In many ways, Wood's travels through the wilds of Hollywood mirror the journey of his seminal character, Frodo Baggins, the little hobbit that could in
The Lord of the Rings. Prior to winning the part, he was a well-respected juvenile player, known for his versatility, energy and large expressive eyes. But like Frodo, once the
LOTR saga wrapped, Wood had passed into manhood, successfully making the treacherous leap from child star to adult actor. After launching his career at age 9 with small parts in
Back to the Future II and Paula Abdul's "Forever Your Girl" video, he soon began landing more substantial feature-film roles, notably his turn as a young Jewish boy growing up in the '40s in Barry Levinson's autobiographically inspired 1990 film
Avalon. He consistently earned good reviews and quickly became a standout child actor. Toward the end of the '90s, he took on more mature roles, and his former cuddly cuteness transformed into a more ambiguous and intense on-screen persona, which he used particularly well as a disgruntled and doomed teen in the lauded indie
The Ice Storm. But it was the
LOTR trilogy that turned him into an internationally recognized celebrity. As the keeper of the powerful titular ring, Wood delivered an emotional performance in each of the three blockbusters, and while his costars may have had the flashier roles, he was the saga's heart and soul. Now a full-fledged adult star with a wide choice of projects, the savvy actor carefully avoids being pigeonholed by eschewing typically bland leading roles in favor of eccentric supporting parts in eclectic films, including turns as a love-crazed stalker in
Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind and a silent but deadly cannibal in
Sin City.Elijah Wood Fast Facts:
- Appeared in 1989's Back to the Future II as a video-game kid.
- Played a student in Paula Abdul's 1989 music video for "Forever Your Girl."
- Collects Star Wars memorabilia and visited the set of Star Wars II: Attack of the Clones while filming The Lord of the Rings trilogy.
- Got a matching tattoo with his fellow LOTR actors to commemorate their friendship and work on the movies.
- Founded his own record label, Simian Records, in 2005.
- In 2008, became the first person to cross the Victoria Falls in southern Africa by rope.
- Elijah Wood Relationships:
- Debbie Wood - Mother
- Franka Potente - Ex-significant Other
- Hannah Wood - Sister
- Warren Wood - Father
- Zachariah Wood - Brother
- Pamela Racine - Significant Other
- Elijah Wood Awards:
- 2006 Screen Actors Guild Awards: Outstanding Performance by a Cast in a Motion Picture - Nominee
- 2003 Screen Actors Guild Awards: Outstanding Performance by a Cast in a Motion Picture - Winner
- 2002 Screen Actors Guild Awards: Outstanding Performance by a Cast in a Motion Picture - Nominee
- 2001 Screen Actors Guild Awards: Outstanding Performance by a Cast in a Motion Picture - Nominee