Evangeline Lilly revealed to reporters, at a recent Los Angeles event, that The Hobbit was one of her favorite books as a child, and that she was thrilled when asked to play a part in the new movie The Hobbit: The Desolation of Smaug.

“The sylvan elves were my favorite characters in the book and it would be a dream come true to play one. I jumped at the opportunity and picked up the phone very quickly,” Lilly recalled.

Despite Lilly’s enthusiasm, many were upset, and concerned, that Peter Jackson, the writer/director/producer of the movie, was adding a character that wasn’t originally in the book. However, Lilly stands behind Jackson’s decision and explains why adding a female heroine adds to the film.

“And then they said, ‘Your character is not in the book.’ And I took great pause. As a great fan of Tolkien, I gulped and went: ‘What? Everyone’s going to hate me.’ And it didn’t take long for them to completely convince me that it was the right thing to do and it was a good idea,” she said.

“I think, in his defense, Tolkien was writing in 1937 and the world is a different place today,” she continued. “I keep repeatedly telling people, ‘In this day and age, to put nine hours of cinema in the theaters for young girls to go and watch and not have one female character is subliminally telling them you don’t count, you’re not important and you’re not pivotal to story.’ And I just think [the filmmakers] were very brave and very right in saying, ‘We won’t do that to the young female audience, who will come watch our films.’ And not just the young female audience, but even women of my own age. I think it is time that we stop making stories that are only about men, especially only about heroic men, and I love that they made Tauriel a hero.”

What do you think about Jackson’s choice to add Lilly’s character? Leave your comments below.

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