Figwit

Figwit is a fan-derived name for an unnamed elf extra in Peter Jackson's "The Lord of the Rings" film trilogy, played by actor and musician Bret McKenzie of Flight of the Conchords and The Black Seeds fame. The name Figwit derives from an acronym for "Frodo is grea...who is THAT?!?", a phrase coined by fan Iris Hadad.

Background

Bret McKenzie, half of the musical comedy duo Flight of the Conchords and a Wellington native, first landed a small role as an extra in .cite web |url=http://featuresblogs.chicagotribune.com/entertainment_tv/2007/07/flight-of-the-c.html |title='Flight of the Conchords': Now with added 'Lord of the Rings' goodness |author=Ryan, Maureen |date=2007-07-14 |accessdate=2008-07-31 |publisher=Chicago Tribune |work=chicagotribune.com ] He appears sitting next to Aragorn during the council in Rivendell scene, when it is decided that the Ring must be destroyed, Frodo offers to take the Ring to Mordor, and Elrond proclaims the formation of the Fellowship of the Ring. The elf was dubbed "Figwit" by Tolkien fan Iris Hadad; after seeing Frodo agree to take the ring, saying "I will take it", the film switches to a shot where Figwit can be seen standing on the far right, and Hadad's initial reaction was "Frodo is grea...who is THAT?!?"cite web |url=http://www.figwitlives.net/faq.htm |title=FAQ |work=figwitlives.net |accessdate=2008-07-31 ] Later, Hadad corresponded with her university friend Sherry de Andres, and the two created the first Figwit fan website, www.figwitlives.net, calling him "Legolas for the thinking woman".cite web |url=http://www.usatoday.com/life/movies/news/2002-08-05-figwit_x.htm |author=Wloszczyna, Susan |title='Lord' of the extras: Elfin charmer nets fans |publisher=USA Today |work=usatoday.com |accessdate=2008-07-31 ] cite web |url=http://www.nypost.com/seven/06102007/entertainment/movies/kiwi_con_men_movies_sara_stewart.htm?page=2 |title=Kiwi Con Men |author=Steward, Sara |publisher=New York Post |work=nypost.com |date=2007-06-10 |accessdate=2008-07-31 ]

McKenzie appeared as Figwit again in the third film, , where he was credited as "Elf Escort". He appears in the scene where Arwen is leaving for the Grey Havens and has a vision of her future son, Eldarion, this time with two lines warning her to not delay and then exclaiming as she turns around. Director Peter Jackson stated in the DVD commentary for "The Return of the King" that Figwit was called back and given dialogue in the third film "just for fun for the fans" because "so much fuss has been made about him over the last couple of years".cite video |people=Peter Jackson (director), Fran Walsh (screenwriter, producer), Philippa Boyens (screenwriter) |date2=2004-12-14 |url=http://www.figwitlives.net/dvdcom.txt |title=The Lord of the Rings: The Return of the King: Special Extended DVD Edition |medium=Motion picture |publisher=New Line Home Entertainment |accessdate=2008-07-31 |time=scene 9 (with commentary) |isbn=0780646533 ]

Popularity

Though he only appeared for about three seconds in the first film, Figwit's popularity soon blossomed, with Hadad stating that " [the fan site] got a lot of emails from people who thought they were the only ones who had noticed that handsome, dark-haired elf".cite web |url=http://www.guardian.co.uk/film/2002/dec/13/lordoftherings.news |title='Figwit' steals Frodo's thunder |publisher=The Guardian |work=guardian.co.uk |date=2002-12-13 |accessdate=2008-07-31 ] Figwit's physical appearance and demeanor are the source of much of his popularity: he has been noted for his "lithe and graceful" movement,cite web |url=http://www.telegraph.co.uk/arts/main.jhtml?xml=/arts/2002/12/13/bfop13.xml |title= Elf who launched a thousand hits |publisher=The Daily Telegraph |work=telegraph.co.uk |date=2002-12-13 |accessdate=2008-07-31 ] "enigmatic broodiness", "haughty demeanor", and "pouty" looks. His fan website proclaims him "in a word, gorgeous. Or another, stunning... hypnotic... stupendous... captivating... take your pick."Howell, Peter. "Netting 15 Megabytes of fame". Toronto Star [Ontario edition] , (February 9, 2003). Page D4. Retrieved July 31, 2008, from Canadian Newsstand Major Dailies database. (Document ID: 421041841).]

McKenzie has stated that the Figwit obsession is "weird", though he is "flattered".cite web |url=http://news.bbc.co.uk/cbbcnews/hi/tv_film/newsid_1937000/1937745.stm |title=Nameless elf gets cult Rings status |date=2002-04-18 |accessdate=2008-07-31 |publisher=BBC |work=CBBC Newsround ] He has remarked that "it's so hilarious because it's been propelled by so little ... I'm famous for doing nothing."cite web |url=http://www.theage.com.au/articles/2003/01/10/1041990093364.html |title=The elf who turned into a chick magnet |date=2003-01-11 |author=Poole, Oliver |accessdate=2008-07-31 |publisher=The Age |work=theage.com.au ]

In other media

Figwit does not appear in Tolkien's writings and was created exclusively for the films; as such, there is little authentic information regarding him, save that he was an escort. The only "official" place where the name Figwit is used is on several Topps trading cards, including a "The Return of the King" series card, titled "Return to Rivendell", and an Authentic Autographs card featuring the signature of actor Bret McKenzie. [cite web |url=http://www.topps.com/Entertainment/ROTK/index.html |title=The Lord of the Rings: The Return of the King Movie Cards |publisher=Topps |accessdate=2008-07-31 ] In "The Lord of the Rings Trading Card Game" he was assigned the name of Aegnor, one of Galadriel's brothers in "The Silmarillion". A Figwit action figure was also created, though it was named "Elven Escort", as in the film. [cite web |url=http://www.lotr-models.co.uk/index106.html |title=The Lord of the Rings Collector's Models |publisher=lotr-models.co.uk |accessdate=2008-07-31 ]

Figwit has been a popular subject of poetry, art, discussion, filks. He is also a popular subject in slash fan fiction, where he is often named "Melpomaen", a rough, literal Elvish translation of "fig" and "wit", derived from "melpo", the Qenya word for fruit (fig), [cite book |title= Qenyaqetsa: The Qenya Phonology and Lexicon |last=Tolkien |first=J. R. R. |authorlink=J. R. R. Tolkien |year=1998 |publisher=Parma Eldalamberon No. 12 ] and "maen", the Noldorin word for clever or skilled. [cite book |title=A Gateway to Sindarin: A Grammar of an Elvish Language from J.R.R. Tolkien's Lord of the Rings |author=David Salo |publisher=University of Utah Press |year=2004 |page=319 |url=http://books.google.ca/books?id=4dsSn0QAmi0C&pg=PA304&lpg=PA304&dq=sindarin+maen&source=web&ots=SFVjxZ26KQ&sig=ePYS4MO8B8UTWHvFYnLzgyc0dE4&hl=en&sa=X&oi=book_result&resnum=7&ct=result#PPA319,M1 |isbn=0874808006 ]

Documentary

In 2004, a 57-minute documentary on the Figwit phenomenon was created by McKenzie's fiancée Hannah Clarke [cite web |url=http://www.nytimes.com/2007/06/17/fashion/17nite.html?ex=1339732800&en=220d6600cddffae0&ei=5124&partner=permalink&exprod=permalink |title=A Family in Harmony |author=Wolff, Zoë |publisher=The New York Times |work=nytimes.com |date=2007-06-17 |accessdate=2008-07-31 ] and friends Stan Alley and Nick Booth. Entitled "Frodo Is Great... Who Is That?!!", it premiered at the Auckland International Film Festival on July 23.cite web |url=http://www.nzherald.co.nz/section/6/story.cfm?c_id=6&objectid=3579940 |title=Worldwide fame not a figwit of elf's imagination |date=2004-07-23 |accessdate=2008-07-31 |author=Perry, Kate |publisher=The New Zealand Herald |work=nzherald.co.nz ] Meant to " [unravel] Bret's identity", it follows McKenzie to the Edinburgh Fringe Festival, where he meets the fans of his trademark pout and "elvish good looks", and features extensive interviews with fans behind various Figwit fan sites as well as with Peter Jackson, Barrie Osborne, Mark Ordesky, Ian McKellen, and other cast members. [cite web |url=http://www.theonering.net/torwp/2004/07/31/24645-another-figwit-doco-review-2/ |title=Another ‘Figwit’ Doco Review |date=2004-07-31 |accessdate=2008-07-31 |publisher= The One Ring |work=theonering.net ] Booth stated that their film was "much more irreverent and strange" compared to other behind-the-scenes documentaries of the film trilogy, which were "very much driven around the production and the cast and Tolkien".

References

External links

*imdb name|id=1235366|name=Bret McKenzie
*imdb title|0425993|Frodo is Great... Who Is That?!!
* [http://tyellas.livejournal.com/151944.html#cutid1 Review of "Frodo is Great... Who Is That?!!]
*Fan sites: [http://www.figwitlives.net/ Figwit Lives!] and [http://www.geocities.com/figwit_x/index.html Fans of Figwit]