After Peter Jackson adapted J.R.R. Tolkien’s The Lord of the Rings, and delved into the realm of Middle-earth, several epic iterations and enduring friendships were forged through the process. Venturing through one of those iconic behind-the-scenes anecdotes, we came across the story of Viggo Mortensen’s spontaneous kiss with a Hobbit actor.
Back to the 2003 epic fantasy The Lord of the Rings: The Return of the King, Viggo Mortensen shared a hilarious moment with Billy Boyd, when he recklessly kissed the actor behind cameras, during Sam and Rosie’s wedding scene. According to Mortensen, he wanted to add a bit of recklessness, but Boyd on the other hand fell in love.
Viggo Mortensen’s Spontaneous Kiss with The Lord of the Rings Co-Star
Peter Jackson’s enchanting The Lord of the Rings and The Hobbit franchise not only took us to the mystical realm of Middle-earth but also offered us with few of the most evergreen anecdotes from the sets of the two trilogies. One such off-camera moment takes us back to the filming of the heartwarming wedding scene of Samwise Gamgee and Rosie Cotton in The Lord of the Rings: The Return of the King.
During the process of getting Sean Astin comfortable to share a kiss with his co-star and onscreen wife Rosie, played by Sarah McLeod, Viggo Mortensen did something ridiculous and hilarious at the same time. Considering that Astin was taking his time in perfecting the scene since he was feeling nervous about kissing McLeod, Mortensen was apparently getting bored on set.
That’s when Viggo Mortensen went and woke up Pippin Took actor Billy Boyd from his van, and dragged him on set. Thereafter, during the pivotal wedding scene, Mortensen and Boyd were standing off-camera, pretending to be wedding guests in order to help Sean Astin’s performance. And after Sarah McLeod’s Rosie threw her bridal bouquet towards Boyd, Mortensen felt the need to elevate the mood.
Therefore, as Sarah McLeod went forward to kiss Sean Astin, Viggo Mortensen took matters into his own hands and gave Billy Boyd a passionate kiss, offscreen.
Viggo Mortensen Made Billy Boyd Fall in Love with One Kiss
Renowned for his role as Aragorn in The Lord of the Rings trilogy, Viggo Mortensen infused more celebratory spirit into the atmosphere, during Sam and Rosie’s wedding scene, by kissing Billy Boyd, behind the cameras. Although off-camera shenanigans and encouragement flowed freely among the cast members, Mortensen and Boyd’s spontaneous moment stunningly left a lasting impression.
Surprising everyone on set with his impromptu kiss with Billy Boyd, Viggo Mortensen created a hilarious moment. But when it comes to Boyd, the actor experiencing the unexpected gesture, sarcastically remarked on how he fell in love with his co-star after that one kiss. Momentarily stunned by the kiss, Boyd candidly reflected on feeling dirty afterwards, via an old YouTube video.
And then in one of the takes, it comes right and I’m like ‘yeah’ (clapping) and Viggo grabs me and kisses me hard in the mouth. I mean like I’ve never been kissed by a man or woman. By God. I saw stars and I think I fell in love for a split second. And then I felt a bit sick. I think… I’m not saying, but I think I felt the tongue.
I don’t know if that helped their [Sean Astin and Sarah McLeod] reaction, but I couldn’t look at Viggo for a couple of days. I felt dirty.
Viggo Mortensen’s spontaneous act, though lighthearted, did indeed help perfect Sean Astin and Sarah McLeod’s wedding scene. And as for fans of Peter Jackson‘s trilogy, these cherished behind-the-scenes stories serve as reminders of the magic that transcended the screen.
The Lord of the Rings films are available on Max.
