Comic Con Antwerp makes a comeback after three years of waiting, with well-known actors from The Lord of the Rings: “For me, those people at a convention like this are real heroes” | Antwerp
AntwerpThree years of waiting, the many ‘looked forward so long’ to the fourth edition of Comic Con Antwerp. It is therefore no surprise that thousands of fans of science fiction, fantasy, games and cosplay will come to the Waagnatie this weekend. “For me, those people at such a convention are real heroes,” says John Rhys-Davies (78), the beloved dwarf Gimli in The Lord of the Rings.
A minute of walking around Comic Con is enough to run into a lot of recognizable superheroes from the fantasy world. They could also have their picture taken with their favorite actors. Organizer Quinte Ridz had roped in Bernard Hill and John Rhys-Davies. They star in the Lord of the Rings trilogy including King Théoden and Gimli. Rhys-Davies was already known in the 1980s as Sallah in the Indiana Jones films.
He is clearly very happy if we even take him apart on the banks of the Scheldt. For example, he accurately declaims the poetry of great masters such as Percy Bysshe Shelley and TS Eliot. But he also lets you look into the heart.
“Saved by Shakespeare”
“I grew up in Tanzania, was a wild species. When I returned to England, I rebelled. I hated just about everything and everyone, was a juvenile delinquent. Poetry and theater have changed that. They participate in a play. I have something interesting, because a few years later I was dealing with Shakespeare. I found a language that allowed me to express my anger.” (read more below the photo)
“I love Belgians”
Rhys-Davies did not have the time for a city visit on Saturday. “But I like conventions like Comic Con. You can make a very good contact with your audience. I see real heroes there. I remember a father with his blind teenage son. “Don’t worry,” I told that father. ‘Your son sees the world in his imagination’. You know, I meet the most possible people. As I got older, I started to like people more. Although that can also be a sign of senility (laughs). I also like Belgians, a very warm people.”
Rhys-Davies may also be heard as part of the highly anticipated Amazon series “The Rings of Power.” “On Monday I normally go to London to watch the premiere of this prequel to The Lord of the Rings.”
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