children. Everyone seemed to fall in love with those three movies, making them among the most successful blockbuster hits of all time.

Needless to day, for a decade now, people have been waiting anxiously in hopes that the prequel might finally finds its way to the big screen, and that Peter Jackson would be the man to bring it there. That wait is now almost over. Today, we'll look at one of the most interesting characters in The Hobbit , Thorin Oakenshield. In the book, we learn that he is the heir to the dwarven kingdom which is under Lonely Mountain. He is one part mighty warrior, and one part pompous dwarf. He's not perfect, but that only endears him to us. And when it came to casting the perfect actor to portray Thorin, Peter Jackson made what might be considered a risky choice by some. But in looking back over his long career, I think the casting of Richard Armitage was ideal.

For one thing, Mr. Armitage has played roles that run the gamut of all emotions. He was witty as Harry Kennedy in The Vicar of Dibley . He was snivelling as the invalid Philip Durrant in the mystery Marple: Ordeal by Innocence . He was total bad-ass as John Porter in Strike Back , or Guy of Gisborne in Robin Hood , or Heinz Kruger in Captain America . He was tough yet vulnerable as John Thornton in the miniseries North & South or as Lucas North in Spooks (MI-5) . He can do it all. And all those skills will be called into play as he tackles such an iconic role as the infamous Thorin Oakenshield. But he's more than up for it. Oh yeah - one more talent that makes him the perfect choice? He has a beautiful baritone singing voice. Anyone who's ever read the book knows the importance of song to this wayward band of dwarves.

Richard Armitage has said - long before he was ever cast in this role - that The Hobbit is his favorite book. It must surely be a dream come true for him to have won this role. Congrats to him, and I look forward to seeing him this December in THE HOBBIT: An Unexpected Journey.