After Working with PETER JACKSON, JOHN RHYS-DAVIES Knew LOTR Would Be Massive!

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John Rhys-Davies (Indiana Jones, The Lord of the Rings) joins us this week for one of my favorite interviews yet. The guy is prolific! He gets into everything from his pessimism heading into Lord of the Rings, the intimidation of working alongside Sean Connery, the immense difficulty of filming Indiana Jones: Raiders of the Lost Ark, and so much more. John was an open book this week, going on to talk about the pain of losing a child, his outlook on life after death, and the current vacuum of creativity our industry is stuck in. Hope you enjoy.
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After Working with PETER JACKSON, JOHN RHYS-DAVIES Knew LOTR Would Be Massive! #insideofyou #johnrhysdavies #lotr

[@pirojfmifhghek566]

"I did what any self-respecting actor would do when faced with a dangerous stunt--I sent the stunt double." Bloody legend.

[@HoustonSoto]

“Stunts, very dangerous. You go first.”

[@Svensk7119]

Bless you, Sir John. I am not a tattoo man, either.

[@chefduke3719]

@@HoustonSoto " A stunt-double will go where an actor dare not, oghhh... I'd never hear the end of it."

[@Zedja]

And the stunt double is one of the most interesting persons I've ever met. It's been a while but I will always remember our talk. Having a dinner with him was a part of a LOTR trip I made several years ago and I had the privilege to sit across from him. I was the only person there that didn't have english as my first language.

[@Outside85]

And then he'd face all of the people playing orcs and hit them, repeatedly, even after they asked him not to.

[@smorc65]

His LOTR predictions at the press conference turned out to be entirely correct

[@kylesadler2856]

A lot of people want Morgan Freeman to narrate their lives, I’d be ecstatic if John Davies did 😂

[@jeremysmetana8583]

Maybe John Rhys-Davies can narrate Morgan Freeman's life. And vice-versa.

[@vojtechjanda9684]

Great suggestion, but I'd love my life story to be yelled about by Brian Blessed still.

[@mikeedwards8620]

Tom Baker or Brian Blessed for me

[@ScreentimeNOR]

Imagine the level of experience you have to have to confidently stand up at a press-conference to make 3 scarily accurate predictions like those, based on nothing but 2 weeks of production. Top man!

[@BackwardGalaxy]

I could seriously just listen to him talk. His voice is so soothing.

[@theodosios2615]

You better be wearing pants.

[@BamaShanks]

@@theodosios2615I know I’m not.

[@theodosios2615]

@@BamaShanks 😲

[@stevindiesel]

You should listen to @indeepgeek. He makes Davies sound shrill and nasal.

[@jeffreyp1855]

In my opinion, the LOTR movies are cinematic masterpieces.

[@adronator]

I consider that an objective fact.

[@patriciaturnham453]

As a huge fan of the books, I was terrified that these movies would suck. The moment that changed my mind was Ian McKellen's Gandalf saying, "You shall not pass!" in the trailer. This will always be a the top of my list of the greatest films of all time.

[@richardlincoln886]

Exactly, similar sentiment - and then hanging on every production still until release. Couldn't wait to see Moria on the screen, that and Helm's Deep.

[@JdeeGeekyGao]

I live in the south island of NZ. I remember my mate was an extra on that set, they donned him in armour and he was one of the BG horse riders, he had some stories and said it was a lifetime experience that he had never experienced again until becoming a dad.

[@ncs2000]

20 years have passed, still a masterpiece

[@lumpizza1289]

Totally agree

[@skollybob]

It's not aged well to be fair

[@sababaratashvili8629]

@@skollybob 🙄Troll

[@DaviHorner]

On the contrary, seeing the crap that is being released now I would say the greatness of LOTR is getting even bigger

[@hanswurst2189]

Absolute masterpiece

[@feraxks]

It didn't take 20-25 years for most of us to realize LOTR is the greatest film trilogy ever.

[@GregXB3]

I remember walking out of Fellowship and the first words that came out of my mouth were "Lucas who?"

[@ElNuevoEstado]

This man was a great invite. It greatly upgrades this podcast. Very eloquent and interetsing.

[@dameinoferrall2400]

agree

[@TylerD288]

Seems like a handful, but ok.

[@xGoodOldSmurfehx]

Haha, such an oldschool guy and yet so respectful

[@marieroberts5664]

Boosting the algorithm, because this is genius!! Long live John Ryes Davies. And I thought it sweet that he would cede his place to the stunt and size double who did all the work and spent as much time with the main cast (if not more) than he himself did.

[@jaysinjaymesbrown7819]

Came here to say I could listen to his LOTR stories all day........ was well beaten to it.

[@franciscogonzalezherreras550]

The first original Wilson Fisk… he knows how to work the room… respect

[@Zed-fq3lj]

This interview proves (among zillion other things) that LOTR Trilogy was, still is and will remain to be the pinnacle of movie making and the 7th art! 😍

[@collegeman1988]

While I’ll always love the Star Wars OT, the LOTR trilogy was a massive undertaking with extensive attention to detail that will never be matched in cinema history.

[@trequor]

It makes Star Wars look like an even bigger mess

[@30AndHatingIt]

Do you have any idea how they even made the Original Trilogy? They had to layer film cells. FILM CELLS. No computers. All of the prop makers, animatronics, puppeteers, lighting and visual effects people… having to craft everything out of thin air because hardly anything existed for them to work with as they were breaking new ground. Nobody took the seriously. Far less budget. The OT was ART, made by master craftsmen, working against the odds. And what they did made LOTR possible… for F’s sakes, many of them were consulted to help on LOTR. Both trilogies are timeless masterpieces.

[@trequor]

@@30AndHatingIt Star Wars is significantly worse than LOTR

[@goldenshark3182]

@@trequorOh stop, if it wasn’t for the Original Unaltered Theatrical Star Wars Trilogy and the groundbreaking effects they pioneered, there would be no LOTR films.

[@trequor]

@@goldenshark3182 That's definitely a claim. In terms of pioneering LOTR did more of it. Original Star Wars was very well done, but still quite a derivative work. LOTR books also predate Star Wars by several decades. I wonder which special effects pioneered by Star Wars were used in LOTR?

[@lindamawdsley6130]

John is such an interesting story teller😊

[@seamusburke639]

Dominic Monaghan called him the ultimate raconteur, and he lives up to that title.

[@GrapevineBranch]

When the LotR trilogy came out, I was so excited that we were entering a new era for fantasy movies. Sadly, in over 20 years, not much can compete with LotR.

[@Rikrik1138]

I first saw him when I was a kid when Raiders of the Lost Ark came out, and I seriously hoped he would be as big as Harrison Ford one day.

[@Bat-Twenty-Two]

He may not have reached that echelon but he has certainly endured across generations, more than a lot of actors can say. I still remember him as King Richard in Robin of Sherwood.

[@dominique9187]

I imagine how difficult and trying the filming conditions must have been for LOTR 😶♥️ ! " The lake under the water ’’ ,amazing 😅 and the tatoos, too 😊 ! Awesome podcast and guest ! 💙💙💜💜

[@makeitsonumberone1358]

A host that lets the guest speaks wow 👍

[@ForeverDegenerate]

That's what happens when the Host is a peer of the Guests.

[@Starkiller5121]

His diction and eloquence is so sophisticated. Hard to believe he played an turse dwarf. The Lord of the Rings are a masterpiece of incredible lore, filmmaking and world crafting.

[@forbiddencolor]

An audiobook collection of The Hobbit and The Lord of the Rings narrated by John Rhys-Davies would be 🔥

[@goldenshark3182]

They already have them narrated by Andy Serkis and they are fire 🔥

[@Ghostflyer63]

Bless this man for the many years of entertainment and for some of the best characters he's created.

[@musicisfree91]

He was spot on about how LOTR would be viewed in the future.

[@Imsoconfusedthesedays]

Even as the size of a dwarf, this man stands as a mountain to his audience. Very well spoken our Gimli

[@mrsteel9026]

The posters around this room are pretty much all in my list of favourite films.

[@IdealX-fr4eg]

It's amazing what can happen when the people actually love the IP they working on

[@spencerhunter1903]

What a thrill to hear him talk about War and Remembrance.

[@nicholasmaude6906]

2:56 - That leading lady who caught pneumonia was Jane Seymour and IIRC she came down with it when on location at Auschwitz.

[@kawaiku]

It's 2024 and I am watching the extended versions on the big screen for the first time. Can say it honestly feels like I am watching the movies for the first time. Absolutely incredible job by everyone who worked on it.

[@damienkakoschke3099]

I remember in the interviews prior to the 1st film saying "raise your expectations", which was an incredible endorsement by John Rhys-Davies & I'd never heard anything like that. It was quite incredible.

[@pbfamous07]

what a legend. what diction. what poise and presence. career actor really shines through. i remember SLIDERS back when, and realised i loved this dude. thankyou for ur contribution to entertainment and beyond John. would love to see some Gimli action back with AMAZON, just for the memes!!!

[@s.henrlllpoklookout5069]

And to think he was in Sliders barely more than a year before principal photography began...

[@captcorajus]

This was great! thanks!

[@tonydejesus2134]

What a splendid raconteur.

[@dameinoferrall2400]

great interview. love his work

[@hanswurst2189]

Thank God John Rhys-Davis decided to do this film. It would not have been the same without a man of his talent. God bless ye, man!

[@m.j.5681]

My man doesn't like needles. Good on you, bro. Stay pure.

[@ABC-yt1nq]

LOTR will never be surpassed.Watch the Appendices on the three extended version DVDs for a view into the level of work and detail and commitment by thousands of people who worked on these masterpieces.

[@Mauidemigod249]

Legend🔥

[@gloriathomas3245]

What Fox did to Sliders was purely criminal

[@critter42]

what Fox did to [insert non-animated genre show here] was purely criminal

[@gloriathomas3245]

@@critter42 Look up why Jerry O Connell left the show. He talks about the constant interference by studio executives and how much they changed Sliders.

[@OliverHollingdale]

I loved that show, where can find out more info regarding what happened?@@gloriathomas3245

[@critter42]

@@gloriathomas3245 I don't need to, I'm well aware. I was referencing the fact that Sliders is FAR from the only genre show not named Futurama that Fox hasn't f*****d with (and even Futurama it did to some degree). Re: Firefly, Wonderfalls, Almost Human, etc, etc, etc.

[@Wicked_Sushi]

I remember loving the show, then Professor Arturo was killed off, then (IIRC) most of the main cast departed. I don't think I lasted long after that.

[@Nekotaku_TV]

It's crazy how nothing has come close to matching TLOTR.

[@CapnLubeHandles]

i could listen to this man talk for days.

[@redcalx9568]

What a gem

[@moseshamlett3887]

God Damn Right

[@jakesmith5278]

"Send in my stutman...". Savage!

[@Steno316]

The narrator of Quest for Glory IV: Shadows of Darkness

[@mrquirky3626]

I'm curious what his LOTR stunt double looked like now. If you have a 6'-1" tall actor playing a 4' high dwarf, then what size of a stunt double do you use for the action scenes?

[@joemckim1183]

They were probably using the same camera tricks to make the stuntmen look short as they did with him. Since the stuntman was wearing the same wardrobe as him it wouldn't make sense to use a stuntman that was any smaller than him.

[@rikk319]

@@joemckim1183 The stuntman, Brett Beattie was 4'1"

[@KitsyX]

@@joemckim1183 Actually it probably would make sense because the fewer camera tricks needed, the better... Battles and action scenes would probably be harder to do with camera tricks too... And they probably would need a shorter double for some shots too, like I think they also did with the Hobbits... If you only need one double for someone, that would make it easier, wouldn't it?

[@ThaBeatConductor]

@@KitsyX Almost all the scenes where you can actually see Gimli's face aren't filmed with the rest of the crew, that's Davies alone. Almost everytime you see Gimli on-screen with other characters, that's the double. You'll notice how almost all of the closeups on Gimli's face have no other characters fully in-frame.

[@DagwoodDogwoggle]

War and Remembrance - I bet these guys smiled and nodded and had no idea what he was referring to. As with most of the people who watched this clip. Shogun also would've been a lost reference except it was just remade excellently so I hear (haven't watched it yet).

[@robertcasipe1851]

I discovered the great John Rhys-Davies in the original Shogun, and I thought this guy will be around for a long time. I was right!

[@ByWayOfDeception]

“I’ve done some big ones.” Low key yeah these huge blockbuster productions.

[@NemeanLion-]

lol, he said it would outperform the “New Star Wars”, not “Star Wars”

[@stinkyham9050]

And it didn't out perform.

[@NemeanLion-]

@@stinkyham9050 I think trilogy wise it did

[@MrDoctorMabuse]

​​@@stinkyham9050STAR WARS EPISODE II - ATTACK OF THE CLONES (2002) $653.8 million worldwide That was the "new" Star Wars. All three LOTR films outgrossed it. And the trilogy outgrossed Episodes I-III in total, by about 400 million dollars.

[@hellothere9167]

And this is what rings of powers lacked and why it fell

[@JacobSBierman]

Damn now I have to rewatch lotr again

[@HowManyTimes234]

I just want to listen to this man tell stories

[@jeffehren]

He is awesome!

[@Silverlion_90]

And was correct the lotr trilogy is and always be a masterpiece.

[@avoidconfusion]

What was the 3rd prediction?

[@cortezforever]

The anticipation for the Sliders reboot has been so overwhelming that I've penned down two episodes myself. It would be a great move if Apple TV could acquire the rights, as NBCUniversal seems to be overlooking this gem. With Tracy Tormé's passing, it's even more disheartening. May he rest in peace."

[@debrickashaw9387]

Yeah that's it. Im watching these movies again for the 20th time

[@NPA1001]

He was great in War and Remembrance as Sammy.

[@timyates4617]

Working on LOTR wasn't a job, it was a calling! In NZ, at that time, if you weren't involved in the production, you knew someone who was, or at least, had auditioned. I was in the same year and some of the same IT papers as the guy who was a Senior Engineer for GRUNT (Generation of Random Untold Number of Things) that could make thousands of Orcs, Elves, and Men avatars battle each other.

[@345dane]

fucken love it!!

[@Sleepy_Johnboy]

Sweet Moses, that's Michael Rosenbaum. Man he's aged. I haven't seen him since Smallville.

[@johnburke6332]

7 or 10 houses. It could've been 8 or 9, I guess.

[@NaenaeB0Y]

Cool mask.

[@Emapten]

"The lake is under water" shit. the earth is under soil.

[@nzmoggy3898]

When Lake Wakatipu floods the lake covers all the foreshore, wharves, and most of lakefront Queenstown so yes the lake is underwater as in all access to it is blocked as the lake has breached it banks.

[@seamusburke639]

Gangster!

[@yorktown99]

IF YOU WERE IN THE GERMAN ARMY, ROMMEL WOULD BE VERY HAPPY TO HAVE YOU ON HIS SIDE.

[@alanfearon1653]

The lord of the Rings trilogy is the greatest trilogy of all time, trumping Star Wars and The Godfather!

[@tshkrel]

Bro, you can come out from behind your mask. This must be California, amirite?

[@fredricclack7137]

🦉 3rd 🎡?!

[@slapthekillswitch]

Who the hell still wears a mask

[@grantc61]

I'd heard that Rhys- Davies was not well-liked among the cast, but when you hear him proudly say he has "no tattoos" you know he would never be a groupthink player. The main cast bonded because they were younger and more impressionable; Rhys-Davies would have seemed like a pretentious luvvy.

[@benjy8148]

Please pardon my ignorance, but I can't help but notice that the guy on the right with the headphones and mask looks totally disinterested in the conversation, which I found to be quite revelatory.

[@PWizz91]

Also wearing a mask, probably updating his pronouns on Instagram

[@StinkyBuster]

​@@PWizz91.....you're wearing a mask in your profile picture lmao

[@PWizz91]

@@StinkyBuster now then, jumping to conclusions aren’t you? I’m wearing that as a joke because that day I had MAD heyfever and put on that mask and glasses

[@justinm4497]

..........He was right..........

[@masterofallgoons]

'More than that...' what?

[@Norrie_Rugger]

r/gifsthatendtoosoon

[@ndowroccus4168]

Those three movies, were the Dune of then

[@gavriloking5637]

Dune 1 and Dune 2 are great, don't get me wrong, but a level beneath LOTR: The Fellowship of the Ring and LOTR: The Two Towers. Maybe 7\10 for D1 and 8\10 for D2 then LOTR1 is 9\10 and LOTR2 is 9\10.

[@alanfearon1653]

Yeah, Dune not in the same league!

[@84jdgregory]

I’m gonna do it! I’m gonna ask the question. Did you throw him?

[@theclaybeartravels3596]

fucking bait and switch, I wanted a movie with Indy and Saul again but instead I got a POS movie with Phoebe Waller Bridge

[@30AndHatingIt]

Can’t believe the bashing going on in the comments about the Star Wars Original Trilogy. I love both SW and LOTR but for gods sake have some respect… SW changed movies forever, innovated all of the effects that would follow… they literally made it possible for the LOTR films to even be created and ILM contributed heavily.

[@daniel15yearsago66]

Um yes but Lord of the Rings are still far better films

[@GregXB3]

And "Birth of a Nation" paved the way for blockbusters... "Birth" is still a shitty movie; like "Star Wars". The Lord of the Rings movies are masterpieces.

[@alanfearon1653]

Forget the effects for a moment, LOTR are better made and the acting on another level to Star Wars.

[@chichiboypumpi]

I would love seeing John in a Star Wars, but then again, not until star wars is star wars again.

[@daniel15yearsago66]

Star wars hasn't been star wars for perhaps 44 years. Very average series compared to lord of the rings

[@GregXB3]

Star Wars was shit in 1977, shit in 1999, and is shit today. I think Star Wars has always been Star Wars. John Rhys-Davies is too good for it, always has been!

[@Thetenmaumau]

Whos the dude with the face diaper?

[@bofa83]

why is dude wearing a. mask?

[@natedagreat19]

John Davis is 80 years old. The last thing anyone with respect would want is to get him sick. The flu can knock him on his ass.

[@KlingonGamerYT]

still wearing bloody masks come on man

[@Nekotaku_TV]

Maybe he's sick...

[@gavriloking5637]

don't visit, let alone move, to East Asia where people still have a relative sense of communal responsibility to avoid getting others sick ~

[@StinkyBuster]

Getting offended by what other people do is peak snowflake behaviour. Mind your own business.

[@death-king1834]

The Lord of the Rings is far superior over the original Star Wars in almost every way in my opinion.

[@30AndHatingIt]

Ridiculous. Are you going to say the new Barbie movie is superior to Casablanca because it was filmed in black and white and with inferior equipment and effects? SW Original Trilogy made the LOTR films possible and ILM contributed heavily. Both are timeless.

[@death-king1834]

@@30AndHatingIt Better in terms of acting, story, emotional investment, and overall world-building. Sorry, but apart from the special effects, the Original Star Wars just falls under for me in so many ways when compared against the universe crafted by Tolkien. Especially after going out of my way to obtain the Despecialized Editions to give them a retrospective rewatch. And I say this as someone who at one point used to like both equally. But now, I personally just hold LOTR to a much higher standard.

[@GustafStechmann]

whats that antisocial dude with the mask and the headphones doing there

[@superteach232]

Be nice to Ryan. He's legendary to the Talkville fandom. We love him!

[@AndrewsVegan]

Why is the guy in white wearing a face diaper?🤡

[@StinkyBuster]

Why are there some people so fragile they can't even see a mask without commenting on it. Loser behaviour.

[@TaSwavo]

Some fold believe "go without none needed scars" - I have tons of scars (hare-lip kid) but my real scars (at work) I rem,eber with pride and one even had a UK Paper Mill alter a metal stairway with new stuff so idiots like me don't scrape away the skin from half their calf. Painful. Week off work - and other don't have it happene agaun. I WON - week off work :)

[@matthewgaudet4064]

Yeah Star Wars was like an 11.5 million dollar movie not 150million to 300 million like the LOTR trilogy. It was never supposed to be an epic, just a Flash Gordon B movie serial.

[@ESO_PRIME]

Imagine having one of thee most legendary actors talking about the most legendary films & you sit there in a mask ignoring it all!☠️what a fool

[@2visiondigital]

Yet he let his noble character be played as comic relief ??

[@thelastjohnwayne]

Rosenbaum does not realize the Tattoo Craze is mostly a generational thing. Most sane people over a certain age do not have Tattoos. And it is not because they are afraid of needles it is because of other reasons. But Mostly if God would have wanted me to have a mark in a certain spot he would have given me a birthmark

[@sit-insforsithis1568]

I’ve got a tattoo of Jrrt and I’m proud of it

[@stinkyham9050]

Fellowship of the ring made $900 million Phantom Menace (the worst of Star Wars thing ever) made over a billion Star Wars is hotter than ever right now. Movies, shows, merc, video games. LOTR will always be 2nd in line. Sorry if the truth hurts dwarf guy.

[@bofa83]

Star Wars is awful right now. they are losing money left and right.

[@stevem2323]

No it's not dopey, LOTR are easily above Star Wars movies, it's not even close. Games? Who gives a fuck.

[@jaceacekalgoorlie]

Star wars is now a bunch of shitty woke tv shows on a streaming service that looses billions a year. Hotter than ever?

[@GregXB3]

More money doesn't mean higher quality. "Lord of the Rings" is a masterpiece. "Star Wars" is the Justin Bieber of cinema, it's always been crap!

[@brianmelendy1194]

Yet "The Hobbit" movies are huge piles of crap.

[@NaenaeB0Y]

It's such a load of rubbish. A guy earning millions of dollars is gunna have alot more fun than someone working 60 to 80 hours a week for a couple of grand NZ dollars. LOTR production was an absolute shitshow and only reason the movies are good are because of the story that was made by someone else. The hobbit was even more of a joke to work on because by then all the HODs and production management thought they where all the masterminds. Peter Jackson basically just won the lottery. He got lucky that's all there is to it. Everything else he does is absolutely rubbish.

[@andrewcrowder4958]

Jackson’s films were a hideously bowdlerized version of LOTR; with important characters ruined, vital matters cut, and a bunch of garbage added; fortunately Tolkien’s writing was so good that Jackson was unable to completely eff it

[@JestersDeadUK]

But it didnt 'beat' Star Wars... the origInal trilogy will live forEVER and was groudbraking, the music, the practical effect, the toys... sorry Lord of the WHAT?!?! 😂

[@nicholasdickens2801]

Aah, irony.

[@MrSRA13]

Don't get me wrong, the original SW trilogy changed cinema forever and will always be a masterpiece. LOTR just perfected it before cinemas inevitable move to CGI fests and fast food flicks like Marvel. But LOTR hands down outdid SW but that's because Tolkiens messages and core themes outdate Lucus. And PJ and crew did a fantastic job getting those themes across on film...themes which Lucas very much incorporated into his own story. Both are the behemoths of their genres but LOTR and Tolkien is on another level in terms of genius and will forever stand the test of time. And the soundtrack by Howard Shore is by far and away the greatest movie score. The sheer amount of leit motifs is staggering

[@skollybob]

LOTR has not aged well

[@MrSRA13]

@@skollybob is that a joke? It's aged like a fine wine