Xenite.Org News

Robyn Malcolm, "Shortland Street" actress, cast in LOTR films - Lord of the Rings news - J.R.R. Tolkien's The Lord of the Rings

June 12, 2000 at 05:06:16

TheOneRing.Net and Tolkien Online are reporting that Robyn Malcolm, best known as Nurse Ellen Crozier on New Zealand's "Shortland Street", has been cast in a small role in Peter Jackson's "The Lord of the Rings". Here is what we know about her and the role she's playing in the films.

"Shortland Street" is a daily drama (soap opera) filmed in New Zealand about a hospital. The show has been broadcast in a few markets outside New Zealand, but it's gotten a great deal of publicity through the fact that many of the actors who have appeared on the syndicated television series "Hercules: The Legendary Journeys" and "Xena: Warrior Princess" were "Shortland Street" alumni.

The Hercules and Xena series are filmed by Pacific Renaissance Pictures in Auckland, New Zealand on a tract of 70 acres of land. "Hercules: The Legendary Journeys" is no longer in production (its star, Kevin Sorbo, is currently working on "Gene Roddenberry's Andromeda" in Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada) but two new series, "Cleopatra 2525" and "Jack of All Trades", have taken its place in the StudiosUSA syndication action hour slot that is distributed with "Xena: Warrior Princess".

Malcolm, 32, performed in New Zealand theater for 7 years before winning the role of Helen on "Shortland Street". Her fame in the Pacific region preceded her in 1996 during a visit to Fiji, which recently was upset by a military coup. A small bit of irony in Malcolm's life developed during a trip to the United Kingdom in 1998 when she got lost. Asking for help from a local, she found she was on Shortland Street.

"Shortland Street" is widely credited with reviving New Zealand's acting industry and many of its stars and guests have made appearances on other shows. Other "Shortland Street" actors who have been selected to appear in Peter Jackson's "Lord of the Rings" productions include Marton Csokas (Celeborn), Craig Parker (Haldir the March-warden of Lorien), John Leigh (Hama), and Karl Urban (Eomer).

Tolkien fans who are curious about what other actors may appear in the films should review Xenastreet, a fan Web site which documents the connections between the various television productions. Another old series to keep an eye out for is "Marlin Bay", which also produced a few alumni who eventually appeared on "Hercules" and "Xena", including a then little-known actress named Lucy Lawless.

In a recent interview Robyn described her small part in the movie as a "village Celtic woman" or "female village elder" who interacts with Arwen (Liv Tyler). Robyn is a natural blonde and it seems likely she was cast as a woman of Rohan but it's also possible that she may play a Dunlending woman. It doesn't seem likely she is a woman of Gondor.