Four Hobbits, One Expo and an Editorial Frenzy – Taylen Carver

This week, I’m letting my daytime side-gig as a magazine editor bleed over into my life as Taylen Carver.

That’s because yesterday, I got a press release announcing that the four hobbits from Peter Jackson’s Lord of the Rings trilogy are reuniting next month at the Fan Expo in Edmonton. Cue dramatic tapping of notebook, followed by me scrambling off to apply for media credentials and request an interview with one of them. If that golden ticket comes through—which, spoiler alert, I’m crossing all hope-laden fingers over—I’ll keep you posted.

But for now, let me indulge my inner fangirl (and yours) in pondering: If I could sit down with one of the four hobbits, who would I pick… and why?

The Fellowship’s Shortest but Mightiest

Here’s the line-up, for reference:

Frodo Baggins, played by Elijah Wood
Samwise “Sam” Gamgee, played by Sean Astin
Peregrin “Pippin” Took, played by Billy Boyd
Meriadoc “Merry” Brandybuck, played by Dominic Monaghan

Quick Highlights from Their Journeys since Middle-earth

Elijah Wood as Frodo

Cast from an audition tape he filmed himself—running barefoot through the woods in homemade hobbit attire, no less.
Awards? A couple Saturns, a SAG ensemble win, and more than one “young” something-or-other back in the day.
Since Frodo: he’s voiced animated characters, starred in indie horror, DJ’ed globally, and co-founded SpectreVision, a production company for boundary-pushing films.
He’s also been refreshingly candid about the trilogy’s long-term impact—yes, it made billions, but no, the actors didn’t exactly walk away with gold-plated villas.

Sean Astin as Samwise

Widely considered the emotional anchor of the films. He scooped up a slew of awards for Return of the King, including a Saturn, a Seattle Film Critics award, and a Visual Effects Society nod.
He also wrote and directed a short film during the LOTR shoot, and later published a memoir about his experience on the trilogy.
More recently, he’s done a bit of everything—TV, film, voice work, political activism, and convention appearances galore.

Billy Boyd as Pippin

Don’t let the comic relief fool you—Boyd wrote and performed “The Edge of Night” in Return of the King, and sang the credits song for The Hobbit: The Battle of the Five Armies.
He’s popped up in TV (most recently in Washington Black) and fantasy films (Warlord, anyone?), and does theater work when the mood strikes.
And he co-hosts The Friendship Onion podcast with Dominic Monaghan, which is exactly as charming and chaotic as it sounds.

Dominic Monaghan as Merry

After Middle-earth, he broke hearts as Charlie Pace on Lost, then roamed the globe hosting Wild Things with Dominic Monaghan.
He recently voiced a character in The War of the Rohirrim and shared a stage with Boyd in Rosencrantz and Guildenstern Are Dead.
Bonus trivia: He’s a wildlife enthusiast who once had a spider species named after him. Naturally.

So—Whom Would I Interview? And Why?

If I had the chance to sit down with just one of the four hobbits? Sean Astin would be my pick, hands down.

Why? Because Samwise Gamgee’s arc in the films is one of the most emotionally resonant in the entire trilogy—and Sean Astin nailed it. In Tolkien’s books, Sam’s loyalty and quiet courage are a steady presence, but the films took those qualities and slowly, beautifully built them into a fully realized hero’s journey. Frodo might carry the Ring, but Sam carries the story’s heart—and its moral backbone.

I’d love to ask Astin how he approached that evolution on screen. How did he tap into that steadfastness, that dogged optimism in the face of despair? How did he see Sam’s relationship with Frodo evolving as the stakes got darker and heavier? And was he aware, even while filming, that he was becoming the emotional favorite of a million fans?

Plus, there’s the man himself. Astin’s a working actor who’s directed short films, written a memoir about Lord of the Rings, and stayed deeply connected to the fan community without losing his footing in the wider world. He’s thoughtful, articulate, and has that blend of humility and gravitas that makes interviews sing.

(Billy Boyd would be my second choice—because anyone who can sing in Elvish, slay a one-liner, and host a podcast named The Friendship Onion clearly knows how to hold a conversation.)

___

Now it’s your turn: If you could interview one of the four hobbits, who would you pick—and why? Would you go for the emotional weight of Sam, the legacy of Frodo, the wild spark of Pippin, or Merry’s quiet mischief? Drop your pick in the comments—I’m genuinely curious!