Jamie Dornan Admits He ‘Cried’ When He Was Cast as Aragorn in ‘Lord of the Rings: Hunt for Gollum’ and Says Filming Was ‘Incredible’: ‘Hopefully We’ve Done a Good Job’

Jamie Dornan, who is set to star as Aragorn in “Lord of the Rings: The Hunt for Gollum,” is getting candid about what it means to step into the role originated by Viggo Mortensen for the forthcoming installment of the beloved franchise.

“I cried. I actually cried,” Dornan told Entertainment Tonight when asked how he reacted to the news of his casting. “It’s like a dream. It’s an absolute dream and an honor to be entering that world in any capacity, let alone playing a character of such significance and such admiration, and that we all love and love what Viggo did with that role in those three films.”

He continued, noting that filming “The Hunt for Gollum” was “incredible.” “[I’m] incredibly honored and had a brilliant time. I finished like three weeks ago. It was an incredible experience, and I hope people welcome our story into that world because a lot of people care about it, and I really realize that. But yeah, hopefully we’ve done a good job of it.”

Last month, Dornan admitted during an interview with L’Officiel that while there is “pressure” on him to live up to Mortensen’s take on the character, there’s no part of him that is “trying to outdo him.” “I’ve been asked to play a super iconic role, and I’ll do my best. But for me, Aragorn will always be just Viggo. His performance is one of my all-time favorites, and I feel honored to try to recapture at least some of the energy he originally brought to the character,” he said.

Andy Serkis, who provided the voice and motion capture for the CGI hobbit in Peter Jackson’s original trilogy, directed the film, which is set to open in theaters Dec. 17, 2027. The ensemble also sees the return of Ian McKellen (as Gandalf), Elijah Wood (Frodo) and Lee Pace (King Thranduil), in addition to new cast members Kate Winslet (Marigol), Leo Woodall (Halvard) and Anya Taylor-Joy as an elf.