Greg Lane: Orc of a Thousand Faces

[Altaira]

Last week Tehanu had the privilege of spending an hour with Greg Lane, LOTR stuntman, and hearing some stories about the four years he spent working on the trilogy. Perhaps his most unforgettable role was as the “berserker orc” who sprints towards the wall of Helm’s Deep like a combination All Black and Olympic torchbearer, diving to detonate Saruman’s secret mine and blowing up the wall. But Lane appeared in many more memorable scenes – flying across the chamber of Orthanc as Saruman’s double during the ‘Wizard-Fu’ fight, and as Isildur’s double, floating down the Anduin with a back full of arrows.

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[Goldberry of the river]

That was a really good article and it was interesting to hear Greg's story. What an amazing time he had, but also a very physically and mentally chanllenging one! Was he featured at all in the making-of dvds?

 

[Loresilme]

What a great article!

What troopers these guys (and gals) were.

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Lane would start “in the chair” at 2pm and make it onto the set around 2am.
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12 hours in makeup?! Amazing!

And...he says he broke an ankle and a wrist - I can't imagine how he even continued working. No wonder they were on painkillers. That is wonderful that they started a guild for the stuntpeople, they need that kind of structure and protection.

This part made me smile too - sounds a bit like our Eowyn, doesn't he:
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Currently, Lane is setting up a business growing and supplying organic vegetable plants and produce. He has sourced many unusual heirloom varieties in unusual colours. He particularly likes growing purple varieties.
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Really enjoyed that article - thanks, Altaira!

 

[MrCere]

Enjoyed the read very much Erica, thanks for the work.

 

[Ataahua]

they found the torch was too heavy to carry. It also had a live flare which kept burning the orcs around him.'

Yep, that sounds like PJ's influence on the props department again. [laugh]

 

[debo]

 

[grammaboodawg]

I wish I could hear the stories of everyone who was a part of making these films. Each of the tales I've heard has left me with the same, gratified feeling of how wonderful they all were/are and how much of themselves they put into their part. Wonderful!