In 2001, the first chapter of The Lord Of The Rings trilogy was released onto the big screen. With groundbreaking special effects, an epic storyline, and a cast of wonderful actors bringing JRR Tolkein's characters to life, the movie became a critical and commercial success and is still loved today.
The film boosted the careers of a number of actors, including Elijah Wood and Sean Astin, although a number of other actors were considered for roles in the film. Uma Thurman was apparently in line for the role of Arwen, David Bowie auditioned for the role of Gandalf, and Irish actor Stuart Townsend was nearly Aragorn. In fact, Townsend was cast for the part, but the day before filming began, he was removed from the film and replaced by Viggo Mortensen.
So, why was Townsend dismissed from the film? And what happened to the actor in the years that followed? Let's take a closer look.
Stuart Townsend: The Man Who Was Almost Aragorn
Stuart Townsend wasn't a big-name star in the years before Peter Jackson's fantasy epic, although he was a familiar face to British audiences. He worked steadily throughout the 90s in films that are not particularly well-known to people outside of the UK, but which are still worth seeking down. These films included Shooting Fish, a comedy with another rising star, Kate Beckinsale, and Wonderland, an early film from acclaimed director Michael Winterbottom.
By the end of the 90s, Townsend had carved out quite the career for himself, and his public profile was given a boost because of his relationship with Oscar-winner Charlize Theron. America started to take notice of his talents after his 2000 film, About Adam, played at the Sundance Film Festival, and Peter Jackson chose him for the role of Aragorn in the Rings trilogy. The part should have cemented the actor's career in Hollywood, but sadly he was removed from the fellowship.
Why Did Stuart Townsend Leave The Lord Of The Rings Cast?
Lord Of The Rings kickstarted the career of a number of big-name actors, and it should have been the big break that Townsend needed in Hollywood. Unfortunately, he was dismissed from the film. So, what went wrong? Well, at the age of 29, it seems he was too young for the part, at least in director Peter Jackson's eyes. At the Press Conference for the film, Jackson told the media that Townsend agreed and that the two parted on good terms.
The tale told by Townsend is a different one, and is one that is far less amicable than Jackson's version of events. In an interview with Entertainment Weekly, the actor said:
"I was there rehearsing and training for two months then was fired the day before filming began. After that, I was told they wouldn't pay me because I was in breach of contract due to not having worked long enough. I had been having a rough time with them, so I was almost relieved to be leaving until they told me I wouldn't be paid.
I have no good feelings for those people in charge, I really don't. The director wanted me and then apparently thought better of it because he really wanted someone 20 years older than me and completely different."
In the end, the 42-year old Viggo Mortensen was handed the part, and Townsend was left licking his wounds. Still, the actor continued to work in Hollywood, although his subsequent films weren't very successful.
What Happened To Stuart Townsend?
Townsend may have lost one leading man role, but he was soon given the keys to two others. In 2002, he was cast as the vampire Lestat in Queen of the Damned, a role previously taken by Tom Cruise in Interview With the Vampire. He was also cast as Dorian Gray in the film adaptation of Alan Moore's The League Of Extraordinary Gentlemen. These were both high profile films, and they should have catapulted Townsend into the big leagues in Hollywood.
Sadly, both films failed. Queen Of The Damned did reasonably well at the box office, but it fell foul of movie critics. It grossed $45.5 million on a $35 million budget, but reviewers soon sank their teeth into the movie. "Wishy-washy and hampered by cliche, sitting through this is like enduring a vampire life: it's one long wait for the end," said one reviewer for Empire magazine. The film was given traction after the death of leading woman Aaliyah, but it is rarely mentioned today.
Townsend's other big movie, 2003's The League Of Extraordinary Gentlemen, grossed over $175 million at the box office, but reviewers cited the film as a mess. The film was blighted with a number of problems, including creative differences between Sean Connery and the film's director, and mass flooding on one of the movie's sets. While not a total disaster, the film still did little for Townsend's career.
Following on from these big-budget failures, Townsend continued to work, but very few of his films were granted wide theatrical releases. These included Head In The Clouds, a romantic drama that also featured Townsend's then-partner, Charlize Theron, and rom-com The Best Man, which disappeared on release.
In recent years, Townsend has mostly been seen on television, in shows such as Betrayal, and Salem. In 2019, he was brought back into the public eye, but not for his work on screen. Instead, he faced domestic abuse charges following a fight with his wife, although those charges were later dropped.
As of today, Townsend has a number of other films in development, but whether or not they give him the success that should have been afforded him after Lord Of The Rings remains to be seen.