Cast Age Comparison
| Actor | Character | Actor Age | Char Age | Conf | Diff | Source/Hints | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
 |
Elijah Wood | Frodo | 21 | 50 | C4 | -29 | LOTR Wiki cites Tolkien's Appendix B: Born TA 2968, War of the Ring TA 3019 |
 |
Ian McKellen | Gandalf | 63 | - | C1 | LOTR Wiki: Gandalf (Olórin) is a Maia, born 'before the creation of Arda'. Arrived in Middle-earth TA 1000. | |
 |
Viggo Mortensen | Aragorn | 44 | 87 | C4 | -43 | LOTR Wiki cites Tolkien's Appendix A: Born TA 2931, Dúnedain heritage explains longevity |
 |
Sean Astin | Sam | 31 | 38 | C4 | -7 | LOTR Wiki cites Tolkien's Appendix B: Born TA 2980 |
 |
Andy Serkis | Gollum | 38 | 589 | C4 | -551 | LOTR Wiki cites Tolkien's Appendix B: Born TA 2430, lifespan extended by the One Ring |
Actor Age
Actor’s real age when the production was filmed or released
Char Age
The character’s age as stated or implied in the story
Diff
Difference between actor age and character age (green = close, red = far apart)
Source/Hints
Where the character age was found or how it was inferred
Confidence Scale
C5
Canonical — age explicitly stated in the production
C4
Canonical — derived from dates or events in the story
C3
Strong secondary source (script, novelization, creator interview)
C2
Inferred range — estimated from context clues
C1
Unknown — no reliable age information found