Elijah Wood facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Elijah Wood
Wood in May 2019
Born	Elijah Jordan Wood (1981-01-28) January 28, 1981 (age 44) Cedar Rapids, Iowa, U.S.
Occupation	Actor Film producer
Years active	1989–present
Known for	Frodo Baggins in The Lord of the Rings
Partner(s)	Mette-Marie Kongsved
Children	2
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Elijah Jordan Wood (born January 28, 1981) is an American actor and producer. He started acting at a young age. He became famous for playing Frodo Baggins in The Lord of the Rings movies. These films are based on the classic fantasy books by J. R. R. Tolkien.

Elijah Wood has also lent his voice to many animated characters. He voiced Mumble in the Happy Feet movies. He was also the voice of Spyro the Dragon in a video game series. On TV, he starred in the comedy series Wilfred. He also appeared in Dirk Gently's Holistic Detective Agency. Besides acting, Wood has started a record label and a film production company. He also works as a disc jockey with his friend Zach Cowie.

Early life

Elijah Wood was born in Cedar Rapids, Iowa, on January 28, 1981. He is the second of three children. His parents, Debbie and Warren Wood, ran a deli. Elijah has an older brother, Zachariah, and a younger sister, Hannah.

When he was seven, he started modeling and taking piano lessons. In elementary school, he acted in school plays. These included The Sound of Music and The Wonderful Wizard of Oz. In 1989, his family moved to Los Angeles. This move helped Elijah pursue his acting dreams. His parents later divorced when he was 15.

Career

Early roles (1988–1999)

Elijah Wood began his career by modeling and appearing in local commercials. His first appearance was in a music video for Paula Abdul. This was followed by a small role in the movie Back to the Future Part II (1989). He played a boy who teases Marty McFly about an arcade game.

In 1990, he got an important role in the film Avalon. This movie was praised by critics. He then appeared in Paradise (1991). In 1992, he co-starred with Mel Gibson in Forever Young. He also appeared in Radio Flyer.

In 1993, Wood played Huckleberry Finn in a Disney movie. He also starred with Macaulay Culkin in the thriller The Good Son. The next year, he was in The War with Kevin Costner. Critics especially praised Wood's acting in this film. One reviewer called him "the most talented actor" of his age.

He played the main role in North (1994) with Bruce Willis. He also appeared in a Super Bowl commercial. In 1996, he starred in Flipper. He also co-starred in The Ice Storm, which was highly praised. In 1998, he had a big role in the sci-fi movie Deep Impact. He also starred in The Faculty, directed by Robert Rodriguez.

The Lord of the Rings (1999–2003)

Elijah Wood became world-famous for playing Frodo Baggins in Peter Jackson's The Lord of the Rings film trilogy. He was the first actor chosen for the movies. The trilogy was filmed in New Zealand. The main filming took over a year.

The first movie, The Lord of the Rings: The Fellowship of the Ring, came out in 2001. In 2002, the second part, The Lord of the Rings: The Two Towers, was released. The final movie, The Lord of the Rings: The Return of the King, came out in December 2003. After filming, Peter Jackson gave Wood special gifts. These included one of the One Ring props and Frodo's sword, Sting. He also received a pair of the special "hobbit feet" worn during filming.

Later films and TV (2004–present)

After The Lord of the Rings, Elijah Wood continued to act in many different films. In 2004, he was in Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind. He then played Kevin in Sin City (2005).

In 2005, Wood starred in Everything Is Illuminated. He played a young man searching for the woman who saved his grandfather during World War II. He also starred in Green Street, playing an American student who joins a British football group.

Wood provided the voice of Mumble, a tap-dancing penguin, in the animated movie Happy Feet (2006). This movie was a big success and won an Academy Award. He voiced Mumble again in the sequel, Happy Feet Two (2011). In 2006, he was also in the movie Bobby. He played a character who marries to avoid being drafted for the Vietnam War.

He has also voiced characters in video games. He was the voice of Spyro the Dragon in The Legend of Spyro game series (2006–2008). In 2009, he voiced the main character in the animated film 9.

Wood's first main TV role was in the series Wilfred (2011–2014). He played Ryan Newman, a young man who becomes friends with his neighbor's dog, Wilfred. In 2011, he returned as Frodo Baggins for a short appearance in The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey.

In 2012, he starred in the horror film Maniac. Most of this movie was filmed from his character's point of view. He also voiced Shay in the adventure game Broken Age. In 2014, he voiced Wirt in the animated miniseries Over the Garden Wall. This series won an Primetime Emmy Award. More recently, he starred in The Last Witch Hunter (2015) and The Trust (2016). He also starred in I Don't Feel at Home in This World Anymore (2017), which won an award at Sundance.

From 2016 to 2017, Wood co-starred in the TV series Dirk Gently's Holistic Detective Agency. In 2019, he starred in the thriller Come to Daddy. He also starred in and helped produce the 2021 film No Man of God. In 2023, he played a main role in the superhero comedy horror movie The Toxic Avenger.

Other work

Music and production

Elijah Wood has appeared in several music videos. These include "Ridiculous Thoughts" by The Cranberries and "Make Some Noise" by the Beastie Boys.

He is also a well-known disc jockey. He and his friend Zach Cowie formed a duo called Wooden Wisdom. They have performed at events around the world.

In 2005, Wood started his own record label, Simian Records. In 2006, they signed the band The Apples in Stereo. Wood also directed their music video for "Energy" in 2007. In 2010, Wood co-founded a film production company called The Woodshed. It focuses on horror films. In 2013, the company was renamed SpectreVision.

Charity and causes

On April 25, 2009, Elijah Wood received the Midnight Award. This award recognized his great contributions to both independent and Hollywood movies.

In April 2010, Wood visited Curepto, a town in Chile. This town was badly hit by a large earthquake. He met with many victims and was joined by the First Lady of Chile, Cecilia Morel.

Wood has also supported various social causes. He participated in the Occupy Wall Street movement in 2011. He also supported Bernie Sanders during the 2016 presidential election.

Personal life

Elijah Wood and his partner, Mette-Marie Kongsved, have two children. They have a son, born in 2019, and a daughter, born in 2022.

Wood has a special tattoo. It is the Elvish word "nine" written in the Tengwar script. This tattoo is a reminder of his role as one of the nine members of the Fellowship of the Ring.

In May 2006, Autograph Collector Magazine listed him as one of the "10 Best Hollywood Autograph Signers."

Filmography and awards

Images for kids

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  Wood during his 2010 visit to Chile, with First Lady Cecilia Morel

See also

In Spanish: Elijah Wood para niños