In a revelation that will intrigue fans of Middle-earth, actor Elijah Wood has shared a behind-the-scenes secret about one of his most famous lines from The Lord of the Rings trilogy.
The Secret Behind a Famous Line
Speaking at a fan Q&A session during Fan Expo Portland, Wood disclosed that Frodo Baggins' well-known retort to Gandalf, "All right then, keep your secrets," was not captured during the main filming schedule. Instead, the iconic moment from The Fellowship of the Ring was filmed during additional pickup shoots, which occur after principal photography has wrapped.
"It was actually shot during pickups," the 44-year-old actor confirmed, according to Collider. "It was not shot during principal photography. I’m pretty sure that sequence was from pickups." The line is delivered during a conversation between Wood's Frodo and Ian McKellen's wizard, Gandalf.
The Brutal Reality of Pickup Shoots
Wood went on to detail the exhausting nature of these additional filming sessions, which were particularly gruelling for actors requiring extensive prosthetic makeup. He explained that call times were exceptionally early to accommodate the lengthy application process.
"Obviously, the folks who had a lot of makeup had the earliest pickup times," Wood recalled. "I think Lurtz, the Uruk-hai, was picked up just around midnight to then be put in makeup for five or six hours."
He revealed his own most challenging experience was during pickups for the Osgiliath sequences, stating, "My earliest pickup was during the first pickups in Osgiliath, and I think it was 3:30 in the morning. It was brutal."
Reflections on Legacy and Compensation
The discussion also touched upon the financial aspect of the landmark trilogy. At the 2025 Texas Film Awards, Wood hinted that the cast's salaries were not as colossal as the films' success might suggest. The three movies were shot under a single contract, preventing renegotiation after the first film's monumental achievement.
"Because we weren’t making one movie and then renegotiating a contract for the next, it wasn’t the sort of lucrative scenario that you could sort of rest easy for the rest of your life," he told Business Insider. Co-stars Sean Astin and Orlando Bloom reportedly earned approximately $250,000 and $175,000 respectively for all three films.
When pressed on his own compensation, Wood deflected, saying the exact sum "doesn’t matter." He instead emphasised the project's enduring value: "It’s such an honour to have been a part of those films, and they represent some of the best experiences of my life."
The trilogy, directed by Peter Jackson, was a monumental cinematic gamble that paid off, earning a staggering $2.9 billion worldwide from a combined budget of $281 million. Wood acknowledged the risk, noting Jackson took "a real gamble" by filming all three installments concurrently.
In related franchise news, The Hollywood Reporter confirmed in 2024 that a new film, Lord of the Rings: The Hunt for Gollum, is currently in development.
