*Chapter 216: Crew Life*

Before Richard joined the crew, they had already been filming for two months, mainly focusing on the scenes of the Hobbits' life in the Shire. In the trilogy, the Shire appears both at the beginning and the end. To save costs, director Peter Jackson decided to shoot all scenes in the same location at once, which took quite some time.

After Richard joined the crew, he spent a few days with director Jackson, the makeup artist, and the art director before officially starting filming. It could have taken even longer, but Richard's performance exceeded their expectations.

"I thought he was just an actor who could box, but it turns out he's skilled at everything, and his acting is so good—it's really surprising."

In Wellington's Weta Workshop, the short and stocky Peter Jackson stroked his stubbly beard, surprised as he watched Richard sparring with the sword master on set. The two exchanged blows intensely and skillfully, as if they were truly battling on a battlefield.

The sword master, Mark Robin, was a real swordsman who had served as a stunt double for Darth Vader in Star Wars and was proficient in various forms of swordplay.

In The Lord of the Rings, Mark Robin designed different sword styles for warriors of various races, showcasing his deep expertise in swordsmanship.

But even against such an opponent, Richard held his own, his swordsmanship on par with Mark's.

In addition to swordsmanship, Richard's skills in horsemanship, acting, speech, and Elvish language were all impressive, much to director Peter Jackson's delight.

"Haha, I'm not surprised—he's exactly the kind of person I had in mind."

Peter Jackson grinned broadly.

"Peter, didn't you know he could do all this? Why did you choose him to play Aragorn if you didn't know?" Assistant director Mark Astin asked, puzzled.

"Haha, because he fits my vision of Aragorn perfectly—handsome, steady, with a brooding temperament and deep eyes.

More importantly, he exudes a certain kingly aura.

Everyone thought Viggo Mortensen was good, but compared to Richard, he lacked that aura and wasn't as handsome. So I chose Richard.

I originally planned to hire a few coaches to train Richard seriously and turn him into a qualified Aragorn, but I didn’t expect him to perform so well."

After watching the two finish sparring, Peter Jackson and those around him clapped.

In the middle of the set, Richard sheathed his iron sword and removed his headgear, smiling. "Mark, you won. Teach me that backhand strike when you have time—it looked really cool."

"Haha, no problem. You're doing well too. I heard your boxing, fighting, and shooting are all impressive, but I didn’t expect your swordsmanship to be this good. You're a natural athlete," Mark Robin said, holding his protective gear with a grin.

"Hey, Richard, Mark, if this were a real battlefield with real swords, who would be better?" Peter Jackson asked.

"Definitely Richard. He's incredibly strong and very agile. One strike could break my sword. Look at my hand—after just ten minutes of sparring with him, my hand is trembling," Mark Robin said, raising his hand.

Richard smiled lightly and didn't deny it. If it were a real battlefield, he was confident he could take down his opponent in two or three moves—strength can work wonders.

After two more days of rehearsals with the crew, Richard’s scenes officially began filming.

The Lord of the Rings was shot at over 150 locations across New Zealand, including Kaitoke Regional Park, Tongariro National Park, Mount Ngauruhoe, Mount Victoria, Matamata, Arrow River, Mount Owen, Kawarau Gorge, Kapiti Island Nature Reserve, Whakapapa Ski Field, Wellington Botanic Garden, and more.

Richard's character, Aragorn, first appears in the scene at the Green Dragon Inn in Bree. The filming location was in Wellington's Victoria Harbor District, a real tavern.

"Scene 165, Take 1, Action!"

Inside the Green Dragon Inn, the place was bustling with people, with many rough-looking men gathered to drink and chat.

In a dark corner, Aragorn was dressed in a black cloak and hood. The white candle on the table flickered in the wind, illuminating half of his rugged face.

With a high nose, messy beard, and a pipe in his hand, he smoked quietly. Beneath the hood were deep, brooding eyes, fixed on the hobbit Frodo not far away.

"Nice!"

In the director's area, Peter Jackson nodded in approval as he watched the monitor. Richard didn’t need to say anything; even with just half of his face visible, he drew attention. It was partly due to his ruggedly handsome features and partly because of his unique aura—calm, quiet, yet distinctly different.

"Excuse me!"*Frodo blocked the innkeeper, "The man sitting in the corner, who is he?"*

The innkeeper glanced over, a hint of fear on his face. "He's a Ranger, a very dangerous man, always wandering the wilds. I don't know his name; everyone here just calls him Strider."

"Strider?" Frodo repeated.

This scene takes place after the Hobbit Frodo, bearing the One Ring, leaves the Shire with his companions Sam, Merry, and Pippin. They accidentally enter the Old Forest, and after being chased by the Black Riders (Ringwraiths), they arrive at the Green Dragon Inn to meet Gandalf. It is here that they encounter the Ranger Aragorn.

With Aragorn's help, they manage to escape the pursuit of the nine Black Riders.

"What exactly are they?" Frodo asked as he sat on the bed, with the other three Hobbits—Sam, Pippin, and Merry—also looking at Aragorn, who was seated by the window.

Aragorn, holding his sword, stared quietly out of the window.

"They were once men, great kings of men," Aragorn began. "But Sauron gave them nine powerful rings. Blinded by greed, they accepted them without question. One by one, they fell into darkness, becoming slaves of the Dark Lord."

He then looked at Frodo. "They became Ringwraiths, neither alive nor dead. They can always sense the presence of the Ring, and they will be drawn to the One Ring you carry, endlessly hunting you."

"Cut!"

"Just like that. Stay focused, and let's do it again!"

Peter Jackson called out.

It was already dark, but the crew continued working tirelessly. Before each take, the director and the artistic team would scrutinize the actors' performances, looking for flaws, often repeating the scene two, three, or even more times, like sculptors perfecting a piece of art.

For scenes with deep emotional content, rehearsals could stretch into double digits, much like performing in a theater where actors rehearse dozens of times before the final performance, striving to execute it flawlessly.

This method of filming was grueling and tested the actors' patience.

Fortunately, Richard was a very patient person, open to criticism and guidance. With the advice of professionals, he felt himself improving bit by bit, gradually immersing himself in the role.

At first, his performance was rough, requiring many takes to refine. But over time, his acting became more fluid, sometimes completing scenes in one smooth take, leaving little for the director to critique.

"Cut!"

"Great, let's move on to the next shot!"

*(End of Chapter)*