John Rhys-Davies almost rejected a role on ‘Lords of the Rings’ because he didn’t want to spend his time "on a film that was going to fail".
The 71-year-old actor made his debut as Gimli the Dwarf in the franchise’s first movie, ‘The Fellowship of the Ring’ in December 2001, but has admitted he was initially concerned the movie going to be a flop until he saw Peter Jackson directing.
He said: "I didn’t want to spend three years in prosthetic make-up on a film that was going to fail.
"It was Jackson himself that forced me to say yes. When I saw him direct, and saw the mastery that he had with his crew and his actors, I did a 180 degree turn.
"I was the very first person to say, ‘Gentlemen, revise your expectations – upwards – because these films are going to be amongst the biggest grossing films of their time, and when you look back in 10 or 20 years at the best films of your lifetime, this trilogy is going to be there’.
"I think it’s borne out by the facts – I got it right."
John played Sallah in Indiana Jones films ‘Raiders of the Lost Ark’ in 1981 and ’The Last Crusade’ in 1989, and admits he is keen to reprise the role in a fifth film in the franchise.
He added to Digital Spy: "Every time I see Spielberg, I say to him, ‘Steven – the really successful films are the first and the third, but there seems to be something missing from two and four… I wonder what it is?’ and he laughs!
"Of course, I would like to do another one – he’s a great character – but I’d have him do something meaningful."
John Rhys-Davies almost rejected Lord of the Rings
