Every Peter Jackson Middle-Earth Movie Cameo, Ranked
Julio is a Senior Author for Collider. He studied History and International Relations at university, but found his calling in cultural journalism. When he isn't writing, Julio also teaches English at a nearby school. He has lived in São Paulo most of his life, where he covers CCXP and other big events. Having loved movies, music, and TV from an early age, he prides himself in knowing every minute detail about the things he loves. When he is older, he dreams of owning a movie theater in a small countryside town.
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There are few movies that have been rewatched as much as The Lord of the Rings trilogy, and for different reasons. Sometimes, we do it because of the sheer sense of wonder, as these movies still manage to deliver us new things and details even decades after they came out. Other times, it's because we have watched them so much already, we know exactly what to expect from every frame. One of the best things about this second approach is the familiar faces wandering around Middle-earth, including director Peter Jackson himself. Every fan knows exactly when he shows up in both The Lord of the Rings and The Hobbit trilogies, but that's not all there is to his cameos.
Jackson is notorious for showing up in his own movies, having cameos in every single one of them, from Braindead to King Kong. He also likes to put people he likes and respects in them, like his own children, who also show up in every The Lord of the Rings movie. His own cameos, however, are the most recognizable and impactful, with some of the characters he appears in going on to become fan favorites and even memes among the fandom. Identifying them is no problem for fans, so here is every Peter Jackson Middle-earth cameo ranked according to their impact on both the story and the fandom.
6 Bungo Baggins
'The Hobbit: The Battle of the Five Armies'
Peter Jackson's cameo in The Hobbit: The Battle of the Five Armies has to be ranked last for a simple reason: he doesn't appear in person. Still, it's one of the most beautiful and meaningful appearances he makes in all of his Middle-earth movies. It happens when Bilbo Baggins (Martin Freeman) finally arrives in the Shire and reclaims Bag End from the Sackville-Bagginses. Seeing his home wrecked, he finds the portraits of his parents, Bungo Baggins and Belladonna Took, and hangs them on the wall next to each other.
It might not look like it at first, but Bungo's portrait is made in Peter Jackson's likeness. We are used to seeing him with his signature look comprising glasses, unkempt hair, and graying black beard, but, this time, Jackson appears clean-shaven and with his hair neatly combed. What makes this cameo particularly special, however, is that he isn't alone, as Belladonna is portrayed in the likeness of his wife and writing partner, Fran Walsh. So, this might be ranked last among Jackson's cameos, but it's definitely the most wholesome.
5 Albert Dreary, Sr.
'The Hobbit: The Desolation of Smaug'
Only two of Peter Jackson's cameos are named characters (remember: Bungo Baggins doesn't count), and, curiously enough, they both have the same name and are father and son. In The Hobbit: The Desolation of Smaug, he appears briefly as a suspicious individual munching on a carrot by the gates of Bree on a dark rainy night. Although never mentioned on screen, this man's name is Albert Dreary, Sr., and he is completely original to the movies.
Mr. Dreary, Sr. crosses the street very quickly, but it's impossible to miss him, as his face is among the only things properly lit in that scene. This happens moments before Thorin Oakenshield (Richard Armitage) arrives in Bree during the movie's initial flashback sequence, and it's supposed to illustrate the kind of shady folk that wander the streets of the town at night. Shortly after, Thorin meets Gandalf (Ian McKellen) at the Prancing Pony inn, and the rest is history.
4 Fleeing Dwarf
'The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey'
The introduction of The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey brings viewers up to speed with everything that happens in Erebor and Dale, as well as how it affects the lands east of the Misty Mountains in Middle-earth. It was also the first time fans of The Lord of the Rings saw a Peter Jackson cameo in almost a decade. He plays one of the many Dwarves fleeing Erebor through the main gate after Smaug (Benedict Cumberbatch) strikes and claims the Lonely Mountain.
This is really a blink-and-you-miss-it type of cameo. Jackson is in full costume as a Dwarf, including prosthetics, heavy make-up, and more. There is also quite a lot going on. For example, right behind him in the frame is Thorin Oakenshield himself, who naturally draws viewers' attention as he guides his fellow Dwarves out of the mountain and pleads for the Mirkwood Elves for help, only to be promptly ignored by their king, Thranduil (Lee Pace).
3 Rohirrim Warrior at Helm's Deep
'The Lord of the Rings: The Two Towers'
Everyone agrees the Battle of Helm's Deep in The Lord of the Rings: The Two Towers is one of the best battle sequences in modern cinema, and for good reason. The scale, the setting, the action choreography, the constant twists... And Peter Jackson's cameo, of course. In another uber-quick participation, he plays a Rohirrim warrior who throws a spear at an Uruk-Hai from atop the Deeping Wall. It's difficult to even notice it's him, since he is clad in chain mail and armor. And he is a good shot, too, because he actually hits his target down below.
Of course, there is so much happening during the battle, that it's hard to notice that Jackson is even there, but him playing a Rohirrim is a great choice. They are the famous riders of Rohan, whom Aragorn (Viggo Mortensen), Legolas (Orlando Bloom), and Gimli (John Rhys-Davies) meet at the beginning of the film. Although most of them had been exiled by Théoden King (Bernard Hill) earlier, some warriors seem to have remained at Edoras and traveled to Helm's Deep with the court.
2 Albert Dreary
'The Lord of the Rings: The Fellowship of the Ring'
We have already seen the father, and now comes the son. Peter Jackson's first-ever Middle-earth cameo came in The Lord of the Rings: The Fellowship of the Ring, with a character named Albert Dreary. He is the son of Albert Dreary, Sr., who shows up in The Desolation of Smaug, and clearly takes after him, as both like walking around Bree on rainy nights munching carrots. Dreary is seen just as Frodo (Elijah Wood), Sam (Sean Astin), Merry (Dominic Monaghan), and Pippin (Billy Boyd) arrive in the town fleeing the Nazgûl.
With their cameos, the Dreary boys become some of the very few characters in Bree who are actually named. In the books, the only two other notable people from Bree are Barliman Butterbur (David Weatherley), who owns the Prancing Pony, and the unscrupulous Bill Ferny, who sells Sam his horse, the brave and loyal Bill the Pony. Ferny also shows up very quickly in The Fellowship of the Ring, as does his father, Bill Ferny, Sr. (Dallas Barnett), in The Desolation of Smaug, too.
1 Lieutenant of the Corsairs of Umbar
'The Lord of the Rings: The Return of the King'
They might each have their own special thing to them, but Peter Jackson's undeniable best cameo in his Middle-earth movies is in The Lord of the Rings: The Return of the King. He plays a lieutenant of the Corsairs of Umbar loyal to Sauron and is seen aboard one of the Black Ships that sail up the Anduin river. In the extended edition, these ships are intercepted by Aragorn, Legolas, and Gimli, though, who then use the fleet to carry the Army of the Dead to aid in the Battle of the Pelennor Fields, and Jackson's character is struck down by one of Legolas' arrows.
What makes this scene particularly special isn't only Jackson's cameo, though. Sure, it's the one where he gets to flex his acting muscles the most, but he isn't the only member of the movie's production team to show up. Cinematographer Andrew Lesnie, Wētā Workshop creator Richard Taylor, producer Rick Porras, and Wētā prosthetics supervisor Gino Acevedo also appear in the background as Corsairs, too. The make-up and costumes were so good, that Taylor's own wife didn't recognize him at first, even. So, it was a real field day for the crew, as well as Jackson's most dramatic and slapstick cameo.
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