Yes, LoTR's Aragorn Broke His Toe, But Did you Know Arwen Was Stabbed?

Summary:

• During the filming of The Lord of the Rings, actors were injured all the time, and the most famous case was that of Viggo Mortensen.
• The actor had to kick his heavy helmet over and over again and ended up breaking two toes.
• Liv Tyler, who played Arwen, was also injured – she stabbed herself in the right thigh by a sword while filming the Nazgul chase scene.

Half a billion dollars spent on production and marketing. More than three thousand people on the creative team. Eight years in production. 17 Academy Awards. And countless injuries.

LoTR's Production Is Known For Its Numerous Injures

Released in the form of a grand trilogy, Peter Jackson's The Lord of the Rings remains one of the most important events in the history of cinema. It is still considered one of the most ambitious projects, and will probably remain so forever.

True art has its price, and for the Lord of the Rings actors, that price was permanent injury. The most famous case is that of Viggo Mortensen. The actor did all the stunts himself, and even insisted on using a real steel sword (instead of the lighter aluminum sword that everyone else used, or the rubber sword that the extras used). Not surprisingly, this approach often put him in danger.

The Most Famous Case Is One With Viggo Mortensen

In the scene where Aragorn discovers a bunch of burnt orcs and realizes that Pippin and Merry are in trouble, the director's plan was for the actor to kick a metal helmet lying on the ground next to the orcs with all his might. Viggo kicked this helmet (made of heavy iron) over and over, trying to get the perfect take.

On the fifth try, what Jackson really wanted happened –Viggo screamed with rage and fell to his knees. As it turned out, this reaction was the result of the actor breaking two toes at the same time. From that moment on, a thousands of memes from LoTR fans and fame as one of the most dedicated actors awaited Mortensen.

Liv Tyler Was Also Injured On Set

However, while everyone admired the dedication of the actor who played Aragorn, everyone forgot that the love of his life, Arwen, one of the few female characters in the trilogy played by Liv Tyler, was also injured on the set. As always, it is in the work of fans that the sad fate of the actress is best illustrated:

While filming the sequence where Arwen is being chased by the Nazgul, the actress was holding a long sword and accidentally pierced her right thigh. You can even see this moment yourself if you still have such an ancient artifact as the DVD version of the trilogy – this scene is in the behind-the-scenes bloopers.

The actress not only successfully embodied the book's image, but also enriched it with new details. Her Elven princess is both warlike when necessary and sensual, and sometimes so sad that the viewer's heart aches. Not surprisingly, Arwen remains the most important role in the career of Liv Tyler.