Tolkien fans and enthusiasts are everywhere. I don’t know what about you, but whenever I stumble upon fellow Tolkien fans, I get excited and want to befriend them. Thanks to the internet, I can! Some enjoy Tolkien’s work, whether based on Middle-earth o his scholarly work, in private by reading their favourite book with a good cup of tea. Others enjoy dressing up as their favourite character, going to conventions and interacting actively with other Tolkien fans. The way Tolkien fans express their love is as diverse as Middle-earth. However, one thing we all have in common is our love and enthusiasm for Tolkien and his work.
Over the years a number of famous personalities expressed their love for Tolkien. Celebrities like Stephen Colbert or James Franco make no secret about their love for Middle-earth, however there are many more, sometimes surprising, celebrities that share this passion. So here is a brief list of the best known Tolkien fans.
US President Barack Obama
It is no secret that Obama is a proud lover of all things geeky. So it was not too surprising when, a few years ago, Obama revealed in an interview with Scholastic Kids Press Corps reporters that he was “was getting into The Lord of the Rings and The Hobbit and stuff like that” as a kid. One of the aspects he loved about The Lord of the Rings, The Hobbit, and all the other books he loved as a child is that all those stories taught him about social problems and how “people interact with each other…about how some people are kind and some people are cruel”.
Prince Charles and Prince William, the first and second in line to the throne of the UK
Not too long ago, it has been revealed that Prince William is a fan of The Hobbit. During the premiere of The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey Prince William expressed his enthusiasm and knowledge when talking to Martin Freeman. While it is not known to what degree Prince William loves and knows Tolkien’s other work, Freeman said that Prince William “knew all the facts about Middle Earth”. His father, Prince Charles, is a Tolkien fan and went to New Zealand to visit Peter Jackson and his crew for an exclusive sneak preview.
Prince Charles visiting Weta Workshop on November 14, 2012
Pope Francis
In 2008, Pope Francis, back then known as Cardinal Bergolio of Buenos Aires, used Bilbo and Frodo to illustrate themes such as “drama of choice”. Moreover, The journeys of Frodo and Bilbo were compared to those of Aeneas, Odysseus and Biblical characters such as Abraham and the Israelites in the wilderness. You can read his sermon in its original language over here.
Árpád Göncz
Former president of Hungary once stated that The Lord of the Rings “serves as a positive role model in our dehumanized world as well as an exciting lecture […] it helped transform our world into one smiling global village”. During the 1980s, Göncz translated The Lord of the Rings and Farmer Giles of Ham to Hungarian. Over the years, Göncz expressed his enthusiasm for Tolkien repeatedly. In 1992, he submitted a statement of appreciation to the Centenary Conference 1992.
Led Zeppelin
It is no secret that members of the English rock band are fans of Tolkien. During their successful carreer, several songs (“The Battle of Evermore”, “Misty Mountain Hop”, “No Quarter”, “Ramble On” and “Over the Hills and Far Away”) had Tolkien inspired lyrics. Apparently, lead vocalist Robert Plant named one of his dogs Strider.
More Tolkien inspired songs can be found here.
The Beatles
Another English rock band with a love for Tolkien was The Beatles. In fact, The Beatles desired for their own The Lord of the Rings adaptation in the 1960’s. The idea was that John Lennon would play Gollum, Paul McCartney would personate Frodo, George Harrison would be Gandalf and Ringo Starr would play Sam. The director was also chosen already. The film was to be directed by no other than Stanley Kubrick. However, during that time, J.R.R. Tolkien himself rejected the idea and refused to sell the film rights of LOTR to The Beatles.
Every time another celebrity declares his or her love for Tolkien, I feel strangely excited and proud. Proud to know that there are many people out there sharing my passion. While this is by no means a complete list of famous Tolkien fans, it is a good reminder for everyone to realize you’re not as alone as you think you are.
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