Calling All Hobbits

An advertisement in Wellington’s Dominion Post has called for diminutive actors to audition for the parts of Middle Earth hobbits in Peter Jackson’s prequel to the Oscar-winning Lord of the Rings trilogy. Roles for men between 123cm and 158cm and women up to 152cm are being offered. The roles are as “scale doubles” for actors with speaking parts. Scale doubles are used in crowd scenes and long shots in order to make a contrast with taller “human” characters. A spokesman for Jackson’s company, WingNut Films insisted the film-makers were continuing with their plans despite not having an official green light to begin. “We do need to be prepared in the event that we get one,” he said. “That means having a little look around Wellington for scale doubles.”