I remember not thinking too highly of Liv Tyler as an actress, but she then started to change my mind. The first movie she impressed me was "Onegin" and then, of course, in the LoTR's especially the scenes in ROTK.

Does everybody remember Bernard Hill (king Theoden) in another blockbuster..(titanic) he was also in Masterpiece Theatre's version of Great Expectations with Ioan Gruffudd and Justine Waddell(who you may know was considered for the part of Arwen).

I think the casting was perfect for Elrond, Aragorn, Eowyn (especially because Miranda Otto wasn't terribly famous), Saruman, and of course! VIGGITO!