The final of the dwarf pictorial unveilings for Peter Jackson’s “The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey” has hit today courtesy of The One Ring.
The photo shows the leader of the Company of Twelve – Thorin Oakshield (played by Richard Armitage). The character is described as follows:
“As a young Dwarf prince, Thorin witnessed the destruction and terror wrought when a great fire-breathing Dragon attacked the Dwarf Kingdom of Erebor. After slaughtering many of Thorin’s kin, the great serpent, Smaug, entered The Lonely Mountain and took possession of its vast store of gold and jewels. No-one came to the aid of the surviving Dwarves, and thus, a once proud and noble race was forced into exile.
Through long years of hardship, Thorin grew to be a strong and fearless fighter and revered leader. In his heart a fierce desire grew; a desire to reclaim his homeland and destroy the beast that had brought such misery upon his people. So when fate offers him an unusual ally, he seizes the chance for revenge.”
Tall, dark and extremely handsome with an almost bashful personality in person, 39-year-old British thesp Richard Armitage first started popping up on British television a decade ago.
He first came to notice for his leading role in the 2004 BBC adaptation of Elizabeth Gaskell’s “North and South”, followed by the role of Macduff in the James McAvoy-led 2005 ‘Macbeth’ episode of “Shakespeare Retold”.
He also had memorable guest starring spots in the Miss Marple TV adaptation of Agatha Christie’s “Ordeal by Innocence”, and as Dawn French’s suitor/husband in the final two episodes of sitcom “The Vicar of Dibley”.
His two most well known roles came after, both of which he played for three seasons each. The first was as Sir Guy of Gisborne, the black leather-clad enforcer for the Sheriff of Nottingham, in the BBC’s “Robin Hood” from 2006.
Then in 2008 he joined the cast of “Spooks” (known as “MI5” in the U.S.) for its seventh season. Armitage’s character was Lucas North, a former British Intelligence agent who was captured and held prisoner by the Russians for eight years. He left the show at the end of last season in a memorable (and controversial) storyline.
He and “Walking Dead” star Andrew Lincoln both appeared in Sky1’s Iraq-themed “Strike Back” last year, and he has a small role as Nazi spy Heinz Kruger in the upcoming “Captain America: The First Avenger”.
About The Critic
