Peter Jackson's 2001 film The Lord of the Rings: The Fellowship of the Ring kicked off the film adaptations of Tolkien's legendary book. The Fellowship was an incredibly influential film. It was visually stunning, having been filmed entirely in Jackson's native New Zealand. The soundtrack and the casting are phenomenal and the film received mostly positive reviews.

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Of course, it is nearly impossible for a film adaptation of a book to be completely perfect and satisfactory for everyone. Certain characters and scenes have to be cut for time's sake and for clarity, and The Fellowship is no exception. Some characters just don't need a ton of screen time and the five actors with the most screen time were well selected and do an excellent job of carrying the story.

Note: For the purposes of this article we will be discussing the Theatrical Version, not the Extended Edition 

Least: Rosie Cotton

Sam and Rosie Return of the King

Rosie Cotton is Samwise Gamgee’s love interest, but she has only a few seconds of screen time in The Fellowship. She is seen dancing at Bilbo’s party and Frodo urges Sam, “ask Rosie for a dance” and pushes him toward her. It would have been nice to see a little more of Rosie and Sam’s relationship, but maybe there just wasn’t enough time in The Fellowship.

Most: Merry and Pippin

Merry and Pippin together in Lord Of The Rings

Although their screen times certainly vary in the later two films, in The Fellowship Merry and Pippin are pretty much inseparable, so we've included them as one entry. The pair have quite a bit of screen time, accompanying Frodo all the way from the Shire to Rivendell.

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They then volunteer to help Frodo take the Ring to Mordor, and they are with the Fellowship until they are kidnapped by Orcs in one of the final scenes of the film.

Least: Sauron

Sauron in Lord of the Rings

Considering Sauron is the central antagonist of The Lord of the Rings, it’s surprising that he has so little screen time in The Fellowship. In fact, Sauron mostly acts through his henchmen (Orcs and other nefarious creatures)  throughout the film. He is, however, briefly shown in the prologue, which describes his rise to power and loss of the Ring to Isildur.

Most: Aragorn

Aragorn - Lord of the Rings

Aragorn is introduced much earlier in the film than Legolas, Gimli, and Boromir so he has quite a bit more screen time in The Fellowship. Also known as Strider, Aragorn finds Frodo and the other Hobbits at a pub in Bree and helps them to get away from the Ringwraiths. He protects the Hobbits until they can reach Rivendell and then joins the Fellowship to protect Frodo while he takes the Ring to Mordor.

Least: Harry Goatleaf

Harry Goatleaf lotr the fellowship of the ring

Harry Goatleaf might be more well known as the Gatekeeper of Bree, who lets Frodo and the other Hobbits into the town. Played by Martyn Sanderson, he has only a few lines with the Hobbits and then is tragically trampled when the Ring Wraiths break down the Gate a few scenes later.

Most: Sam

Sean Astin as Samwise Gamgee standing in front of a corn field in Lord of the Rings: The Fellowship of the Ring.

As Frodo's faithful best friend, Sam rarely leaves his side. This, of course, means that Sam has a lot of screen time. From the very beginning, Sam accompanies Frodo as he flees the Shire to keep the Ring safe. And when Frodo volunteers to go to Mordor, of course, Sam is right behind him. Sam is a beloved character and his devotion to his friend is touching in The Fellowship. When Frodo declares that he is going to Mordor alone, Sam yells, "Of course you are! And I'm coming with you!"

Least: Odo Proudfoot

Odo Proudfoot lotr the fellowship of the ring

The disapproving, grumpy-looking Hobbit who leers at Gandalf as he first arrives in the Shire is credited in The Fellowship film as Everard Proudfoot. However, he was likely based on the character Odo Proudfoot from the books, a cousin of Bilbo Baggins.

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Odo (or Everard) is seen laughing at Gandalf’s fireworks, to the disapproval of his wife, and shouts, “Proudfeet!” while Bilbo gives his birthday speech. After that, he disappears until he is briefly shown at the end of Return of the King.

Most: Gandalf

Gandalf the Grey appears almost right from the beginning in The Fellowship, returning to the Shire for Bilbo's 111th birthday. He has a pretty rough time in the first film, battling Saruman and getting trapped on the top of his tower. Then he goes head to head with the Balrog and is essentially "killed" in the Mines of Moria. After this Gandalf does not reappear until The Two Towers, where he is reborn as Gandalf the White.

Least: Gollum

Gollum sitting on a rock in Lord of the Rings the Fellowship of the Ring

Gollum is a pretty important character in The Two Towers and The Return of The King, but he has very little screen time in The Fellowship. Early on in the film, Gandalf tells Frodo that Gollum knew that Bilbo had the Ring, and there is a flashback of him being tortured by Sauron. Gollum also follows the Fellowship for several days. He is spotted by Frodo, but he keeps his distance while Gandalf fills Frodo in on who he is. Viewers don't even get a clear look at him until the next film.

Most: Frodo

Frodo reaching out for the ring in Lord of the Rings

As the central protagonist in The Fellowship, it makes sense that Frodo has the most screen time. He starts off the film as a pretty carefree Hobbit but ends up with the massive responsibility of taking the Ring to Mordor. The focus is especially on Frodo in The Fellowship because he has not yet been separated from  Merry, Pippin, and his protectors. Frodo changes a lot throughout this film and follows in his uncle's footsteps in taking on the adventure of a lifetime.

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