Dean O'Gorman on Dwarves and Beijing Comic Con
By Dominique Wong
Gamers, film-geeks and comic fans – get excited because the celebrated pop culture event Comic Con is visiting Beijing for the first time on June 9 and 10. Beijing Comic Con (BJCC) will feature the latest comic books, products, movies and TV shows, plus a host of activities including a Cosplay Competition and Artist Gallery. The list of guests includes dozens of big names from the world of comics, movies, TV and cosplay, including actor Dean O'Gorman. A man of many trades – he is also an artist and photographer – O'Gorman is perhaps best known internationally for his work as Fíli the dwarf in The Hobbit film trilogy. We caught up with the fun-loving kiwi ahead of his appearance as an entertainment guest at BJCC to talk fans, small hands and poker.
Hi Dean, big fan of yours from way back. You've acted in a number of pretty fan base-heavy projects. For example, I came across 'Dean O'Gorman fan fiction,' which was… interesting. What's the quirkiest gift you've ever received from a fan?
Once someone tattooed my signature on their arm. I've been lucky to receive many thoughtful gifts and presents from the fans – like paintings and sculptures. A lot of Vodka from the Russians and chocolate from Germany! Also, someone made a Fíli dog toy which my dog Batman very much appreciated.
What did the transformation from Dean to dwarf (Fíli) involve? Will we see you in costume at Beijing Comic Con?
We did a lot of things to prepare, including horse riding, archery, sword fighting and movement training. We also completed dialect training to give each dwarf their own sound and to distinguish different family groups of the dwarves. I won’t be in costume as it’s pretty heavy and to be honest I don't know where the costumes are kept these days... maybe at Weta Workshop..
What is the biggest misconception that people have about dwarves?
That the actors who play them are short! Richard Armitage and Graham McTavish for example are both over six feet in real life. People also think they're rowdy and loud but they can also be very sweet and loyal.
You've worked with some big names. Do you ever get star struck?
I was really excited to work with Peter Jackson, and it was an honor to watch Ian McKellen work. I recently worked with Bryan Cranston [in Trumbo] who I think is fantastic and I did get nervous...I tried to play it cool but I’m not sure if I fooled him. I’ve been lucky that the people I have worked with are very generous and kind people that very quickly put you at ease.
Apart from The Hobbit you’ve acted in many other fantasy series, including The Almighty Johnsons, Hercules and Xena. Are you drawn to mythology stories – or are they drawn to you?
It does seem that way but honestly it’s not a plan of mine. I just seem to find myself in a lot of fantasy projects. It is fun filming them, as it’s so different from real life. On a personal level I really like the works of Joseph Campbell so mythology has always fascinated me.
I remember a running joke on NZ television about your small hands. I have pretty small hands myself but I am five feet so I guess they are proportionate. Do you really have small hands?
Ha! You're just going to have to shake my hand and find out. That joke was from a friend of mine [NZ actor] Craig Parker – he and I have always had a running jokes about thumbs, and he thought he'd make the joke on national TV....
There are reports that Mount Doom aka Mount Ruapehu has recently been "heating up." Should we be concerned and do you have any advice for people who may be getting a bit excited about this?
I didn't know about this but I hope it’s not the Orcs coming to visit!
I see you are a keen photographer and recently had an exhibition of photos that reenacted scenes from the Vietnam War. Why the Vietnam War in particular and logistically was this quite a challenge?
The photo shoots of the Vietnam War, and more recently WWI, always take a lot of planning. It requires attention detail to make it right and that takes time. It’s similar to being on set as it's a lot of setup time to get it accurate, although for me it’s a different experience because I get to watch from behind the camera. Initially I chose the Vietnam War, as it was the first widely covered conflict and was a very divisive time. For the first time the war was experienced by people at home watching the news on their TV. It was a loss of innocence.
You recently travelled the length of NZ for Pork Pie, the upcoming remake of the kiwi classic Goodbye Pork Pie. What was your favorite stop and why?
We had such an intense shooting schedule on Pork Pie so unfortunately we didn’t get to spend a lot of time at each location. We drove from the tip of the South Island to the bottom in just over two weeks – which is a lot of driving and shooting. I do though have a soft spot for Roxburgh – it’s a population of only a few hundred – but the locals were really welcoming and we spent a great Friday night playing poker. Invercargill has great bluff oysters, which I’m a big fan of.
Have you ever been to China and what are you most looking forward to?
I’ve never been to China before so I'm really excited to go. I have no idea what to expect but I’m looking forward to meeting fans from a different part of the world and want to hear their recommendations of what to do!
What can people expect to see at Beijing Comic Con?
I love meeting fans and I'm always up for a good time. I love the panels because it's a good chance to connect with people and talk about my experiences. And I’m always up for a good time!
[Images via We Got This Covered and Ace Show Biz]
Check out O'Gorman's photography by clicking "Read more" below or catch the actor himself at Beijing Comic Con.