New Zealand comedian and actor Rhys Darby (Flight of the Conchords, Our Flag Means Death) recently revealed he auditioned for the role of Bilbo Baggins in Peter Jackson’s The Hobbit trilogy. Speaking in an interview reported by Winter is Coming, Darby pointed out the irony of his absence from the films. Despite his status as a New Zealand native and the massive local production footprint of Middle-earth, he never secured a part in either cinematic trilogy.
“I did audition for Bilbo Baggins in The Hobbit, but Peter did not choose me,” Darby explained. The title role famously went to Martin Freeman. Peter Jackson was so committed to casting Freeman that he actually delayed the production schedule of the films to accommodate the actor’s commitments to the BBC series Sherlock. The resulting trilogy went on to gross 2.9 billion dollars globally, cementing the financial success of Jackson’s final casting choices.
Rhys Darby auditioned for Bilbo Baggins in The Hobbit. (Photo: Wikimedia Commons / CC BY 3.0)
J.R.R. Tolkien originally modeled Bilbo Baggins after the classic Edwardian English gentleman. In the text, the character is timid, quiet, fond of routine and highly reluctant to leave the comfort of the Shire. Freeman brought a sense of understated British dry wit and flustered charm that closely matched Jackson’s interpretation of that specific archetype. Darby is known for a highly energetic and eccentric Kiwi brand of comedy. His casting would have created a radically different version of the character, likely shifting the tone of the entire first film.
