Editing Figwit

{{Short description|Fan-name for a minor character in the Fellowship of the Ring movie}}
[[Image:Figwit.PNG|right|thumb|[[Bret McKenzie]] as "Elf Escort" in ''[[The Lord of the Rings: The Return of the King]]''.]]
'''Figwit''' is a fan-created name for a then-unnamed '''[[Elf (Middle-earth)|Elf]] Escort''' in [[Peter Jackson]]'s [[The Lord of the Rings (film series)|''The Lord of the Rings'' film series]], played by [[Bret McKenzie]] of the musical duo [[Flight of the Conchords]]. The name Figwit derives from an acronym for "[[Frodo Baggins|Frodo]] is great...<!--THIS IS NOT A TYPO-->who is THAT?!?" {{sic}}. The character quickly and unexpectedly became popular among [[Tolkien fandom]], and is perceived as an example of [[famous for being famous]], a view shared by the character's actor himself.

==Background==
[[Bret McKenzie]], half of the musical comedy duo [[Flight of the Conchords]], first landed a small role as an [[Extra (acting)|extra]] in ''[[The Lord of the Rings: The Fellowship of the Ring]]''.<ref name="tribune">{{cite news |url=http://featuresblogs.chicagotribune.com/entertainment_tv/2007/07/flight-of-the-c.html |title='Flight of the Conchords': Now with added 'Lord of the Rings' goodness |first=Maureen |last=Ryan |date=July 14, 2007 |access-date=July 31, 2008 |newspaper=[[Chicago Tribune]] |publisher=[[Tribune Publishing]] |location=Chicago, Illinois |archive-date=March 3, 2016 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160303194148/http://featuresblogs.chicagotribune.com/entertainment_tv/2007/07/flight-of-the-c.html |url-status=dead }}</ref> He appears sitting next to [[Aragorn]] during the council in [[Rivendell]] scene. The elf was dubbed "Figwit" by fan Iris Hadad; after seeing Frodo agree to take the ring, saying "I will take it", the film switches to a shot where Figwit can be seen standing on the far right, and Hadad's initial reaction was "Frodo is great...who is THAT?!?"<ref name="figwitlives">{{cite web |url=http://www.figwitlives.net/faq.htm |title=FAQ |work=figwitlives.net |access-date=July 31, 2008}}</ref> Later, Hadad corresponded with her university friend Sherry de Andres, and the two created the first Figwit fan website, www.figwitlives.net, calling him "[[Legolas]] for the thinking woman".<ref name="usatoday">{{cite news |url=https://www.usatoday.com/life/movies/news/2002-08-05-figwit_x.htm |first=Susan|last=Wloszczyna|title='Lord' of the extras: Elfin charmer nets fans |newspaper=[[USA Today]] |publisher=[[Gannett]]|location=Mclean, Virginia|access-date=July 31, 2008| date=August 6, 2002}}</ref>

McKenzie appeared as Figwit again in the third film, ''[[The Lord of the Rings: The Return of the King]]'', where he was credited as "Elf Escort". He appears in the scene where [[Arwen]] is leaving for the [[Grey Havens]] and has a vision of her future son, Eldarion, this time with two lines warning her to not delay and then exclaiming as she turns around. Director [[Peter Jackson]] stated in the DVD commentary for ''The Return of the King'' that Figwit was called back and given dialogue in the third film "just for fun for the fans" because "so much fuss has been made about him over the last couple of years".<ref name="rotk">{{cite video |people=[[Peter Jackson]] (director), [[Fran Walsh]] (screenwriter, producer), [[Philippa Boyens]] (screenwriter) |date=2004-12-14 |url=http://www.figwitlives.net/dvdcom.txt |title=The Lord of the Rings: The Return of the King: Special Extended DVD Edition |medium=Motion picture |publisher=[[New Line Cinema|New Line Home Entertainment]] |access-date=July 31, 2008|time=scene 9 (with commentary) |isbn=0-7806-4653-3 }}</ref>

McKenzie played another elf in ''[[The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey]]'', Lindir, who has a brief appearance in the novel ''[[The Fellowship of the Ring]]''. McKenzie has stated that Lindir and Figwit are different characters.<ref name="comingsoon.net">{{cite news |url=http://www.comingsoon.net/news/movienews.php?id=85650 |title=Bret McKenzie Talks The Hobbit |work=[[comingsoon.net]] |date=January 4, 2012 |access-date=January 5, 2012 |first=Silas |last=Lesnick |archive-date=January 8, 2012 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120108072118/http://www.comingsoon.net/news/movienews.php?id=85650 |url-status=dead }}</ref>

==Popularity==
Though he only appeared for about three seconds in ''Fellowship of the Ring'', Figwit's popularity soon blossomed, with Hadad stating that "[the fan site] got a lot of e-mails from people who thought they were the only ones who had noticed that handsome, dark-haired elf".<ref name="guardian">{{cite news |url=https://www.theguardian.com/film/2002/dec/13/lordoftherings.news |title='Figwit' steals Frodo's thunder |newspaper=[[The Guardian]] | location=London, England|date=December 13, 2002|access-date=July 31, 2008}}</ref> Figwit's physical appearance and demeanor are the source of much of his popularity: he has been noted for his "lithe and graceful" movement,<ref name="telegraph">{{cite news |url=https://www.telegraph.co.uk/arts/main.jhtml?xml=/arts/2002/12/13/bfop13.xml |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20081208151103/http://www.telegraph.co.uk/arts/main.jhtml?xml=%2Farts%2F2002%2F12%2F13%2Fbfop13.xml |url-status=dead |archive-date=December 8, 2008 |title=Elf who launched a thousand hits |newspaper=[[The Daily Telegraph]] |location=London, England |date=December 13, 2002 |access-date=July 31, 2008 |first=Oliver |last=Poole }}</ref> "enigmatic broodiness", "haughty demeanor", and "pouty" looks.<ref name="usatoday"/> His fan website proclaims him "in a word, gorgeous. Or another, stunning... hypnotic... stupendous... captivating... take your pick."<ref name="figwitlives"/><ref name="torontostar">{{cite news|first=Peter|last=Howell|title=Netting 15 Megabytes of fame|newspaper=[[Toronto Star]]|publisher=[[Star Media]]|location=Toronto, Canada|date=February 9, 2003|page=D4}}</ref>

McKenzie has stated that the Figwit obsession is "weird," though he is "flattered."<ref name="newsround">{{cite news |url=http://news.bbc.co.uk/cbbcnews/hi/tv_film/newsid_1937000/1937745.stm |title=Nameless elf gets cult Rings status |date=April 18, 2002|access-date=July 31, 2008|publisher=[[BBC]] |website=[[Newsround]]|location=London, England }}</ref> He has remarked that "it's so hilarious because it's been propelled by so little&nbsp;... I'm famous for doing nothing."<ref name="telegraph"/><ref name="theage">{{cite news|url=http://www.theage.com.au/articles/2003/01/10/1041990093364.html |title=The elf who turned into a chick magnet |date=January 11, 2003|first=Oliver|last=Poole |publisher=[[Nine Entertainment Co.]]|location=Melbourne, Australia|access-date=July 31, 2008|newspaper=[[The Age]] }}</ref>

[[Image:Figwit Authentic Autograph.png|thumb|right|A [[Topps]] Authentic Autograph card featuring 'Figwit' and [[Bret McKenzie]]'s signature.]]

=== In other media ===

Figwit does not appear in Tolkien's writings and was created exclusively for the films; thus there is little authentic information regarding him, save that he is a royal escort. The only "official" place where the name Figwit is used is on several [[Topps]] trading cards, including a ''The Return of the King'' series card, titled "Return to Rivendell," and an Authentic Autographs card featuring the signature of actor [[Bret McKenzie]].<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.topps.com/Entertainment/ROTK/index.html |title=The Lord of the Rings: The Return of the King Movie Cards |publisher=[[Topps]] |access-date=July 31, 2008|archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20070814113205/http://www.topps.com/Entertainment/ROTK/index.html |archive-date = August 14, 2007|url-status=dead}}</ref> In ''[[The Lord of the Rings Trading Card Game]]'' he was assigned the name of '''Aegnor''', one of [[Galadriel]]'s brothers in ''[[The Silmarillion]].'' A Figwit [[action figure]] was also created, though it was named "Elven Escort," as in the film.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.lotr-models.co.uk/index106.html |title=The Lord of the Rings Collector's Models |website=lotr-models.co.uk |access-date=July 31, 2008|url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20080804180135/http://www.lotr-models.co.uk/index106.html |archive-date=August 4, 2008}}</ref>

Figwit has been a subject of poetry, art, and fiction,<ref name="torontostar"/> in particular in the [[slash fiction|slash]] genre of [[Tolkien fan fiction]], where he is named ''Melpomaen''. This is a chimera translation of "figwit" from two of Tolkien's [[Elvish languages (Middle-earth)|Elvish languages]]: ''melpo'', [[Quenya]] for "fig",<ref>{{cite journal |title=Qenyaqetsa: The Qenya Phonology and Lexicon |last=Tolkien |first=J. R. R. |author-link=J. R. R. Tolkien |year=1998 |journal=[[Parma Eldalamberon]] |publisher=[[Mythopoeic Society]] |location=East Lansing, Michigan|issue=12 }}</ref> and ''maen'', [[Sindarin|Noldorin]] for clever or skilled.<ref>{{cite book |title=A Gateway to Sindarin: A Grammar of an Elvish Language from J.R.R. Tolkien's Lord of the Rings |first=David|last=Salo |publisher=[[University of Utah Press]] |location=Salt Lake City, Utah|year=2004 |page=319 |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=4dsSn0QAmi0C&q=sindarin+maen&pg=PA304 |isbn=0-87480-800-6 }}</ref>

=== Documentary ===
In 2004, a 57-minute [[Documentary film|documentary]] on the Figwit phenomenon was created by McKenzie's fiancée (and now wife) Hannah Clarke<ref>{{cite news |url=https://www.nytimes.com/2007/06/17/fashion/17nite.html?ex=1339732800&en=220d6600cddffae0&ei=5124&partner=permalink&exprod=permalink |title=A Family in Harmony |first=Zoë |last=Wolff|newspaper=[[The New York Times]] |location=New York City|date=June 17, 2007|access-date=July 31, 2008}}</ref> and friends Stan Alley and Nick Booth. Entitled ''Frodo Is Great... Who Is That?!!'', it premiered at the [[New Zealand International Film Festivals#The NZ International Film Festival in Auckland|Auckland International Film Festival]] on July 23.<ref name="nzherald">{{cite news|url=http://www.nzherald.co.nz/section/6/story.cfm?c_id=6&objectid=3579940 |title=Worldwide fame not a figwit of elf's imagination |date=July 23, 2004|access-date=July 31, 2008|first=Kate|last=Perry|newspaper=[[The New Zealand Herald]] |publisher=New Zealand Media and Entertainment|location=Auckland, New Zealand}}</ref> Meant to "[unravel] Bret's identity",<ref name="nzherald"/> it follows McKenzie to the [[Edinburgh Festival Fringe]], where he meets the fans of his trademark pout and "elvish good looks", and features extensive interviews with fans behind various Figwit fan sites as well as with [[Peter Jackson]], [[Barrie Osborne]], [[Mark Ordesky]], [[Ian McKellen]], and other cast members.<ref name="telegraph"/><ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.theonering.net/torwp/2004/07/31/24645-another-figwit-doco-review-2/ |title=Another 'Figwit' Doco Review |date=July 31, 2004|access-date=July 31, 2008|website=theonering.net }}</ref> Booth stated that their film was "much more irreverent and strange" compared to other behind-the-scenes documentaries of the film trilogy, which were "very much driven around the production and the cast and Tolkien".<ref name="nzherald"/>

==References==
{{reflist|2}}

==External links==
* {{imdb name|id=1235366|name=Bret McKenzie}}
* {{imdb title|0425993|Frodo is Great... Who Is That?!!}}
* [http://tyellas.livejournal.com/151944.html#cutid1 Review of ''Frodo is Great... Who Is That?!!]
* Fan sites: [http://www.figwitlives.net/ Figwit Lives!] and [https://web.archive.org/web/20091027083756/http://www.geocities.com/figwit_x/index.html  Fans of Figwit]

{{good article}}

{{The Lord of the Rings & The Hobbit film series}}

[[Category:The Lord of the Rings (film series)]]
[[Category:In-jokes]]
[[Category:Internet memes]]
[[Category:Film characters introduced in 2001]]
[[Category:Middle-earth Elves]]

[[es:Anexo:Personajes originales de la trilogía cinematográfica de El Señor de los Anillos#Figwit]]