The Lord of the Rings star John Rhys-Davies revealed that one of his most hilarious and memorable lines was improvised. Appearing in the celebrated Peter Jackson Lord of the Rings movies, Rhys-Davies portrays Gimli, a dwarf who accompanies Legolas and more on numerous endeavors. Throughout the franchise, Gimli demonstrates loyalty and combat ability and has always been a source of humor.

As played by Rhys-Davies, Gimli was introduced in The Lord of the Rings: The Fellowship of the Ring, where he joins Frodo Baggins (Elijah Wood) in destroying the One Ring. That movie also features a now-iconic moment between Gimli and Legolas (Orlando Bloom), when the former shouts not to grab his beard.

During the By Beard and Hammer! Adventures with John Rhys-Davies panel at the Denver Fan Expo, which ScreenRant was in attendance for, the Lord of the Rings actor revealed that he improvised “not the beard!“ As Rhys-Davies explained, he landed unsteadily while filming, and Orlando Bloom simply grabbed his beard, spurring that hilarious response. Check out his comments below:

We were doing a scene with the green screen, and we were jumping from place to place. And I sort of jumped like that, very deliberately tottered. And I remember [Orlando Bloom] just reached out because he thought I was going to fall off this little block. And he grabbed my beard, and I grabbed his hand in a vice like grip and snarled at him. “Not the beard.”

What This Means For The Lord Of The Rings

The Iconic Line Happens During A Pivotal Sequence

That comedic exchange occurs during a significant and intense sequence from The Fellowship of the Ring. While Gimli and others evade the Balrog and escape quickly deteriorating Moria, he proclaims that Dwarves do not get thrown, which leads to his memorable beard line. Jumping over fractured steps, Legolas holds on to Gimli’s beard to retrieve him safely.

Following that incident, Gandalf (Ian McKellen) dies, and The Fellowship of the Ring takes an emotional turn, as Gimli and company grieve. That makes his beard line more notable, because it happens amid disaster. After learning that Rhys-Davies improvised that moment, it is worth wondering how the scene would have originally played out, but his reaction fits Gimli’s personality perfectly.

Our Take On The Lord Of The Rings Beard Line

The Epic Trilogy Incorporates Moments Of Humor

Despite many perilous journeys and rising stakes, The Lord of the Rings trilogy manages to perfectly incorporate humor. Along with his iconic beard line, Gimli has several amusing moments in The Fellowship of the Ring, including when he verbally expresses self-confidence in his perception skills, right before being ensnared by Elves, and some of his reactions to remarks from other characters.

Besides Gimli, Pippin Took and Merry Brandybuck (Billy Boyd and Dominic Monaghan, respectively) provide comedy in various The Lord of the Rings installments. After hearing about Rhys-Davies improvising his memorable line from the first trilogy entry, it’s also interesting to think about what else could have been non-scripted, that may notably stand out in one of the movies.

Source: ScreenRant