Stephen Colbert is one of the few people who can unironically say “My Sindarin is not what it should be” to Liv Tyler of Lord of the Rings fame.
There are some things said aloud in fandom that might weird out non-fans. Sometimes, a fan doesn’t quite know what the line between “passionate” and “needs more hobbies” is. And sometimes, a fan doesn’t care, particularly when presented with an actor from the series. Stephen Colbert is a special case of that latter.
As io9 even notes, he’s probably the most prominent representation of the Lord of the Rings fandom still out there, proudly waving his flag and nervously asking Liv Tyler if she’ll let him be Frodo while she tells imaginary Ringwraiths, “If you want him, come and claim him” while holding the blade she used as Arwen aloft.
All these years after the first film debuted, he still remembers the lines; he still knows exactly what she’s going to say, and the delight plays across his face the entire time this is all happening. But after all, that scene is pretty legendary, not just for the lines, but for the effects.
Remember, this movie came out in 2001:
It might just be the most high-profile fandom moment we’ve seen all year, and as FanSided looks for positive moments to show how strong a fandom really is for its Fandom 250 ranking of the world’s top fanbases, this should give Lord of the Rings a little bit of a boost. After all, do you hear that audience cheering for Colbert?
Also, do you hear that slight pride as Colbert mentions that one of the Sting swords — Frodo’s main weapon throughout the trilogy — is in his possession? That’s the mark of a fan who’s spent a very long time building his passion.
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Props to Tyler, though, for still remembering every bit of the Sindarin lines.