Casting Call For 'Return Of The King' Extras!

Casting director Liz Mullane said she was looking for 200 extras with a very specific look. Rohans are a Nordic-looking race – tall and statuesque with long, blonde or red hair, or, for the men, bald with beards. Men aged over 16 and women over 55 are particularly sought.

Extras needed to be able to work at short notice and would get between two and six days' work from May 20 till the end of June.

Interesting faces were crucial to the look of the film. "Peter is a director who really likes character in people's faces. The background is hugely important because it finishes off the scene. You might be focusing on the main characters but if you have great-looking extras, then the whole scene works."

Ms Mullane's approach to finding the right look was not always orthodox. "One time, in Taihape, we had the local fire brigade drive down the street with a loud speaker calling for extras."