Turning down a franchise that turns out to be the greatest trilogy ever released was reasonably a bummer for Uma Thurman. Although Uma Thurman has an expansive filmography under her belt, which involves some critical bangers, including Quentin Tarantino’s Pulp Fiction, the actress still bears regrets turning down Peter Jackson’s The Lord of the Rings.
While it’s pretty uncommon for a trilogy to deliver three near-perfect films, The Lord of the Rings stands out as a notable exception, which rocked the Academy with each entry. And unsurprisingly, the regret of losing the franchise still stings Thurman, as at the time, she wasn’t ready to compromise her motherhood.
Uma Thurman Wasn’t Ready to Compromise Her Motherhood for LOTR
Considering the filming of Peter Jackson’s The Lord of the Rings films was conducted concurrently for three years, taking place in his native country, New Zealand, Uma Thurman wasn’t ready for this huge commitment. Keeping in mind that Thurman welcomed her first child, Maya Hawke, a year prior to LOTR‘s filming, Thurman turned down the role of Éowyn, as she was focused on being by her daughter’s side. But witnessing the enormous success that these films would become, the Pulp Fiction Star was reasonably upset. Speaking to Stephen Colbert, she expressed her regrets, saying,
“It was a very long time ago, and I do consider it one of the worst decisions ever made. But I just had my first child and, I don’t know, I was a little housebound,” Thurman explained. “I think I was a little bit, it was a little unknown for me, but it’s really definitely a regret.”
But it wasn’t all doom and gloom for the actress, as apart from making wonderful memories with her daughter, Thurman would also go on to lead two Tarantino classics, Kill Bill: Volume 1 and Volume 2.
Working On Kill Bill Ended Up Being Deadly for Uma Thurman
Throughout their decades-long friendship and creative collaborations, Uma Thurman and Quentin Tarantino have had their fair share of disagreements, but things went too wild in Kill Bill. While Thurman outdid herself playing The Bride, she also nearly killed herself in the process, after Tarantino refused to acknowledge her concerns. Considering the convertible she was set to drive for the film wasn’t exactly in the best condition, Thurman did raise concerns, which were brushed off by the Pulp Fiction director, resulting in a major crash. She said The New York Times,
“He said, ‘I promise you the car is fine. It’s a straight piece of road…. Hit 40 miles per hour or your hair won’t blow the right way and I’ll make you do it again.’ But that was a deathbox that I was in. The seat wasn’t screwed down properly. It was a sand road and it was not a straight road.”
While the actress got more than she bargained for her part in Kill Bill, she couldn’t have landed a better alternative after turning down the role of Éowyn.
The Lord of the Rings trilogy is available to stream on Max.
Kill Bill: Volume 1 and Volume 2 are available to rent on Apple TV.
Source: The Late Show with Stephen Colbert
