richard armitage on thorin oakenshield

I'm posting this video clip for our Debbie H., because she has just finished watching North and South for the first time, and is probably missing Richard Armitage about now, because that's what happens. :)

He has, as you may know, been cast to play Thorin Oakenshield in Peter Jackson's upcoming film version of Tolkien's The Hobbit. (If you're on Facebook, "like" Peter Jackson if you would like to get first glance at the filming in New Zealand. He is posting on-set news, sneak-peek pics, and videos pretty regularly. I like seeing Hobbit news pop up in my newsfeed. Or check out The Hobbit blog. And if you really want to geek out completely, The One Ring is the place for you.) 

I guess there was some hubbub about this casting when it happened, because Richard, who is 6'2" and dreamy, seems an unlikely choice to play a dwarf. But Peter Jackson defended his choice by praising Richard's acting, adding, "Thorin Oakenshield is a tough, heroic character, and he certainly should give Leggie and Aragorn a run for their money in the heartthrob stakes -- despite being four feet tall."

Quick, unnecessary recap of Leggie and Aragorn:

And I defend Peter Jackson's choice by noting that Richard Armitage has the loveliest baritone voice ever created, and I feel certain that dwarves are baritones.

Anyhoo, here is the clip of Richard Armitage discussing the role of Thorin. (You may recognize Martin Freeman to his left, who of course has been cast to play Bilbo Baggins, and who starred in the original British version of The Office, as well as (more recently) Holmes in the new Sherlock Holmes BBC series, with Benedict Cumberbatch as Sherlock.) (I highly recommend these, if you haven't seen the first three. According to Ian McKellen's blog, Martin is currently off the Hobbit set and back in London to film the next three installments of Sherlock. Hooray!) (Also, fans of the oft-missed Pushing Daisies may be interested to hear that Lee Pace has just been cast to play Thranduil the Elven King.) (You really shouldn't get me going on all this Hobbit & LOTR business, because I will go off tangentially for days.)