Best of Times, Worst of Times
Kathy Brewis

Being immersed in such a stunning location, you couldn't not be swept away by the romance of it all. On our days off we would hang about on set and soak up the atmosphere. Nobody kept themselves to themselves.

The fellowship - who go on the quest - were encouraged to spend as much time together as possible. We did a lot of boysy things - surfing, horse-riding, bungee-jumping. The camaraderie was great. We became brothers. It was one of the best experiences of my life - it was such an all-encompassing thing. And it's probably had the biggest influence on my career and on my personality of anything I've done. New Zealand is such a healthy country, it made me love that outdoorsy and bohemian way of living. It was a lot less hectic than living in London. I've always had a lot of energy - I still do - but it used to come out in a more aggressive, manic fashion. I was like a Tasmanian devil running around, never able to keep still, always wanting to get onto the next thing. I'm a lot more philosophical, a lot calmer now. It really chilled me out.

I got homesick a few times - we were working so hard, the days were so long, and I really missed my folks. Mum sent me a cute toy dog and she'd sprayed it with her perfume, so when I opened it there was a powerful smell of back home, which made me feel a lot better.

But the highs were always a lot greater than the lows. One time, we flew in a chartered plane in a thunderstorm and had to turn back, make an emergency landing, and drive for about five hours in the rain. At the time, you're exhausted, but they're the real adventure moments, the things you'll remember for the rest of your life.

The first couple of weeks' shooting, the press were really keen to get photos of the Hobbits. So to get us to the set, we were bundled into cars in hoods and dressing gowns. We Hobbits had big hairy feet, pointed ears and a wig. I think it still looks like me in the film, hidden away under all the stuff. The feet were made of latex, which took an hour and a half to apply every day. You slipped your foot in, and then they poured in glue, which was freezing cold and annoying. So you were stuck fast in this very, very tight shoe. Your toes tended to hit the end and curl a little bit, which would be really painful by the end of the day. And you'd trip over when you were running, or stand on your toes and they'd rip off, and there were splinters and cuts all the time.

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