Orcs are commonplace villains in the fantasy world and in Tolkein's Mythology the race of sentient beings are associated with the forces of dark and evil. InThe Hobbit and The Lord of the Rings writings, these monstrous humanoids are cruel, blood-thirsty and destructive and are always the primary obstacle to progress in Middle Earth.
Yet as repulsive as they are in the movies, have you ever wondered what the people who portray them look like behind the mask?
For your viewing pleasure, I have exposed some of the men who bring the Orcs of Middle Earth to life:
Lawrence Makoare as Lurtz
Who? Lurtz was the first leader of the Uruk-hai Scouts. In The Fellowship of the Ring, he kills Boromir and is then slain by Aragorn as revenge.
Fun Fact: Considering Lawrence Makoare's size, he did not have to wear the same amount of bulky padding and clothing as the other Uruk-hai actors.
Jed Brophy as Snaga
Who? Snaga is an Orc scout that meets Uglúk's group in The Two Towers.
Fun Fact: Jed Brophy's children, Sadwyn and Riley, also appeared in the films. His son appeared as Eldarion, whose parents were Arwen and Elessar.
Stephen Ure as Grishnákh
Who? Grishnákh was the orc captain of a group of Mordor Orcs that joined Saruman's Urak-hai troops, who had captured Merry and Pippin, on the plains of Rohan.
Fun Fact: Stephen Ure is an Australian actor who also played Gorbag in The Return of the King. Interestingly, both Orcs that he played were attempting to kill a hobbit before being struck down.
Nathaniel Lees as Uglúk
Who? Uglúk was the leader of the Uruk-hai scouts after Lurtz's death. His group were the ones who captured Merry and Pippin at Amon Hen and were on their way to Isengard.
Fun Fact: The New Zealand actor is of Samoan descent and is best known for his roles in The Matrix and The Two Towers.
Manu Bennett as Azog
Who? Azog the Defiler is more prominent in The Hobbit installments. He was an Orc chieftain who lived in Moria during the late Third Age, becoming the leader of the Goblins of Moria and initiating the War of the Dwarves and Orcs by beheading King Thrór.
Fun Fact: When asked how he approached his character after being cast, he said:
"The night I was cast, I went out and bought The Empire Strikes Back and Jaws. My goals were to get a voice as sinister as Darth Vader and the menacing physicality of the shark. It's so easy to take these big beasts - these ferocious characters - and cook them at ten the whole time. But I wanted to have this circling, steady presence that would suddenly attack randomly."
And now... no Orc story would be complete without the epic fan made Orc Dance (featuring Legolas of course!)
Absolutely bizarre but strangely brilliant..?
'The Lord of the Rings' Orcs Unmasked: The Actors Behind The Terrifying Exterior
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