In offering a musical goodbye to Middle-earth, an epic journey spanning six films and well over a dozen years, “The Lord of the Rings” and “The Hobbit” filmmakers turned to Billy Boyd.
Best known to international audiences as Peregrin “Pippin” in “The Lord of the Rings” trilogy, Boyd portrayed the cheerful and perpetually hungry cousin of Frodo Baggins who accompanies him on a quest to destroy the One Ring.
Boyd will perform on Saturday, March 10, at 4 p.m. at the Rio Grande Theatre as part of the Las Cruces International Film Festival presented by New Mexico State University March 7-11. Boyd will talk about his role in “The Lord of the Rings” and his career. He will also appear at the LCIFF Awards Ceremony at 7 p.m. March 10 at the Rio Grande Theatre where he will receive the LCIFF Outstanding Achievement in Drama & Music Award.
A gifted actor and musician, Boyd previously wrote the melody and performed a song, entitled “The Edge of Night,” which was featured in “The Lord of the Rings: The Return of the King.” For the final chapter of the Middle-earth saga, Boyd co-wrote (with “The Hobbit” writer/producers Philippa Boyens and Fran Walsh) and sings a soft, uplifting acoustic ballad, “The Last Goodbye,” which plays over the end credits of the film.
A native of Glasgow, Scotland, Boyd first became involved in the performing arts as a teenager, trodding the boards with a local musical company. He earned a diploma in Dramatic Arts from the Royal Scottish Academy of Music and Drama and would go on to extend his talents into a variety of theatre, from modern roles to Shakespeare. In June 2012, he appeared in a staged live radio show as the voice of the guide in “Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy.” Today, Boyd serves as a patron of Scottish Youth Theatre as well as the National Boys’ Choir of Scotland.
His other feature film roles include those in Peter Weir’s epic historic sea drama “Master and Commander: The Far Side of the World,” the sci-fi drama “Glenn, the Flying Robot” and a recent starring role in “Dorothy and the Witches of Oz” as well as voice work as Glen, the satanic son of Chucky and Tiffany, in the horror film “Seed of Chucky.”
An avid fan of surfing, foil fencing and martial arts, Billy Boyd topped a 2002 list of the 100 Most Eligible Men in Scotland before becoming married to his wife, Alison McKinnon.
“We are excited to bring this multi-talented celebrity to the Las Cruces International Film Festival,” said film festival executive director Ross Marks, who is also an associate professor at NMSU’s Creative Media Institute. “He is sure to delight our attendees.”
Last year, more than 6,000 people attended the event, with about a third coming from outside the immediate area. Marks expects this year’s event to be the biggest yet.
Tickets are available at Visit Las Cruces at 211 N. Water Street or at LasCrucesFilmFest.com. For information call 575-646-6149. Hotel and ticket packages are also available.
Information from NMSU