Throughout John Rhys-Davies’ lengthy career, the talented actor has been a part of many films and TV shows that have become beloved. For example, Rhys-Davies was paid a good amount of money to star in the Lord of the Rings trilogy. On top of that, Rhys-Davies starred in two of the Indiana Jones movies, he popped up in a James Bond film, and he was a major part of the show Sliders.

Related: Indiana Jones 5: Rumors, Controversy And Everything Else We Know

Despite everything that John Rhys-Davies has accomplished, he has always been perceived as more of a character actor than a movie star. For that reason, the press rarely focuses on Rhys-Davies unless he winds in the news for some reason which has resulted in most people not knowing what he has been up to recently.

6 John Rhys-Davies Has Claimed That He Can’t Get Work Due To COVID-19

Since COVID-19 is a terrible virus that has taken the lives of millions of people, it has had a huge effect on people’s lives all over the world. For example, due to the lockdowns that were enacted during the height of the pandemic, many people lost their jobs. Of course, when everyday people lose their job and can’t afford to live, that is far more concerning than when a celebrity with lots of money can’t find work due to the pandemic.

Related: Cara Delevingne Blames Her Break Up With Ashley Benson On The PandemicHowever, that doesn’t mean that it isn’t concerning that several movies and TV shows shut down due to COVID-19 and according to John Rhys-Davies his career was deeply affected by the virus too. The reason for that is Rhys-Davies is 77 years old and according to him, actors in his age range can’t find companies to insure them so he has lost out on several roles.

5 John Rhys-Davies Continues To Act

Given the last entry, this may seem very confusing but over the last several years John Rhys-Davies has worked on several projects. However, that isn’t necessarily inconsistent since Rhys-Davies may still get some roles while missing out on others due to COVID-19. Either way, since 2019, Rhys-Davies has appeared in 11 movies and two TV shows. While that is impressive, it has to be noted that most of those films and shows went by without much fanfare.

4 John Rhys-Davies Supported An Effort To Buy J.R.R. Tolkien’s Home

In late-2020, it was announced that a real estate company was set to sell J.R.R. Tolkien’s Oxford home. While it would be a dream come true for any Tolkien fan to own the celebrated author’s former home, John Rhys-Davies felt it shouldn’t be privately owned and he wasn’t the only one. As a result, Rhys-Davies teamed up with Sir Ian McKellen and they supported a non-profit effort to turn Tolkien’s former home into “a literary center in honor of Tolkien”. After trying to raise $6 million to bankroll their effort and getting the support of The Hobbit star Martin Freeman as well, the campaign fell short of its goal.

3 The World Learned That John Rhys-Davies Wasn’t As Responsible For His Most Famous Role As Fans Thought

Despite all of the beloved movies and shows that John Rhys-Davies has been a part of, he likely will always be best remembered for playing Gimli in the Lord of the Rings trilogy. As it turns out, however, Rhys-Davies’ stunt double reportedly played the character more than he did. That said, the reason for that was largely beyond Rhys-Davies’ control as his allergies reacted to the prosthetic makeup required to portray Gimli. Still, the fact remains that when the Lord of the Rings’ stars got matching tattoos, Rhys-Davies wasn’t involved.

Related: This Is Why People Love 'Lord Of The Rings', According To Peter Jackson

On the other hand, Rhys-Davies’ stunt double Brett Beattie was considered such a core part of the film’s cast by the series stars that he was included and he has the tattoo. In the years since the Lord of the Rings films were released, most people had no idea he was such a big part of the trilogy. However, Beattie revealed the truth of how involved he was when he was interviewed by Polygon in 2021.

2 How Much Money Is John Rhys-Davies Worth?

For any actor to land even a small role in Hollywood, they have to overcome incredible odds. With that in mind, it truly is incredible that John Rhys-Davies has worked consistently since the mid-‘70s. On top of that, Rhys-Davies has played memorable roles in most of the projects he has been a part of. However, it is important to note that Rhys-Davies never has been a big enough deal to headline a major movie or show on his own. Since it is people like that who truly make the big bucks in Hollywood, some people may not expect Rhys-Davies to have that much money. According to celebritynetworth.com, however, Rhys-Davies has accumulated an impressive $5 million fortune.

1 John Rhys-Davies' Right-Wing Politics

In this day and age, it often feels like people are more divided than at any other time in the past. While anyone familiar with world history should know that is a gross exaggeration, there is no doubt that politics have resulted in a lot of resentment in recent years. For example, when John Rhys-Davies supported Brexit, some observers who don't share the same politics were deeply disappointed. Later, when Rhys-Davies seemingly supported Donald Trump while calling America “the last great hope for mankind” in 2019, many former fans turned against the actor. Worse yet, when Green MP Caroline Lucas questioned the actor’s claim about Trump in front of him, Rhys-Davies’ angry response shocked many.

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