Interview with Lord of the Ring actors

[davelwhite]

It's not specifically about asexuality but it IS about respecting nonsexual relationships... namely, Elijah Wood and Dominic Monahan, who played affectionate Hobbits in the Lord of the Ring movies (Elijah played Frodo and Dominic played Merry), did an interview where they emphatically yet politely denied all the snickering about "homoeroticism" in the movie and eloquently promoted the idea of affectionate and serious friendship. I have collected some excerpts of the interview at http://www.celebratefriendship.org/frodo.htm.

One that I didn't publish on my website, but which seems cool from an asexual standpoint, is Sean Astin (who played Samwise) saying:

I believe that the relationship between Frodo and Sam demonstrates a powerful bond between two males, but for me there's the absence of sexuality. Hobbits are innocent. When they cry, they burst into tears. When they laugh, it's just uproarious. They experience all of life's emotions in their acute and crystalline form...

So Hobbit-style affectionate (but nonsexual) friendships can be a gateway to greater emotional intensity! That-- and Monaghan saying "I want to be an ambassador for straight men to hug and kiss!"-- is a good reason to be thankful for some famous sexual people who "get it" about nonsexual love.

Dave

P.S. The writers and actresses in Xena are all about serious friendship too, and I have some quotes from them on the above-linked page too.

EDIT: Thanks for the corrections, Julie-- I'm so bad with connecting the actors to the characters...

[Jayann]

Yay for Dave!

I always thought/hoped Frodo might be a, just as a side bar. I just don't picture him getting down like that.

Also, Dominic Monahan played Merry, and Sean Astin was Samwise.

*hugs Hobbits*

[Gorax]

Now tell that to all the morons who wrote slash fanfics about Frodo and Sam :evil:

[Kensta]

I was told by someone or other that Gimli and Legolas had gay relationship, because it 'basically' states it in the books.

From the film, i was incredibly annoyed at this statement, cos the only relationship shown between them is pure friendship. To someone who has read the books; is this what is shown in the book as well, or is there certain evidence that they were gay?

[Autumn]

no its definately not in the books...

Legolas and Gimli had a deep friendship and eventually were rumoured to have sailed to the grey havens together- Gimli was the only dwarf to be allowed into this realm, partly due to his role in the war of the ring and partly due to his friendship with Legolas.

Dwarves and Elves traditionally didnt get along, during the book you saw thier relationship change from mutual mistrust (is that a word??) to firm friends able to respect one anothers differences.

Theres no "gay" relationships in LotR at all, only what you want to draw from the text. its sad that now it seems any close friendship between two men is automatically assumed to be gay.