Ever wonder what it’s actually like to stand in a room and yell at a giant, non-existent dragon? For the The Desolation of Smaug actors, that was basically Tuesday.
Peter Jackson’s middle child of the Hobbit trilogy hit theaters back in 2013, and honestly, the casting was probably the strongest thing it had going for it. You’ve got this weird, beautiful mix of Shakespearean heavyweights, TV stars on the rise, and a dragon that was basically just a guy in a gray jumpsuit crawling on a carpet.
Most people know the big names. Martin Freeman, Ian McKellen—the usual suspects. But when you dig into the actual ensemble, it’s a massive operation. We’re talking about a production that used 10 kilograms of human hair just for wigs. Think about that for a second. That's a lot of hair.
The Core Company: Bilbo, Gandalf, and the Dwarves
Martin Freeman as Bilbo Baggins is kind of a masterclass in "uncomfortable British guy." By the time we get to The Desolation of Smaug, his Bilbo isn't just the fussy hobbit from Bag End anymore. He’s starting to get a bit... twitchy. That's the Ring's influence, and Freeman plays it so subtly you almost miss it until he's snarling at a spider.
Then there's Richard Armitage. He played Thorin Oakenshield with this permanent scowl that somehow made you feel bad for him. Fun fact: Armitage is actually about 6’2” in real life. Seeing him shrunk down next to 5’11” Martin Freeman is a testament to some serious camera trickery and oversized furniture.
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And we can't forget the rest of the company. You had:
- Ken Stott as the wise Balin.
- Graham McTavish as the terrifying Dwalin.
- Aidan Turner as Kili (the "hot" dwarf, let’s be real).
- Dean O’Gorman as Fili.
- James Nesbitt as Bofur.
Every single one of these guys spent about five hours in a makeup chair every morning. They were literally glued into their faces.
The Dragon in the Room: Benedict Cumberbatch as Smaug
This is where things get interesting. Benedict Cumberbatch didn't just walk into a recording booth and read lines. He went full "beast mode."
He wore a motion-capture suit and crawled around on the floor of a gray-padded studio to get the movement of the dragon right. He wanted Smaug to feel serpentine and heavy. If you watch the behind-the-scenes footage, it’s honestly a bit hilarious to see this sophisticated British actor hissing at a tennis ball on a stick, but the result on screen? Pure menace.
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Cumberbatch also voiced the Necromancer (who we later know as Sauron). He was pulling double duty as the two biggest threats in the movie. His voice was distorted for the final cut, but that rumbling, chesty vibration? That’s all him.
The Elves and the Lake-town Newcomers
This movie was the big introduction (or re-introduction) of the Elves. Orlando Bloom came back as Legolas, looking... well, almost exactly the same as he did ten years prior in Lord of the Rings, despite being a decade older. Elven aging is a gift.
Then we had Evangeline Lilly as Tauriel. She was a controversial addition because she wasn't in Tolkien's original book. Lilly, a massive Tolkien fan herself, actually requested no love triangle in her contract. Producers did it anyway. Honestly, kinda awkward for everyone involved.
Lee Pace as Thranduil, the Elven King, stole every scene he was in. He played the character with this cold, detached arrogance that made him feel truly ancient. He’s become a massive fan favorite because of that "done with everything" energy.
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Over in Lake-town, we got:
- Luke Evans as Bard the Bowman.
- Stephen Fry as the Master of Lake-town (looking appropriately gross).
- Ryan Gage as Alfrid Lickspittle.
Luke Evans actually got the role after a long search. He brought a grit to the human side of the story that balanced out all the gold-obsessed dwarves and sparkly elves.
The Reality of the Green Screen
It wasn't all fun and games on set. Sir Ian McKellen famously had a bit of a breakdown while filming. Because of the size difference between Gandalf and the dwarves, he often had to film his scenes entirely alone in a green-screen tent, acting toward photos of the other actors' faces on poles.
At one point, he forgot his mic was on and muttered, "This is not why I became an actor." It’s a heartbreaking moment that reminds you how much the The Desolation of Smaug actors had to rely on pure imagination. They weren't in a forest; they were in a warehouse in Wellington.
Actionable Next Steps for Fans
If you're looking to dive deeper into the world of these performers, there are a few things you should actually do rather than just re-watching the movie for the tenth time.
- Watch the Production Diaries: Peter Jackson released "vlogs" during filming. They are way more personal than the standard DVD extras and show the actors' real exhaustion and humor.
- Track the "Sherlock" Connection: Watch the scenes between Bilbo and Smaug again. Knowing that Freeman and Cumberbatch were starring in Sherlock at the same time adds a weird, meta-layer to their "detective and dragon" standoff.
- Check out the Extended Edition: The actors get way more character beats in the extended cut, especially the dwarves. You actually get to see them act, rather than just running through digital tunnels.
The performances are what keep these movies grounded. Without that cast, it's just a bunch of CGI gold and some very expensive scale models.