‘Hobbit’ team seeks short actors

Oscar-winning director Peter Jackson’s Wingnut Films has announced in New Zealand it is looking for people with diminutive structure to appear in ‘The Hobbit’.

Advertising in a Wellington newspaper states that Wingnut Films is looking for men 123cm (4ft) to 158cm (5ft 2ins) tall and women measuring 123cm to 153cm (5ft).

Wingnut spokesman told a foreign news agency that the call was for “scale doubles” for actors with speaking roles, and further auditions for extras would take place at a later date.

“Scale doubles appear in some wide shots in place of our actors and with other adult actors when we need people to look smaller or taller,” the BBC quoted him as saying.

He added all applicants must be aged 16 or over and anyone not meeting the height requirements would be turned away.