As nearly two decades of Peter Jackson‘s impressive dedication to his brilliantly epic Tolkien saga comes to an end, we follow “Richard Armitage’s Final Journey To Hobbiton”. As the beloved actor, who breathed life into Thorin Oakenshield, makes his way to The Hobbit: The Battle of The Five Armies Worldwide Premiere in London and beyond, we shall share his journey with you here, through his own Twitter Pix and Posts…and other fun bits and bobs!
Enjoy and be sure to share your feelings about the end of this fantastic Tolkien journey below!
Bon Voyage Richard!
Bon Voyage Richard Armitage! Richard Tweets that his Final Journey to Hobbiton begins! I wonder what it’s like to fly on a plane that features your face on the side of its fuselage? Surely an extra bag of peanuts….
AND he’s going to take us with him! I’ll make sure to keep you updated on this page, so check back with us regularly!
Radio Interview
The Picture Show on NewsTalk Radio FM
Saturday November 29th, 2014
Richard talks to Irish radio presenter Philip Molloy on The Picture Show at NewsTalk Radio FM. Richard revisits how he was cast in The Hobbit films by Peter Jackson and also talks about what he has coming up next in his career. What could it be?
The Press Tour Begins
Day One
The Hobbit Press Tour Begins!
First Tweet of the Press Tour!
Already being asked difficult questions…right out of the gate. Lucky reporter Maria Sallas of Telenoticias Miami is behind this one. Muy bueno!
The Elves arrive! Thorin is not happy.
Press Junket Interview
Even Thorin gets a lie down once in awhile…Pretty cozy looking hotel room if you ask me 😉 Gorgeous photo by Sarah Dunn.
The Hobbit World Premiere London
It’s Showtime!
Brilliant shot of Armitage being interviewed on the Green Carpet with his face on the JumboTron behind him! How does he keep so humble? 😉
Richard never fails to stop and take time for the fans. It’s incredibly admirable and the reason why he has such a loyal following.
Signing autographs…and always with a smile.
Richard’s first interview of the night. Always with great composure despite being nervous just ‘five minutes ago’.
Richard commented that he was ‘excited, nervous and a little bit emotional’ on this milestone night that celebrated 15 years of Peter Jackson’s work. Having seen the film, Richard said that it “rips your heart out.” We have no doubt! We are hearing brilliant things about his performance as Thorin! Oscar, are you listening?
The incredible cast of “The Hobbit: The Battle of Five Armies”…gathered together, perhaps for #OneLastTime.
The cast of The Hobbit: The Battle of Five Armies
Richard thanks the Tolkien Society….
Highlights from The Hobbit Premiere’s Green Carpet:
A memorable night indeed…for all of us!
Press Tour Day 2
After an exciting night that included the worldwide premiere of the most hotly anticipated film of the year…plus a bit of partying afterwards one can only hope…there was NO rest for the weary. Onward! Press Junket Day 2.
Entertainment reporters come in all shapes and sizes. Dwarfs are people too!
Press Conference with the cast.
Respect to the Tolkien master, Peter Jackson…
In case you missed the press conference here it is in its entirety:
The Hobbit Takes Manhattan!
Meanwhile back in the US: The Hobbit takes over Times Square! As a NYC resident this must be a pretty heady trip for Richard to walk by in the morning on his way to coffee….
(Photo By: Rebecca Clark. Thank you for sharing with us!)
The Hobbit Takes Manhattan Photo By: Rebecca Clark
Subway clerk, “Can I see some ID for this purchase, Sir?” Armitage: “If you’ll just walk outside and look UP….”
A Brief Detour For
The Crucible Premiere!
As if beginning a worldwide promotional tour for The Hobbit wasn’t enough…Richard pulled double duty on this day when he attended the premiere for his West End production of Arthur Miller’s The Crucible where he gave the most brilliantly intense portrayal of John Proctor I’ve ever seen.
Pulling a double shift on this day, promoting The Crucible.
Digital Theatre’s Robert Delamere, Richard Armitage, Director Yael Farber and Executive Producer Tom Shaw
Introducing the film.
If It’s Tuesday, This Must Be Belgium…. On yet another red carpet. For Christmas Santa is giving you…a break!
With the inspirational and true visionary, Crucible Director Yael Farber.
Press Tour Day 3
Bright-eyed and busy tailed! Headed for the Good Morning Britain Show! Somebody hand him some coffee, this boy has had no sleep! NOT that he looks it. (No emails please…)
Relections On The Final
Hobbit Film
As Richard head’s off to the fabuleux Paris premiere he has a message for Team WB:
He’s like a throwback to the golden age of Hollywood…Cary Grant! Perhaps a rom-com next?
Une Dernière Fois!
Paris
Live Twitter Q&A From Paris…BYO champagne.
First Tweet from City of Love with La Tour Eiffel in the background. Beautiful!…the tower’s not bad either 😉
On the way to the LIVE Twitter session. If you have to be stuck in traffic…this is not a bad place for it:
And now for the Twitter Q & A with WarnerBros France…in case you missed it:
RA English Translation: Now it’s time for your questions. Send them with #Ask Thorin
RA: Yes, I met Yael Farber in New York on some projects. It will be a surprise.
RA: Today it’s Bastille @bastilledan and Sam Smith @SamSmithWorld
RA: “Pilgrimage”, a film in which my character speaks 11th century French
RA: A little bit, like “a little wine”
RA: One as much as the other!
RA: I read the “Lord of the Rings” several times. I just finished “The Goldfinch” and it’s great.
RA: 10 years older with the face of Thorin (Admin: I’ll take it!)
RA: It was the lightest of all the costumes. But in order to wear it you had to use an electric drill. (Admin: This can’t be right…??)
RA: Stop throwing up, get up and continue to fight!
RA: Go for it? (Lets go? Like the 10th Doctor…)
RA: (No question found)
RA: I would make it more attentive to his nephews on the battlefield.
RA: Very moved, relieved…and I went to the toilet. (Ok..TMI)
RA: My socks of the day!
RA: We’re both stubborn like a pig.
RA: Thorin but the pillows would be filled with bricks. (Funny!)
RA: Wine every time. (Somebody is going to owe me a bottle after this tour is over… 😉 )
RA: “The Phantom Menace” because I’m in it somewhere.
And that would be here:
I spy with my little eye…Thorin Oakenshield!
Q: What is your greatest weakness?
RA: I always have to be right.
Q: What are your favorite films that you’re not in. Any French films? Thank you very much.
RA: Queen Margot by Patrice Chéreau
RA: The beard was real.
RA: Gollum! One of my teachers imitated him like Andy Serkis.
RA: “See Fire”
RA: No socks or aftershave but an Astin Martin please! (Gosh, hope I kept the receipts…)
Q: You said you’d like to have more of a sense of humor. Do you think you did not have one before this adventure?
RA: Yes, Peter and Martin taught me how to laugh at myself.
RA: Two seconds, I’ll look…”Pompeii” by Bastille (And there goes the sales for that song!)
RA: The final battle
RA: Crepes and a glass of red wine.
RA: Humor, compassion and empathy.
RA: Skiing in Haute-Savoie
RA: I can tie a tie, but not a bowtie.
RA: I brought it to New Zealand with me (wow, that must have cost a pretty penny….) it came back with me and is now with my brother.
RA: The Orcrist. It’s legendary.
RA: Gandalf in The Prancing Pony with a beer.
RA: Eating
RA: I’ve no idea but I’d pay a lot of money to see this.
RA: The deep water
RA: And Japanese horror films
RA: Flute, violin (or cello??) and guitar. But not all three at the same time.
RA: He has the imagination of a child and a cup of tea that never ends.
Q: What is your favorite TV show?
RA: I just finished Fargo. That’s the best series I’ve seen in the last ten years.
Q: (Admin) Could not find original question.
RA: Two seconds while I search ‘jokes’ in Google
Q: The cast of Suicide Squad was revealed yesterday. If you were to play a superhero, who would you play?
RA: The Invisible Man
RA: Michael Fassbender. (Question missing)
RA: I’m doing it right now…The Hobbit!
WB: “That’s all for today. Thank you for your questions. See you soon”
Translation corrections invited…especially that one about the electric Thorin costume. 😉
Merci beaucoup Monsieur Armitage!
Paris TV Appearances
“Le Grand Journal”
With Peter Jackson and Martin Freeman
Peter Jackson, Martin Freeman and Armitage on Le Grand Journal
Wake Up! You’ve got a red carpet to get to!
NO rest for the weary: Or Dwarves, Hobbits and Tolkien Gods!
The Paris Premiere
Richard est Arrivé sur Le Tapis Rouge !
If this is Thursday it must be Paris…
Introducing the film in Paris. #UneDernièreFois
Une dernière fois
I keep thinking they’re saying “Une derrière fois!” LOL!
Road To Brazil
As Richard bids adieu to Paris, the strains of Samba music begin to echo as he flies down to São Paulo Brazil for yet another Hobbit promo! Cue Samba music…..
And hours and hours later….the arrival. Driving by the Monumento às Bandeiras on way to hotel…I hope room service is still available!
Boa Noite!
Richard made an honorary soccer player!
#10
Interview with Beto Marden
A Room With A View…
Interview with Gloin
Press Tour Day 7
Thousands came out to see The King Under The Mountain including a fantastic Thorin cos player
Onstage Q & A
They clearly know Elvis is in the house!
And all too soon, Richard must bid farewell as he says “Vou sentir saudades”
Now on to LA…and the final stop!
Los Angeles…#OneLastTime
Richard was on hand to celebrate Peter Jackson’s receiving his star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame. A befitting honor for a visionary director.
Andy Serkis, Richard Armitage, Evangeline Lilly, Jackson, Orlando Bloom, Elijah Wood and Lee Pace
No trip to LA would be complete without a chat with The Anglophile Channel!
Another great chat!
The Anglophile Channel iChat Part 1
TAC iChat Part 2
Richard was kind enough to leave us with a special Christmas Message for the Fans and here it is:
LIVE Twitter Q & A Event With @TheHobbitMovie
And here it goes! (Yeay, no translating for moi!)
Red Carpet Next! #OneLastTime
It was a great night!
Very classic, old Hollywood look.
(B&W edit by Fernanda Matias)
Final Leg of The Tour: NYC
The Hobbit opened well and became the #1 movie in the world!
#1 Movie In The World!
Beijing, China
On January 17th, Richard travel to Beijing China for #OneLast Red Carpet opening! Fans greeted him at the airport and sang, Misty Mountains. I can just imagine how beautiful that must have been!
Touring the Temple of Heaven with Peter Jackson
Beijing Press Conference Jan 20, 2015
Hobbit Press Conference with Peter Jackson, Richard Armitage and scriptwriter Philippa Boyens.
Director Peter Jackson, left, and actor Richard Armitage pose for photos while holding a Chinese calligraphy with the words: ‘The Hobbit, The Battle of the Five Armies’ during a press conference in Beijing, Monday, Jan. 19, 2015. (AP / Ng Han Guan)
Beijing Red Carpet #OneLastTime
The Great Wall
It was a fantastic journey, Richard. Thanks for taking us all on it with you!
Lady Anglophile…Bidding farewell to The Hobbit #OneLastTime
The Anglophile Channel 
I am sad because trilogy is ending!!! And anxious to know what will happen with Thorin!!!
Loved the radio interview! Richard’s laugh is beautiful!
I too shall miss the adventure we have all been on. Mr. Armitage gave life to Thorin that I did not expect, which is why this film will be so hard to watch, yet it is a must see…Thank you Mr. Armitage for allowing us to see into the heart and soul of Thorin Oakenshield…Well done sir…
Looking forward to Battle of the Five Armies. I fell in love with Thorin when I was 13 years old. Richard Armitage reminded me why. Richard brings Thorin to life so beautifully and adds such a complexity to him that I could never have imagined. I have enjoyed every second of Thorin’s journey. Thank you, Richard, for bringing one of my favorite characters to life so spectacularly! Hugs and best wishes! Kate
can’t wait till dec 17th here in the states..as heartbreaking as it is, hope the end stays true to Tolkein. there could be another movie from the appendices!!Have said before,,the floodgates will open for our tears remembering this epic throughout the years.
I love your/his cookie sense of humour his compassion for those less fortunate than himself and others and the obvious love he has for his amazing family. To whom it shone so much at the UK premier.
Thank you and everyone who made The Hobbit for bringing the characters to life not just for us , but for future generations of Tolkien fans.
For all the work you have done that gives pleasure to all who watch and follow you. Thank you.
Im off to finally see The Crucible, again something I feel many would not have been able to witness if not for You and and Ms Faber. So for that Thank you.
Enjoy, and relax on that ski trip you have promised yourself.
Thank you for your work! Great to have everything together!
Thank you for all this. I’ve just been to see The Crucible (hope you’re not too jealous!) (it’s amazing on screen), so I missed today’s goings on in Paris! Great to come home and easily read it all!
Thank you for the translations, discussing his answer to my question with drilling the costume? It may have needed drilling together when being put on, that is the only thing come up with.
This is a priceless compilation of the whole press tour! Thanks so much, Marlise! Can’t wait for your “chat” with the man. You two are a great team! 😀 😀
Thank you Richard for the great work you have done and thank you for the wonderful words you posted for us, now on Christmas time.
You are indeed not only a beautiful man but a beautiful person on the inside as well and I hope nothing in the world will change this about you.
Since your career is increasingly fruitful, I would dare to ask you not to change yourself too much into a “Hollywoodian star” and forget those three values that you appreciate most in life: humor, compassion and empathy. And, please do not forget that you are a British actor, which I personally value greatly!
May you have a successful career ahead and a merry, merry Christmas!
sei bellissimo Richard!!!
Thanks for your work and for completing that amazing diary of the tour. But, you will agree, Richard deserves no less.
Wow, TAC! It’s a fantastic and comprehensive compilation. Thank you.
What an amazing wrap up of the whole tour. Thank you so much for all you do. It feels like we were with him every leg of the trip. Congrats to everyone.
Amazing scrapbook! Great job documenting it, Marlise! What an incredible journey it has been. A big thanks to Richard for taking us along on the ride …. It has been a true privilege. 😊. Bring on our next journey, Richard! We will always follow you… #OneLastTime . ❤️ Congratulations, Sir Richard Crispin Armitage! 👏😘