Evangeline Lilly Wary of Playing Jackson-created Hobbit Character

For the record, Evangeline Lilly is very excited to be a part of "The Hobbit," the prequel to "Lord of the Rings." It’s just that she is a bit worried about how she’ll be received by Rings enthusiasts, who may be less than thrilled that Peter Jackson has taken it upon himself to create a new character that she’ll be playing. After all, to think that one can improve upon Tolkien’s masterpiece is hubris of the highest level. Still, if it means getting Lilly into the film, perhaps it’s not all bad. Lilly, who is most famous for playing Kate on "Lost," is also the type of person who appeals to the average "Ringer," as Lord of the Rings fans are often known.

Noted Lilly of her role and playing the created character, "I am scared. I am very scared. Be nice to me." She added, "My character is an invention of Peter Jackson and Fran Walsh. So, either fans are going to love her or absolutely despise and be bitter towards her because she’s not authentic. I believe she is authentic, because Tolkien refers to The Wooded Owls, he just doesn’t talk about who they are specifically. [Peter and Fran] know that world so well. They’re not going to create a character that is not true to Tolkien’s world."

So Ringers, there you have it. Lilly’s character is sort of created by Jackson but, in reality, is simply something that Tolkien himself mentioned and didn’t expand upon. Of course, Ringers can be a fickle lot when it comes to their favorite masterpiece, so it remains to be seen how Lilly will be received.