Jamie Dornan has spoken about the emotional moment he discovered he would play Aragorn in The Lord of the Rings: The Hunt for Gollum, admitting that the casting news brought him to tears. The actor, known for Belfast and The Fall, told Entertainment Tonight that he cried when he learned he had secured the role. Dornan described the opportunity as a dream and an honour, particularly because Aragorn remains one of the franchise's most admired characters. "I cried. I actually cried," he said, explaining that joining the fantasy world was special in itself, but playing a character associated so closely with Viggo Mortensen made the opportunity even more significant. Jamie Dornan literally cried when he found out he got his dream role of Aragorn in 'The Lord of the Rings: The Hunt for Gollum.' 😭 pic.twitter.com/3f9n7b8hfO — Entertainment Tonight (@etnow) November 10, 2026 Mortensen portrayed Aragorn throughout Peter Jackson's original The Lord of the Rings trilogy, earning widespread admiration for his performance. Dornan has previously acknowledged the pressure of following in his footsteps, but insisted he is not attempting to surpass the original portrayal. "Aragorn will always be just Viggo," Dornan said in an earlier interview with L'Officiel. He described Mortensen's work as one of his all time favourite performances and said he felt honoured to bring some of the character's original energy to the new film. Dornan also revealed that filming has already wrapped, telling that he finished work approximately three weeks before the interview. He described the experience as incredible and said he hoped audiences would welcome the story into the established franchise. Andy Serkis, who played Gollum through voice and motion capture in the original trilogy, is directing the upcoming film. The returning cast includes Ian McKellen as Gandalf, Elijah Wood as Frodo and Lee Pace as King Thranduil. New additions include Kate Winslet as Marigol, Leo Woodall as Halvard and Anya Taylor-Joy as an elf. The Hunt for Gollum is scheduled to arrive in cinemas on December 17, 2027.