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Happy Birthday, Brad Dourif!

Brad_Dourif (1)Before the conniving servant Alfrid, there was another devious servant we all love to hate: Grima Wormtongue. In Sir Peter Jackson’s The Lord of the Rings trilogy, Grima Wormtongue was portrayed by the talented actor Brad Dourif. Today, Mr. Dourif celebrates his 64th birthday!

Born on March 18, 1950 in West Virginia, Bradford Claude Dourif can look back on a long and successful career. Early on in his life, Mr. Dourif had a strong interest in art and acting. Between 1963 and 1965, he attended the Aiken Preparatory School in Aiken, South Carolina where he pursued his acting interests. For a short time, he considered becoming a professional painter, but settled for an acting career instead. And we all are very thankful for it! Over the years, one iconic and memorable performance has followed the other.

Before coming to fame, Mr. Dourif acted in school productions. At age 19, he headed to New York where he worked for the Circle Repertory Company. After appearing in various plays, Dourif was cast as Billy Bibbit in One Flew over the Cuckoo’s Nest. His portrayal of the vulnerable Billy Bibbit earned him a Golden Globe Award for Best Acting Debut, a British Academy Film Award for Best Supporting Actor, and an Oscar nomination for Best Supporting Actor.

Over the years, Dourif appeared in many films and TV shows such as Dune, Mississippi Burning, Chucky, X-Files, Star Trek and, of course, LOTR. For his role of Grima, Brad Dourif travelled five times to New Zealand shaving off his eyebrows each time in preparation for his transformation. Being a method actor, Dourif kept the British accent he adopted for Grima even when he was not filming. Because the LOTR cast only heard him talking with a British accent during the shooting, they were shocked to hear him speak in an American accent after filming was complete. Mr. Dourif’s dedication paid off, for many he is still Grima Wormtongue. Despite Grima Wormtongue’s despicable character traits, Brad Dourif’s portrayal managed to add a vunerable dimension to Grima’s persona.

Brad Dourif’s roles shaped many of us, more than we’re aware of. If he hadn’t decided to become an actor, many iconic and lovable characters wouldn’t exist in the way they are. So lets celebrate! May the future bring many other memorable characters!

(Source: imdb.com)

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Middle-earth News wishes Mr. Dourif a happy birthday!

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