Response to Danniene R.
Big Mac

I agree with you totally that Sir Sean is a great actor, but I'd like to submit the perhaps astonishing opinion that so is Sir Ian McKellan. He's hardly an unknown, and even if you've only heard of him because of his appearance in the X Men, that doesn't take anything from the other great films he's been in.

As for the other actors, just because they are unknowns doesn't mean they don't have talent. And besides, they're not unknowns -with one or two exceptions I have heard of all of the actors playing major characters. Also, more importantly, they all have previous acting experience. Unlike George Lucas, who has cast an absolute novice, Hayden Christiansen (okay, maybe he's been in an advert or two), as Anakin Skywalker, the main character in his next two Star Wars movies.

Now, while casting novices sometime pays off (Mark Hamill and Carrie Fisher, for example), it doesn't always work -- a fact Mr. Lucas seemingly hasn't learned (Jake Lloyd, anyone?). So at least Peter Jackson and his casting people have gone for actors who have actually acted before!

That's not to say they've got everything right though -- I'm still very dubious about Liv Tyler.

There -- sorry if I rambled a bit, I usually just read these posts without responding, but I couldn't keep quiet on this one.