Who played Boromir in The Lord of the Rings?

Answer 1

Born in 2983 of the Third Age, Faramir was the second son of Denethor II, Steward of Gondor, and Finduilas, daughter of the Prince of Dol Amroth. To the great grief of all in the family, and especially Denethor, Finduilas died when Faramir was five years old.

Faramir was very close to his brother, Boromir, despite a five-year age difference and strikingly different personalities and interests. Faramir, though a skilled fighter and commander, was gentle and more interested in lore and the tales of Mithrandir than his more rash brother. Denethor, however, very obviously favored Boromir over Faramir, and while there is little reason to believe Denethor physically abused Faramir, it seems that his younger son grew up knowing that his father did not love him so much as Boromir.

As an adult, Faramir became captain of the Rangers of Ithilien. On a mission against a company of Haradrim, the Rangers encountered two hobbits, Frodo and Sam, on their way to the path of Cirith Ungol and thence to Mt. Doom. During this period, described in 'Of Herbs and Stewed Rabbit' to 'Journey to the Crossroads,' Faramir took the hobbits to an outpost of the Rangers behind a great waterfall, and after dining with them, learned of the Fellowship and their mission. In a great display of his nobility, Faramir resisted the temptation of the One Ring and sent the hobbits on their way with provisions.

Upon returning to Minas Tirith, Faramir was met by Gandalf, Pippin, and Denethor. After refreshing himself, he related the tale of his encounter with the hobbits in Ithilien, and incurred Denethor's anger for not bringing the Ring, possibly the greatest weapon against the Enemy to him. (Note that Denethor is shown here to be proud, intelligent, and harsh, but not evil or cruel.) The next day, Faramir is half ordered, half volunteered to embark on what was a surely suicidal attempt to take back Osgiliath, which had been overrun by orcs. A semi-orderly retreat from Osgiliath across the Pelennor became a mad rout as orcs, Southerlings, and Nazgul came in for the kill. Though a sortie of the knights of Dol Amroth was eventually sent out, Faramir lost a third of his company and was himself gravely wounded by a Southron arrow. For a long time, he remained in a burning fever and "dark dream".

In grief and remorse, Denethor locked himself away with Faramir for many days. Looking into the Palantir more and more, he was presented with a twisted image of Sauron's devising that showed the futility of resistance and Sauron's ultimate victory, and fell into despair and madness. During the Battle of the Pelennor Fields, Denethor nearly burnt Faramir and himself alive. Faramir was saved due to the timely intervention of Gandalf, Beregond, and Pippin, but Denethor burned to death.

Faramir was given into the Houses of Healing, but the healers there could do nothing to abate his fever. He was healed by Aragorn, who arrived with men and the Dunedain to turn the tide of the battle. Faramir remained in the Houses of Healing when the Captains of the West marched upon the Black Gate, during which time he met Eowyn, niece of the king of Rohan. The two eventually fell in love, and shared the joy of being told by an eagle of the victory of the Host of the West and the downfall of Sauron.

At Aragorn's coronation, Faramir proffered the white rod of the Stewards in symbolic ending of the reign and office of the Stewards. However, Aragorn says, "That office is not ended, and it shall thine and thy heirs' as long as my line shall last. Do now thine office!" Faramir is made Prince of Ithilien (lord of the fiefdom of Ithilien) and marries Eowyn, with whom he has a son, Elboron. He lives to a ripe age, and dies peacefully.

Faramir is perhaps one of the noblest characters in the Lord of the Rings. "A captain that men would follow...even under the shadow of black wings;" honest, "I would not snare even an orc with a falsehood" and courageous. In him flowed the blood of Numenor to a greater degree than his brother or even his father: "One with an air of high nobility such as Aragorn at times revealed, less high perhaps, yet also less incalculable and remote: one of the Kings of Men born into a later time, but touched with the wisdom and sadness of the Elder race."

Answer 2

Faramir was played by David Wenham. Trivia: Before being cast as Legolas, Orlando Bloom originally auditioned for the role of Faramir.

Answer 3

Sean Bean