Elijah Wood reads 'The Lord of the Rings' books for the first time - Elijah Wood finally reads Lord of the Rings books 26 years later
Elijah Wood, best known for playing Frodo Baggins in The Lord of the Rings films, has revealed a surprising fact. Despite starring in the iconic trilogy, he had never read J.R.R. Tolkien's original books—until now. The actor recently admitted to Stephen Colbert that he is finally diving into the novels, 26 years after the first film's release.
Wood spent 438 days filming the Lord of the Rings trilogy, from October 11, 1999, to December 22, 2000. During this intense 14-month period, he focused entirely on bringing Frodo to life. No other major film projects overlapped with this time, allowing him to fully immerse himself in Middle-earth.
Decades later, in a conversation with Stephen Colbert, Wood confessed he had never actually read Tolkien's books. Though he portrayed Frodo for years, the actor only began exploring the source material in 2024. Even now, he has yet to finish the series.
The first Lord of the Rings film premiered in 2001, launching Wood to global fame. Yet, it took him over two decades to pick up the books that inspired his most famous role.
Wood's late but eager reading of The Lord of the Rings books marks a new chapter for the actor. His admission highlights how deeply the films shaped his career—even without prior knowledge of the novels. Fans may now wonder how his perspective on Frodo has changed after finally experiencing Tolkien's original words.
