Elijah Wood, best known for playing Frodo Baggins in the Lord of the Rings trilogy, has hinted at the relatively low pay he received for the billion-dollar franchise. Speaking at the 2025 Texas Film Awards, the 44-year-old actor explained that the three films were shot under a single contract, preventing salary renegotiations between installments.
Wood noted that director Peter Jackson took 'a real gamble' by filming the trilogy back-to-back. The films grossed a combined $2.9 billion worldwide on a $281 million budget. Despite the franchise's massive success, Wood said the salaries were 'not massive,' but added that the experience was invaluable and 'a part of our lives forever.'
His co-stars Sean Astin and Orlando Bloom previously disclosed earnings of around $250,000 and $175,000 respectively for all three movies. When asked about his own compensation, Wood declined to confirm the figure, saying it 'doesn’t matter' and that being part of the films was 'such an honor.'
Wood also confirmed his marriage to Mette-Marie Kongsved, referring to her as his wife on a podcast. The couple, who have been together since 2018, have two children. Meanwhile, a new Lord of the Rings film, The Hunt for Gollum, is in development with a potential 2026 release.
