 |
| has been an active actor in New Zealand for many years, both in theatrical plays and in musicals. He became known internationally, thanks to his appearances in a plethora of TV shows like "Xena: Warrior Princess", The Enid Blyton Adventure Series, William Shatner's "A twist in the tale" and "Dark Knight". This aside, he even finds the time to be a drama teacher and work as a director. He lives in Wellington, enjoys swimming and is a dedicated mountain-biker. |
| CAMERON RHODES |
 |
| Also this interview was done by ROBERT VOGEL (he was busy!) at last year's RingCon in Bonn, Germany, and hasn't been published anywhere else yet. The original was in German, the translation back to English was done by PK. Blame us for mistakes, not Robert, whom we herewith thank for his support. RV: You have been in showbiz for quite a while now. How has this small part in "Lord of the Rings" changed your life? CR:This was incredible and somehow completely crazy… the movie turned the lives of many people upside down. When I was invited to attend this convention on the other side of the earth, I could hardly believe it. Now I'm here, and after this really overwhelming welcome by the fans, the whole thing seems to be even more surreal. In New Zealand it doesn't make a difference, people are very down to earth and nobody goes crazy when an international star passes by on the street. Of course, it would be great if I could obtain further offers to work on movies through this. RV: Do you think the movie made New Zealand internationally known as a movie hot spot? CR: Of course, but I think it was "Hercules" and "Xena: Warrior Princess" which prepared the ground for this. On "Lord of the Rings" many people were involved behind the cameras which have previously worked on both of these series and learned a lot about the American demands to TV and moviebusiness. This really paid off on "Lord of the Rings". And I don't even have to mention the breathtaking landscape. RV: Some people insist the three movies are actually nothing but a well-camouflaged commercial for the tourist industry of New Zealand… CR: (Laughs). This is also a way to look at it! You do have the advantage to find different landscapes within manageable distances. It has caused some reactions, for example they will shoot a Samurai-movie with Tom Cruise in New Zealand soon, and possibly also a movie about King Arthur by Spielberg. In Auckland they are building new studios, and they are already completely booked out for the next two years with movie and TVprojects. RV: That's very interesting! Say, as a Hobbit, how did you manage your feet? CR: I had to learn to walk again, as these feet were double the size of my own! I was very surprised when I learned that the hair on these prosthetics was real human hair, and not synthetics. I seriously wondered where they came from. There was a real "Hobbit-Foot-Production". But please don't ask me how much they smelled at the end of the day… RV: What was your day on the set like? CR: I was overwhelmed, the production of "Lord of the Rings" was so incredibly complex. Six crews were shooting simultaneously, and I've seen Peter Jackson watching and commenting the crews' actions through satellite-TV-conference circuit. How he managed to keep the overview on all this is still a mystery to me. Compared to this, earlier productions looked like amateur movie projects to me. I also recognized many people among the crew who had previously worked on "Xena". RV: What Xena episodes have you been in? CR: "Beware of Greeks giving gifts" and "King Conn". |
| (Hobbit-farmer Maggot) |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
| Interview with CAMERON RHODES |
 |
| RV: "Xena" was not the only fantasy-series you've been in… CR: I was also in "Dark Knight"; which is a fantasy-series about Sir Ivanhoe and Prince John, based on the "Ivanhoe" novel by Sir Walter Scott, which was produced for the English "Channel 5" in New Zealand. I was playing evil Prince John, and this was fun. I was a lot like a spoild brat. He's often drunk or over-excited, but he's scared inside, as he lives in the constant fear of Richard Lionheart's return. RV: You have certainly participated in the premiere party. This must have been quite a do… CR: Of course, it was one of the biggest parties I've ever seen! For the people we have become somewhat of "national heroes". They considered "Lord of the Rings" as "their" movie. And they were probably right. RV: Cameron thanks a lot for the interview, and good luck! CR: Same to you! © Robert Vogel, 2003 © English translation Robert Vogel and Pink Khaki Webzine, 2003 |