Talk about an odd pairing.
Stephen Colbert and J.R.R. Tolkien may not seem like a natural fit to…well, just about anybody, but the Comedy Central funnyman nevertheless revealed in a recent Playboy interview (via Empire) that he not only visited the New Zealand set of Peter Jackson’s three-part “Hobbit” adaptation last year but may actually have shot a cameo for the film.
“Could be,” replied the comedian when asked whether we might actually see him on-screen. And…well, that’s about as far as they got.
So is he joking? Maybe, maybe not (though given the distracting potential of such a stunt, it’s hard to imagine Jackson actually making Colbert a recognizable presence on the screen). Still, the “Colbert Report” host – a bona fide Tolkien die-hard – did confirm that he was given an in-depth behind-the-scenes look at the production during his visit.
“I flew out and watched them shoot some scenes and went to some locations,” said Colbert. “I saw a 25-minute cut, and it was amazing. Jackson knows I”m a big fan of the films.”
In more concrete “Hobbit” news, prolific character actor Jim Beaver (“Supernatural,” “Deadwood”) announced via Twitter on Sunday that he recently shot a cameo appearance of his own for the trilogy, stating: “Wonderful time in New Zealand. Got invited to do a cameo in The Hobbit. Wait till you see my makeup! Hope you recognize me. Way fun!”
Now that’s what we call confirmation.
How would you feel about seeing Colbert in “The Hobbit”? Sound off below.
“The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey” hits theaters on December 13.