Liv Tyler Debuts Her "Lord of the Rings" Elvish Language | Late Night with Conan O’Brien

(Original Air Date: 4/26/01) Liv Tyler talks about modeling a very revealing dress, dealing with bad reviews, and her upcoming role in "Lord of the Rings".
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Running from 1993-2009, Late Night with Conan O’Brien is one of the most beloved late night shows in television history. Known for its absurdist humor, hilarious celebrity interviews and featuring the best stand-up comedians and musical acts of the ‘90s and early 2000s. Hosted by Conan O’Brien alongside sidekick Andy Richter and house band Max Weinberg and the Max Weinberg 7, Late Night with Conan O’Brien featured unforgettable segments like “If They Mated”, “In the Year 2000”, “Desk Drive”, and made a breakout star of Triumph the Insult Comic Dog.

[@bloodsling]

her voice is so airy and soothing,casting her as Arwen was a brilliant and obvious choice.

[@maxdamagus]

She sounds a lot like Jen from The IT Crowd

[@bloodsling]

@@maxdamagus yah Jen has that same airy quality to it as well. My fave british show too!

[@bsvenss2]

@@maxdamagus Yeah, are you sure? *Ich bin ein Nerd*

[@jolttsp]

I'm not convinced she isn't an actual elf

[@bderrick4944]

Her voice reminds me of a less cartoonish Bonnie from Family Guy

[@landonmiles97]

Can we just appreciate that Tolkien CREATED the Elvish language? Dude was insane.

[@naazahs9045]

He was a linguistic professor.

[@josiahp.6960]

He fully made several in his world.

[@DoctorFurioso]

Linguistics* professors don't sit around making up languages.@@naazahs9045

[@XanthosAcanthus]

The cool thing is, he made(of course he continued to work on it through the years) the languages completely separately and before he was even inspired to write the books. In a letter he sent, he said, “I find the construction and the interrelation of the languages an aesthetic pleasure in itself, quite apart from The Lord of the Rings, of which it was/is in fact independent.”

[@redstar7292]

Yes ! not everyone from Birmingham is thick.!!

[@DavidArriola]

People didn't know in that moment what the Lord of the Rings was going to be. Liv had just returned from filming the greatest cinematic feat in history and nobody cared (yet).

[@Mr2greys]

Supposedly neither did she. while everyone else committed to their roles she couldn't be bothered in learning the sword work and they had to tweak things because of it

[@Evute02]

@@Mr2greys Jesus😅 I don’t know the context of that but why the hell does it matter? She committed to everything else her role required as Arwen. You complain because she is a woman, be for real.

[@umairashraf5167]

​@@Mr2greysshe learned alot from elvish singing

[@102483989]

oh my goodness I know its funny watching this and no one realizing the impact that movie was going to have

[@eriope]

@@Mr2greys it's a good thing because Arwen was not supposed to be figthting with a sword..

[@TheLeatheryman]

Good god she’s just so adorable. Everything about her soothe my soul, especially her voice.

[@user-or9so6op4e]

I could be going through the worse thing possible, and hearing her voice would make everything better 🫶🏻

[@ruzd4real374]

To bad they're dudes tho

[@heresmytake2782]

Anyone asks what a woman is, just say Liv Tyler

[@AnakinGozie77]

​@@ruzd4real374 wat

[@andydaniels6363]

I like how Conan said that the Elvish she spoke sounded Gaelic. Tolkien indeed was inspired by Welsh when he created Sindarin.

[@isabelalzateestrada]

It does sound like Welsh

[@johnlongford1734]

No definitely Irish which is softer

[@tjstarr2960]

@@johnlongford1734 There are definitely some sounds in Elvish (Specifically Sindarin) that are not in Irish. For example, I heard a TH sound in this clip, and the Welsh LL sound which isn't in Irish. However, the real answer is that Tolkien was a linguist and a polyglot, and he learned both Irish and Welsh, as well as some other languages like Latin, Norse and Finnish. Tolkien only studied a tiny bit of Irish, and was much more familiar with Welsh. Tolkien claimed that this language in the clip was mostly inspired by the *sound* of Welsh, which he considered the most beautiful language in the world. Grammatically, this language a lot in common with Germanic and Celtic languages.

[@kmccabe1962]

@@tjstarr2960more Finnish

[@Hibernicus1968]

Tolkien would not have appreciated the Gaelic comparison. He liked the Welsh language, but apparently, he personally did not find the Gaelic language (of which there are Irish and Scottish dialects), which is from the same Celtic language family, to be a euphonious language.

[@Shark_Arise]

"Its ok honey, we are horse people" from Steven Tyler to his daughter was pretty funny.

[@jkap34]

And she is still just as gorgeous. Also, Sarah Jessica Parker is more horse than Liv Tyler. But she's still a bangin' horse.

[@kof3017]

"It was a little TOO good!" People didn't get that!😂

[@patreekotime4578]

The wildest thing about this clip is them mentioning the Lord of the Rings and the audience sitting in total silence. It's hard to remember that there was a time when those films were considered genre films that nobody thought would really catch on.

[@LisaZoe86]

I watched them in the theaters back then and I don't remember anyone thinking they were anything but big blockbusters

[@legendofzelda2324]

Everyone know they’d be big and catch on. Had everything guys wanted and for women it had Orlando Bloom

[@patreekotime4578]

@@LisaZoe86 Blockbusters.... sure but still genre films. This was before the nerd renaissance. Arguably these films helped to create that. At this point in history people were still deep into nerd shaming.

[@patreekotime4578]

@@legendofzelda2324 And was also solidly a nerd movie. Listen to that audience. Silence. Even nerds werent sure whether to be excited about it yet. We take for granted that there was a time before the nerd rennaisance when any movie like this was expected to sell loads of tickets to teenage boys but wasnt expected to be a must-see film.

[@nthdgree5078]

@@patreekotime4578 Exactly. I was a nerd who was excited for the movie and was hopeful that it would be good, but there was still this apprehension because nerd culture hadn't been embraced yet. I remember sitting in the theater before the movie started and I was praying that it wasn't going to end up being embarrassing, as if all eyes were on me and if the movie was bad or cheesy, that somehow it would be a reflection on me and my nerd brethren, like we were outcasts of society or something, lol. I even remember an article in that shit-rag _Entertainment Weekly_ in 2002 that was about _Attack of the Clones_ and the jackass that wrote it started it by saying something like, "If you're anyone who is anyone, then _Attack of the Clones_ is the best movie of the past year, unless you're some sissy Lord of the Rings fan." He was on the wrong side of history on that one.

[@jherbranson]

Her delivery of Elvish in those movies was amazing.

[@Robert_Douglass]

Sindarin

[@ytuser_3122]

I could listen to her talk for eternity

[@victorhugomartinez5321]

right? just give her a phonebook and I'd be all ears

[@praetorian3902]

@@victorhugomartinez5321 lol

[@MiraniaTLS]

Watch Reunited apart LOTR she talked a lot!

[@grimdrum2396]

Beautiful girl with a beautiful voice. When she spoke that line in Elvish, it sounded amazing!!

[@michs5345]

It sounded magical.. and when she said 'Elvish baby!'. it was crazy how she changed tone. did you noticed that?

[@Robert_Douglass]

​@@michs5345 "Elvis, baby...." And there are two Elvish languages in existence now, Sindarin, which Liv spoke, and Quenya, which Sir Christopher Lee was chanting in when, as Saruman, he sent that storm against the Fellowship in "Fellowship of the Ring".

[@teddyray8597]

She is so disarmingly charming and delightful. I'm positively smitten.

[@Emeraldnite-if7vo]

I remember watching this when it originally aired when I had no knowledge of LOTR and being only mildly interested in seeing the films. Now it's become almost an annual tradition to watch them and my fiancee's go to movies when she's bored.

[@ygnit5793]

I'm not an overall fan of Liv, but watching her interviews I truly appreciate her as Arwen. She truly has the energy of this incredibly sweet and gentle, well-meaning, a touch otherworldy spirit, the way she naturally speaks is so hypnotizingly soothing and alluring. She is naturally more elven than some of her acting in the trilogy.

[@justink5000]

Agree. She is so soft-spoken. This is so nit-picky of course, but I wish she kept her natural speaking tone for the movies instead of whispering all the time.

[@Nattymatty7]

Wow she has the cutest voice ever

[@joesmith9216]

yes, a real lady!

[@L2p2]

and the "elvis baby" iin the low pitch was cute too

[@jamezguard]

It's so crazy that LOTR was that long ago.

[@YaMumsSpecialFriend]

23 bloody years ago! I feel so old..but still am in love with this tall elf woman❤️

[@marianaree9967]

She’s the sweetest !✨

[@user-gl1yf8wr5y]

She is so beautiful,

[@furleysbrain]

I like that she's just wearing jeans and a casual top.

[@DoctorFurioso]

She was so shy and borderline unresponsive until “If they mated” lol

[@MrPtrlix]

Conan was and still is so respectful and classy.

[@pilze.7213]

I guess you missed the part where he sexualised her regarding the dress?

[@annehamilton8977]

Liv has the most beautiful voice. I watched a 1981 interview with her mother bebe buell, and she sounds like liv, now I know where liv gets it from. Liv also got her gorgeous looks from her mother.

[@hakanandersson1276]

I love her voice it´s so sweet and calming

[@videoinformer]

I love her Elvish impersonation. I'd love to hear her sing "You Ain't Nothing But a Hound Dog" in Elvish!

[@RandomDustBunny]

She is utterly delightful!

[@quattordicimontenapoleone3113]

Conan pretending like he doesn't know Tolkien's work. He just wanted to hear her speak Elvish. Naughty boy.

[@blast8012]

Conan really was and still is the best talk show host of all time

[@shadowstorm_fgc]

HIm and Graham Norton

[@Zaetix]

@@shadowstorm_fgc Not from that side of the pond but every clip I've ever seen about Graham is great, he's very giving to his guests. I feel like if that was on my local TV instead of Conan growing up, he would have been who I'd watch

[@oui2611]

​@@shadowstorm_fgci cant stand graham norton, i like dick cavette and conan,

[@Rick_King]

I'll bet you're very young, because he can't even compare to the great Johnny Carson.

[@SvenTheShoeBuyer]

Sorry, Craig Ferguson wins, then Graham Norton.

[@lefb6301]

By God, so gorgeous. Liv Tyler looks great too.

[@TheCoppoy]

I see what you did here 😂

[@andypike1234]

Pure cuteness

[@nsubugakasozi7101]

Liv has such a beautiful voice that she would make the perfect horror actor. Just changing her voice makes her frightening 😅😂

[@markbarlow7978]

After so many years, Liv is still loved so much here in Middle Earth (NZ).

[@theicecavalier342]

She could wake me up in the middle of the night speaking elvish any time. ❤

[@g3ng4rb0i3]

Her voice melts me

[@jazminratzlaff5357]

What a beauty she is, her voice, charm and personality perfectly cast to play the Elvish princess Arwen in Lord of the Rings. Love that photoshoot of her, such a cute happy smile. And love her in One Night at Mcool’s Never miss a Liv Tyler interview, love her outfit and the way her hair is styled here. Great interview Conan! 😍😘🥰🫶🏻🌟✨👑💎⚜️🏆📺🧝🏻‍♀️

[@neilwilson5785]

Her sweet, dappy persona here really makes me appreciate how great she was in The Leftovers. She was terrifying in that.

[@Missjunebugfreak]

She's so beautiful and sweet.

[@Cris-rv4kv]

She's so beautiful and graceful

[@eezyclsmooth9035]

Live has a very gentle, sweet, soothing and calming sounding voice. Dakota Johnson also has this unique trait.

[@joesmith9216]

Her voice is so cute

[@TheNightshotBR]

Her voice could melt butter from across the room.

[@jeffandsherriefranzwa8970]

I loved her in "That Thing You Do".

[@102483989]

I will forever have a girl crush on Liv Tyler she is just so beautiful in every way! Her personality is so delightful!

[@henrikpettersson2886]

A beautiful Liv Taylor and beautiful elfish.

[@hipoman8087]

she is so beautiful and so sweet and calm. love her

[@Fedaygin]

Excellent. Such a bueno interview from good days 🙂

[@GuardianOwl]

Wow, I haven’t thought of _One Night at McCool’s_ in a long time.

[@r0bw00d]

You're in better standing than me. I've never heard of it and I was around during that time.

[@sir_john_hammond]

1:02 I like how he pretends not to hear

[@Robbyrool]

Little did everyone realize back then the cultural phenomenon about to be released upon the world in One Night At McCool’s. 😮

[@user-kj1pq6zh3x]

Most beautiful woman ever

[@thebrickfastclub1714]

Conan is the best.

[@gigabrother458]

She is so darling. Crazy that this was over 20 years ago.

[@BlastedBilly]

Such a lovely lady!

[@JamJim]

06:03 Liv Tyler as Elvis Presley

[@frankinsaneandmyrrh1202]

if people can manage to be mean about Liv Tyler's looks, there is no hope for the rest of us lol further proof you should just live your life I guess

[@lisascorp]

I know. I can't imagine any body who would criticize her looks. Especially the way she looked in the movie Stealing Beauty. She was so stunning and beautiful at that age. That critic was insane.

[@frankinsaneandmyrrh1202]

@@lisascorp true, I've always been mesmerized with her beauty!

[@lisascorp]

@frankinsaneandmyrrh1202 Yes. She is astonishingly beautiful. I have seen an occasional comment calling her plain or sort of pretty but nothing special and I can't believe they can possibly think that.

[@predictivesolutionsltd9662]

I forgot how gorgeous she is. Her voice, her personality, and everything about her... so attractive

[@rorydidelin4770]

When she spoke Elvish, something deep inside me stirred...

[@Chainsaw_HM2]

Great Odin’s beard! She really is a timeless beauty.

[@evynfinn9414]

Her Elvish sounds so pretty

[@WhisperingPeace]

Love her so much! ❤❤❤

[@newwavepop]

i am actually sort of surprised as how shy and cute she seems, she talks so softly it almost sounds like they forgot to mic her sometimes.

[@TheMightyOdin]

Is no one talking about her horse impression at 4:26 ? Very subtle with the camera angle but really good.

[@auravsingh]

I could listen to her speaking elvish all day😂

[@miketacos9034]

That’s cool how Conan picked up on the Gaelic influence.

[@VintageGearMan]

Ya done good Steven Tyler!

[@jayaline]

Voice perfection

[@ricardoortiz4870]

Betty Ross (Arwen) is the next villain after Red Skull (Elrond), Ronan (Thranduil), and Hela (Galadriel).

[@stanleymerritt2893]

I love that woman. Period. She is beautiful.

[@HankAaronJoseph19]

Holy moly

[@bigjimstream]

She's awesome.

[@user-vn1ep5od6v]

Just so fantastic isn't it!!!!! 😊 Liv Tyler is just so beautiful isn't she ❤

[@rimisark]

She was so beautiful...

[@johnrichardson7548]

She is so sweet

[@nickibee4162]

I could listen to her speak Elvish all the live long day.

[@KameshwarChoppella]

Liv Tyler saying things in elvish oh my god

[@crucialtaunt5717]

This is a real blast from the past. Pre 9/11, pre-LOTR, Spacehog is still relevant enough to be mentioned... I forgot how funny "If They Mated" was.

[@trunkmonkey9417]

She is such a sweet person. Great poise and dignity.

[@carolrodriguez4122]

Me encanta esta actriz y sus películas, saludos Liv, desde México

[@corvinlord]

Aand I'm off to rewatch Lord of the Rings.

[@TheCoppoy]

Elvish Preshley - Said hockey player

[@kof3017]

"It was a little TOO good!" People didn't get that!😂👏

[@flaviaoliveira5949]

Her HAIR omg!

[@plauze82]

and her upcoming role in "Lord of the Rings". can you believe that? Its been over 22 years since the first parts has been released.

[@jaei6680]

As a teen watching lotr back then i didn't care about Arwen or Liv Tyler... Now i find both so charming.

[@RicardoMarlowFlamenco]

Poor Alicia Silverstone appeared in a video with HER, and suddenly we all forgot who Alicia was. And we didn’t even hear that voice but we could imagine 6:25

[@sbsb4995]

Amazing girl

[@SP-ny1fk]

She has a beautiful voice

[@Habeebea]

What a time machine, tv talk show hocking a print magazine talking about this new concept of shooting a movie trilogy all at once.

[@jkap34]

Not 100 percent, but wasn't Lord of the Rings the first? I mean it makes perfect sense in hindsight. And Harry Potter followed suit by releasing a movie a year for almost 8 years (only exception being the 7th book in the series, being split in two).

[@FEARYOYOYO]

Little people running around with hammers and "I thought you meant Elvish", God Conan is nervous bc of Liv.

[@ericjonpo]

6:24 but whole interview is totes worth it

[@Ganiscol]

She has such a soft, almost angelic voice - it's like ear porn! 😌 Must be from her mother, because daddy has the polar opposite vocal organ 😅

[@benmichael4265]

Ear porn. That's a new one. I havent heard of it before. It sums her voice accurately though

[@19sandyman]

Ear porn? 🙄 You need a girlfriend…really really bad.

[@callmeshaggy5166]

It's called asmr

[@Ganiscol]

@@19sandyman you know exactly SHIT of what I need, kid. 😉

[@19sandyman]

Yeah sure. 🙄 You’re probably dressed as Gandalf right now, viciously abusing your wiener screaming YOU SHALL NOT PASS!!!!

[@GleamingManatee7]

@conanobrien Hey there, could you upload some more appearances of Julia Louis-Dreyfus on Late Night with Conan O'Brien

[@davidmc1489]

23 yrs ago.....man im getting old.

[@MatthewAnderson-xm1wt]

Never will forget those nights

[@OFallons]

Elvish language is a real Norwegian language that was only spoken in that small town, apparently on 15 folks still alive there. That is such a beautiful language. Because it’s so beautiful they are trying to revive it, which the movie helped.

[@teemukustila]

Norwegian? Any links you can give about this? I’d say it is closer to Finnish language, just the way of uses cases. As a native Finnish speaker, the similarities are quite striking (even if Tolkien kinda invented words out of his own imagination): en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Finnish_influences_on_Tolkien?wprov=sfti1#

[@pharaohcaesar]

Liv is awesome!😀💖🎆🌋👑

[@nino53a]

light conversation about LOTR back then. little did they know what the movies would become.

[@imgadgetmanjim]

She is beautiful and language sounds beautiful. Time to go watch LOTR again.

[@MatthewAnderson-xm1wt]

The final cut

[@graphixkillzzz]

in my mind, when i would read fantasy novels in the same genre as Lord of the Rings, she's exactly what i would imagine female elves to be like, the way she looks and the way she sounds 🤔🤩🥰

[@RoyalKnightVIII]

6:50 conan was close, one kf the elvish languages was based on Welsh, a relative to the gaelic languages