Personally, I think that the story is all-important; everything else comes later. But if there's any other way to ensure the betterment of the film, I always implement it.

I don't know what fun newspapers and magazines derive from interfering in people's private lives.

My entire family has been part of the film industry for many years.

Beef is not allowed in my house.

I neither throw my weight around nor do I bully anyone on the set.

My instruction to my parents is that I would rather they enjoy their retirement than leave me anything when they go. I am much happier watching them enjoying life.

There's a very strong force in Tolkien's characters.

I have a visual mind, so when I read a book, I get an instant picture in my head and it's very clear.

You can spend a bit of yourself when you give yourself to a character. At the end of a job, you have to remind yourself who and what you are.

I want to be strong enough to cope with the roles, but I don't want to be cast as the guy that takes his shirt off.

I'm not much of a show-off.

I am just not a water baby. I can swim, but I just don't.

I don't really like making too much of a statement with what I'm wearing.

I've done an awful lot of skiing all over Europe: I've done Italy, Austria, France. I skied loads in New Zealand - I did pretty much every ski slope I could find.

I'm probably not very good at rom-com, being funny on demand; I'll leave that to the comedians.

You can't reject anything in your life as an artist. Everything has its use.

I kind of got lost down a road of TV and film, so it's great to come back to theatre.

I'd like to live off-grid.

I'd like to act in a film without special effects.

I never like to go out of character when filming starts. I fear that if I do, I might not be able to pick it up again.

I think that when Tolkien created Gollum and the ring, he even expressed in his biography that he never really knew what he created until he went back and looked at it.

I don't think actors need to go on pedestals. I don't buy it.

People get to know me slowly and over the course of time. I'll probably still be a newcomer when I'm 60.

The narrative that Peter Jackson has put into 'The Battle of the Five Armies,' it stands alone as a film. Rather than just finishing off the story, it's like a whole new adventure all of its own. I'm very excited about it.