Elijah Wood Reveals Shocking Lord of the Rings News 27 Years in the Making
elijah wood told a late-night interviewer that, despite starring as Frodo Baggins decades ago, he had not finished reading The Lord of the Rings — and that he has now started the books. The revelation came during a televised interview when the host pressed him on a long-circulating rumor. Wood framed the admission with embarrassment but offered a positive update: “I have started them, ” and called the books “incredible. “
Elijah Wood on stage: “I have started them”
The central fact is stark and simple: elijah wood confirmed he did not read The Lord of the Rings for years after joining the film franchise, then said he has now begun the novels. The actor, who played Frodo Baggins, acknowledged the irony to the host by saying, “I feel almost the most embarrassed, Stephen, because I know no one else in my life who loves Tolkien more than you and has read the books more than maybe anyone. “
Wood placed the timeline in the interview: “So 25 years later, actually 27 if you consider we started shooting in August or October of ’99. ” He then offered the key update: “I have, I’ll at least say this, there is an update. I have started them. ” He followed with a direct reaction to the material: “And they’re incredible. ” The host opened the exchange by saying, “Okay. Um, now I got…I got this other rumor I need to get into you, ” and asked, “Um, is it true that you still haven’t finished reading The Lord of the Rings?”
Immediate reactions — quotes from the interview
Elijah Wood, actor who starred as Frodo Baggins in The Lord of the Rings, owned the moment on camera with a personal acknowledgment: “I feel almost the most embarrassed, Stephen…”
Stephen Colbert, host, pressed the point and later injected levity: “Listen, I don’t want to tell you how it ends, …but I’ll give you a hint. You know how it ends. ” Those lines framed the exchange as both confessional and playful while confirming that the long-standing rumor was true until Wood’s recent change of course.
Quick context
Decades after the films first brought the story to a broad audience, The Lord of the Rings remains a touchstone for readers and viewers. The interview underscores that even those closely involved with the films can approach the original books on their own timetable.
What’s next
With elijah wood saying he has begun reading the trilogy, audiences and fans will be watching for his follow-up — whether he completes the books and how the experience shapes his view of the material he helped bring to screen. For now, the immediate development is concrete: the actor has started the novels and has described them as “incredible, ” leaving room for further remarks and reflections in future interviews.
