I had a woman breakdown and cry when she met me which was difficult to deal with because immediately when someone starts to cry, you want to comfort them, you know, "Poor thing." I comforted her. I tried to make her feel better.

There is nothing noble in being superior to your fellow men. True nobility lies in being superior to your former self.

I think being different, going against the grain of society is the greatest thing in the world.

In the absence of love, there is nothing worth fighting for.

I`m kind of insane when it comes to music, a little obsessed.

If you cut off your arm instead of going `spurt, spurt, spurt` wouldn`t it, like, go nuts? Or would it go with the beat of your heart?

So much time is wasted on trying to be better than others.

The worst kind of lying I`ve ever done is keeping things from people.

Dream the impossible because dreams do come true.

I definitely don`t look my age. So I actively look for roles that will help people change their perception of me.

There`s a real purity in New Zealand that doesn`t exist in the states. It`s actually not an easy thing to find in our world anymore. It`s a unique place because it is so far away from the rest of the world. There is a sense of isolation and also being protected.

"I don`t know that I necessarily feel more comfortable in the context of smaller films, but I tend to feel more comfortable more often than not with the material of smaller films."

[on worrying about the high expectations of Lord of the Rings fans when he was cast as Frodo:] "I definitely felt the pressure. I wanted to live up to all of the expectations. But when I got into costume and worked with the others, I just didn`t think about it anymore."

[on concluding filming of LOTR:] "Frodo will look more haggard, but not as bad as Gollum. There is a massive transformation, but the journey should have a physical effect on him, which makes sense as I look a lot older than when I started filming. I was 18 then, and it`s appropriate that he looks older, too. And if I`ve done my job right, then you should empathize with him. When it came to the end, I was very emotional. I was heaving, I couldn`t breathe, and the last bits of the movie really wrecked me. They gave each actor his own farewell, when we were back there earlier this year. You`d go on to a sound stage and Peter [director Peter Jackson] would make a speech about each actor and then bring in their sword and a clapperboard. It was completely overwhelming. When it came time for me to give a speech, I was so gone I just couldn`t do it. I now have the ears, the feet, the sword, the Ring, and one of the maps of Middle-Earth. The whole thing has had a massive impact on us. I think Bill [Billy Boyd] and Dom [Dominic Monaghan] and I are thinking about buying a house here [in New Zealand], because we don`t want to lose our connection with the country. It makes most sense to go in on a place because we could use it like a timeshare and then holiday at different times or together. But we`re so lazy and completely hopeless at doing things, so it remains to be seen if it`ll ever happen." [December 11, 2003]

[after the last press junket for LOTR in New York:] "There`s a real sense of completion now, because we can look at the entirety of the trilogy and say we`ve done it, our work is finished. That`s a great feeling. And I think that, as it comes to a close, we look to the relationships forged in New Zealand and throughout the experience, and they will carry on. The fellowship will carry on. And that gives us great hope. Our lives will interweave forever." [December 18, 2003]

[on New Zealand:] "I will go back ... I think Bill [Billy Boyd] and Dom [Dominic Monaghan)]and I are thinking of buying a house together. We don`t want to lose our connection with New Zealand - I love the country and I love Wellington and I want to go back. I would love to have a place to live there if I do go back for any period of time. It would just be a time share. It makes the most sense for us to go in on a place, `cause then we can get a great place. We could be there together and have holidays there, or if I wanted to go there and live there for a little while I could. It just kind of makes sense. Then we could rent it out when we aren`t there. That`s the idea, anyway." (On hearing this, Billy Boyd said, "Elijah said that, huh? He put a curse on it.") [December 12, 2003]

[on filming the scene in _Lord of the Rings: The Return of the King, The (2003)_ in which Sam tries to make Frodo recall the Shire:] "That day was very difficult and it was a long day. I remember Peter [Peter Jackson] actually crying on set after a few takes. It was a real defining moment for Sean [Sean Astin] and I, not only in this film, but in our acting." [December 14, 2003]

"My philosophy has always been to try to put myself into roles and films that are different. That intensified after `Lord of the Rings` because it was so massive, but it`s something I`ve always believed in -- wanting to change people`s perceptions and challenge myself as an actor."

"I think being different, being against the grain of society, is the greatest thing in the world."

"If I wasn`t an actor, I`d be a secret agent."

[on celebrity:] "I won`t change and my perspective won`t change. I want to continue my life the way I live it, and I`m not going to let anything stop me from doing that. It isn`t all about acting. There`s a lot more to life than Hollywood."