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.
Billy Boyd will perform at the Las Cruces International Film Festival on Saturday, March 10 at 4 pm at the Rio Grande Theater, where he will talk about LORD OF THE RINGS and his career. He will also appear at the LCIFF Awards Ceremony 7 pm March 10th at the Rio Grande where he will receive the LCIFF Oustanding 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 Warner Bros. film.
In a joint statement, the filmmakers praised Boyd’s multifaceted talents: “’The Last Goodbye’ is both a farewell to Middle-earth and it is also our leave-taking of the audience. Billy is not just a wonderful actor but also an extremely accomplished singer/songwriter. We cannot imagine a more perfect voice to carry us away from the shores of Middle-earth, one last time.”
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 The 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.
Boyd launched his on-screen career in 1996, appearing in the popular Scottish detective TV program “Taggart,” followed by a role the British horror film Urban Ghost Story. He was soon cast as Pippin in The Lord of the Rings, becoming a mainstay in the films from 2001 to 2003. 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.
In the realm of music, Boyd is frontman for the Scottish band Beecake. The band has released two albums, 2010’s Soul Swimming (earning the band Best Live Act at the Tartan Clef Music Awards) and 2012’s Blue Sky Paradise, as well as two EPs, 2012’s Please Stay and 2013’s Just B. Boyd also lent his talents as a multi-instrumentalist guesting on Ring-leader Viggo Mortensen’s 2003 album Pandemoniumfromamerica, playing bass on two songs and drums on a third.
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. He is sure to delight our attendees!” said Ross Marks, Executive Director.
Tickets can be purchased at Visit Las Cruces 211 N. Water Street at the corner of Las Cruces Ave. or at LasCrucesFilmFest.com. For information call 574-646-6149. Hotel and ticket packages are also available.
