10 Lord of the Rings Actors Who Also Appeared in Star Wars

Fantasy fans worldwide love The Lord of the Rings, and Star Wars is just as popular when it comes to science fiction. Getting a part in either of these franchises would be a dream come true for many actors, but a small number have actually appeared in both worlds – Middle-earth and the Star Wars galaxy.

Both Peter Jackson’s Lord of the Rings movies and George Lucas’ Star Wars prequels came out around the same time – the early 2000s – which is why many actors appeared in both series. While some of these actor crossovers are well-known, others might surprise even dedicated fans of both franchises.

Christopher Lee Portrayed Two of Pop Culture’s Most Iconic Villains

Sir Christopher Lee is probably the most famous actor to appear in both The Lord of the Rings and Star Wars. He played Saruman the White in The Lord of the Rings and Count Dooku in the Star Wars prequels. Interestingly, these two characters had a lot in common: both were sophisticated but ruthless villains who initially fought alongside the heroes before switching sides to serve a powerful dark figure, and both were killed relatively early in the final movie of their series.

Christopher Lee’s rich, commanding voice and training in Shakespearean acting made him ideal for playing arrogant villains. His famous portrayal of Dracula also proved he could be genuinely frightening. He later brought these skills to animated projects, voicing the character Dooku in Star Wars: The Clone Wars and, posthumously, having original recordings used for a character in The Lord of the Rings: The War of the Rohirrim.

Andy Serkis Played Multiple Star Wars Characters After LOTR

Andy Serkis is now known as a director, having helmed films like Venom: Let There Be Carnage, Animal Farm, and the forthcoming The Lord of the Rings: The Hunt for Gollum. However, he first became famous as an actor playing characters created with computer graphics, beginning with Gollum in The Lord of the Rings. Using innovative motion capture technology, Serkis and the team at Wētā Digital created Gollum with unprecedented detail and realism.

Andy Serkis’s talent made him ideal for the role of Supreme Leader Snoke, the enigmatic leader of the First Order in the recent Star Wars films. While many fans enjoyed his performance, he returned to the Star Wars universe in the series Andor, playing Kino Loy, a floor manager at the harsh Narkina 5 prison. His realistic and intense portrayal in Andor showed he can create compelling characters without needing computer-generated effects.

Dominic Monaghan Fought For Freedom in The Rise of Skywalker

Fans of both Star Wars and The Lord of the Rings might be surprised to learn of a shared actor between the franchises. Dominic Monaghan, best known as the hobbit Merry Brandybuck, also appeared in Star Wars: The Rise of Skywalker as Beaumont Kin, a scholar who joined the Resistance. While his screen time was brief, Monaghan’s character is significant in Star Wars lore – he’s credited as the author of the in-universe history book, The Rise and Fall of the Galactic Empire, which has become a valuable resource for fans.

Merry was mostly played for laughs, particularly at the beginning of The Lord of the Rings movies, but the character Beaumont was always portrayed as dedicated to the fight. However, some Star Wars content has playfully acknowledged this crossover. The video game LEGO Star Wars: The Skywalker Saga even features a mission where players help Beaumont prepare “second breakfast,” a meal mentioned in The Lord of the Rings: The Fellowship of the Ring.

Elijah Wood Took a Villainous Turn in Star Wars: Resistance

Elijah Wood, best known as Frodo Baggins from The Lord of the Rings, also appeared in the Star Wars universe. However, unlike Andy Serkis and Dominic Monaghan, his role wasn’t in a live-action film. Wood voiced the character Jace Rucklin in the animated series Star Wars: Resistance. Jace, a young racer introduced in the episode “Fuel for the Fire,” eventually became a TIE pilot for the First Order.

Elijah Wood’s role was a departure for him, as the character he played was very different from his best-known role as Frodo. Frodo is known for being modest and kind, while this new character is boastful and self-centered. Fans of The Lord of the Rings enjoyed seeing Wood play a villainous part. He might even follow Andy Serkis’ example and play multiple roles in the future, according to an interview with Entertainment Tonight.

Karl Urban Had a Sneaky Stormtrooper Cameo in The Rise of Skywalker

Karl Urban has become well-known for roles in popular projects like The Boys and Mortal Kombat II. However, many Lord of the Rings fans still remember him as Éomer, the proud warrior from Rohan. Similar to Andy Serkis and Dominic Monaghan, Urban also appeared in the Star Wars sequels, though his part was brief. In The Rise of Skywalker, he played a First Order stormtrooper on Kylo Ren’s ship, the Steadfast.

The actor who played a stormtrooper in a Star Wars film only had three lines. In a 2020 interview with Digital Spy, he shared that being a stormtrooper was a dream come true, and he landed the role thanks to his work on Star Trek. He’d previously collaborated with Star Wars director J.J. Abrams on the Star Trek reboot films, and Abrams invited him to appear in a brief cameo on the Star Wars set.

Bruce Spence Made the Most of Limited Screen Time in LOTR and Star Wars

Andy Serkis often used motion capture to create characters like monsters and aliens, but Bruce Spence typically relied on traditional special effects. He’s known for playing the Mouth of Sauron in the extended version of The Lord of the Rings: The Return of the King, and in Star Wars: Episode III – Revenge of the Sith, he portrayed a character who helped Obi-Wan Kenobi track down General Grievous.

Despite having different parts in the story, Spence’s characters looked alike – both were tall, pale creatures with unsettling teeth. Though The Mouth of Sauron and Tion weren’t central to the plot, only appearing briefly in a single scene each, their distinctive designs and Spence’s skilled acting made them stand out.

Sala Baker Brought Physicality to LOTR and Star Wars Villains

While not as well-known as some of his fellow actors in The Lord of the Rings, Sala Baker was a vital part of Peter Jackson’s team. He performed stunt work in all three films and even played the Dark Lord Sauron in the opening scenes of The Fellowship of the Ring. Remarkably, he conveyed the character’s power without uttering a single line of dialogue.

Following in the footsteps of other actors who’ve appeared in both franchises, Mark Baker, known for his work in The Lord of the Rings, recently appeared in an episode of The Mandalorian titled “Sanctuary.” He played Sastos, a Klatoonian raider who threatened a village on the planet Sorgan. Interestingly, the appearance of the Klatoonians – with their spotted skin, short snouts, and crooked teeth – was reminiscent of the Orcs from The Lord of the Rings.

Richard Armitage’s Film Career Began With Star Wars

Following the success of The Lord of the Rings, director Peter Jackson and his team revisited the world of Middle-earth with The Hobbit. Interestingly, several actors from this new trilogy also appeared in Star Wars. Richard Armitage, who played the dwarf leader Thorin II Oakenshield, actually began his film career over a decade earlier as a minor character—an unnamed guard on Naboo—in Star Wars: Episode I – The Phantom Menace.

The character had a very small part in the film, though some viewers have noticed him as a background figure during Padmé Amidala’s meeting with Boss Nass. In E.K. Johnston’s novel, Star Wars: Queen’s Shadow, this minor character was expanded upon, given the name Tonra, and his connection to Padmé’s handmaiden, Sabé, was explored further.

Marton Csokas Was Erased From Attack of the Clones

Okay, so this is a weird one. Apparently, Marton Csokas – you know, Celeborn from The Lord of the Rings – actually filmed scenes as Poggle the Lesser in Star Wars: Episode II. Yes, that Poggle! But here’s the kicker: George Lucas later decided the character should be fully CGI. So, despite being cast and filming, Csokas was ultimately cut, replaced by a digital character and voiced by Ernie Fosselius. It’s a little-known fact that this actor technically appeared in a Star Wars film, even though you’d never know it watching the final cut. It’s a strange footnote in film history, honestly.

Despite some official sources claiming otherwise, Karl Urban’s voice wasn’t actually used in Attack of the Clones. Urban wasn’t upset about his character, Poggle the Lesser, being significantly altered, even telling The New Zealand Herald he found it “amusing.” It’s possible the initial design for Poggle was closer in tone to his Lord of the Rings character, Celeborn.

Anthony Daniels Appeared in a Forgotten LOTR Adaptation

Interestingly, actors from the live-action Lord of the Rings weren’t the only ones who appeared in Star Wars. Before Anthony Daniels became famous as C-3PO, he voiced Legolas in Ralph Bakshi’s 1978 animated Lord of the Rings film. His Legolas was different from Orlando Bloom’s – more subdued and mature, without the playful energy and confidence of the later live-action portrayal.

Anthony Daniels is best known for his work in the Star Wars films, having appeared in only three movies outside of that franchise. It’s therefore unexpected that he also appeared in the original film adaptation of The Lord of the Rings. Interestingly, because Star Wars: Episode IV – A New Hope came out in 1977, Daniels was in a Star Wars movie before any Lord of the Rings adaptation – excluding Richard Armitage’s work in The Hobbit.

Quiz

5 Questions

The Lord of the Rings and Star Wars: Test Your Actor Crossover Knowledge

Your Top Score

—

Attempts

—

Report Error

Found an error? Send it so it can be corrected.

2026-05-11 04:12