How was David Wenham chosen for the role of Faramir?
Peter Jackson and David Wenham first met when David toured Jackson’s studio, Three Foot Six, early in the process of filming The Lord of the Rings. Jackson had seen Wenham in The Boys, was impressed by the actor’s range and intensity, and asked him to audition for the part of Faramir. Physically, David was a good match for Sean Bean, who had already been cast in the role of Boromir, Faramir’s older brother: “I think the casting was pretty bloody good because you look at photographs of Sean and myself and there is quite a striking physical resemblance there.” It also helped that David had fenced in his younger days: “That came in handy. I learned with a foil but the type of weaponry in Lord of the Rings is sort of different. And the footwork isn’t quite as delicate either. It’s slash and bash as quickly and as bloodily as possible.” Originally, Ethan Hawke and Orlando Bloom had the inside track for the role of Faramir. Bloom tried out, was told the role was no longer available, then was
