One Lord of the Rings star was convinced the trilogy would fail

The Lord of the Rings trilogy is one of the most commercially and critically successful series of movies in history.

The Fellowship of the Ring, The Two Towers and The Return of the King grossed a combined $2.9 billion and the franchise accumulated 17 Academy Awards, including Best Picture for Return of the King.

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However, John Rhys-Davies, who played Gimli, had major reservations about the success of the first movie, as well as the prowess of rookie director Peter Jackson.

"I went with duplicity in my heart, to be honest with you," he told the Inside of You with Michael Rosenbaum podcast

"When I heard they were making Lord of the Rings. I said, 'Oh yeah, good luck.'

"And who's making it? Peter Jackson, he's done one or two wonderful small movies. But let's face it, if you've got a cast of four and six weeks, anyone can direct a movie, and sadly do. But has he any idea of what he's really getting himself in for?

"I did hear they were doing it, and I got asked to do something on tape. And I thought, Lord of the Rings, this is going to be a complete cluster whatever it is.

"I thought, never mind, I haven't been to New Zealand, go there, take part for a month, look around and walk away. Because this is never going to happen. He (Jackson) has no idea what happens when you make a big movie, and you know I've done some big ones..."

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The Lord of the Rings: The Fellowship of the Ring (2001)

An ancient, powerful ring falls into the hands of innocent young Hobbit, Frodo (Elijah Wood). When the wizard Gandalf (Ian McKellen) discovers that this ring is actually the One Ring that the evil Sauron is looking for, Frodo sets out with Gandalf, a Dwarf, an Elf, two Humans and three other Hobbits on a grand adventure to destroy it.

Directed by: Peter Jackson
Stars: Elijah Wood, Ian McKellen and Viggo Mortensen

Gimli's prosthetics

Out of the characters in The Fellowship of the Ring, Gimli required the most prosthetics which meant hours in the makeup chair for Davies.

"When they came back and said we want you for Gimli, I thought what the hell. I've spent 30 years trying to be recognised, what the heck? Why would I want to put myself in a prosthetic like that and why would I want to spend five or six hours a day in makeup?" the actor recalled.

"More than that, who wants to spend three years in New Zealand, in a film that actually comes out in part one, fails and the other two go direct to video or something like that?"