Elijah Wood was a child star, acting from the age of eight, but it was his role as Frodo Baggins in Peter Jackson's adaptation of Lord of the Rings that made him a global star.Born in Iowa Wood began his career modelling and working in local commercials before appearing in a Paula Abdul video.Movie work followed but his breakthrough film role came in Avlon, directed by Barry Levinson, in 1990. More work followed including role in Internal Affairs with Richard Gere, Paradise with Melanie Griffith and working with Mel Gibson in Forever Young.But it was his role as Frodo Baggins that shot him to superstardom. Between 2001 to 2003 the Rings trilogy were the most anticipated movies.The Fellowship of the Ring in 2001 brought together a star studded cast of Ian McKellen, Viggo Mortensen, Sean Bean, Hugo Weaving, Liv Tyler and Cate Blanchett and proved, with thirteen Oscar nominations, that this project was possible.Grossing over $871 million at the global box office Ring s fever had hit cinemas and Elijah Wood was a household name.

The Two Towers did better at the box office grossing over $926 million. It was once again nominated for Best Picture as well as six other Oscars. It went on to win Best Visual Effects and Sound Editing.

The Return of the King rounded off the trilogy and became the second largest movie of all time grossing over $1 billion, second only to Titanic.

It was nominated for eleven Oscars winning all including Best Picture and Best Director for Peter Jackson.

After the success of Lord of the Rings wood has chosen a wider birth of movie roles in an attempt not to be type cast.

Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind was next for Wood in 2004, alongside Jim Carrey and Kate Winslet, as Patrick a lab technician who helps erase heartbreaking memories.

Joel is stunned to discover that his girlfriend Clementine has had the memories of their tumultuous relationship erased.

Out of desperation, he contacts the inventor of the process, Dr. Howard Mierzwiak, to have Clementine removed from his own memory.

But as Joel's memories progressively begin to disappear, he begins to discover their earlier passion.

From deep within the recesses of his brain, Joel attempts to escape the procedure. As Dr. Mierzwiak and his crew chase him through the maze of his memories, it's clear that Joel can't get Clementine out of his head.

Using sci-fi elements to look at ideas of love and memory Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind was a hit with director Michel Gondry picking up an Oscar for Best Original Screenplay.

Next was the role of cannibal serial killer Kevin in Robert Rodriguez's by screen adaptation of Frank Miller's graphic novel.

Three stories weave together, occasionally overlapping, as Mickey Rourke plays the fearlessly lovestruck Marv, a trenchcoat-clad beast who falls in love with prostitute Goldie (Jaime King) only to find her murdered by a demonic cannibal (Elijah Wood).

In another segment, Bruce Willis plays Hartigan, a rogue cop with a "bum ticker" whose goal in life is to save Nancy (Jessica Alba), an innocent stripper, from a murderous rapist (Nick Stahl).

The third segment stars Clive Owen as a detective caught between murdered cop Jackie Boy (Benicio Del Toro) and a slew of lethally dangerous vixens lead by Gail (Rosario Dawson).

Welcome to Sin City. This town beckons to the tough, the corrupt, the brokenhearted a universe of unlikely and reluctant heroes still trying to do the right thing in a city that refuses to care.

The film was met well critically and was especially recognised for the film's unique colouring process: black and white with flashes of colour. It went on to gross $158.7 million.

Since Sin City Wood has kept moving from different project to different project including Bobby, Everything is Illuminated and Green Street making him one of the industry's most versatile actors.

His new project sees him star alongside John Hurt in The Oxford Murders.

November 1993. Elijah Wood plays Martin, an American student at Oxford University who wants Arthur Seldom (John Hurt) as his thesis director.

In a public lecture, Seldom quotes Wittgenstein's Tractatus to deny the possibility of truth. Martin contests asserting his faith in the mathematics under reality.

Later, Martin and Seldom coincide and find Martin's landlady (also a friend of Seldom's) murdered. Seldom declares to the police that he had received a note with his friend's address marked as "the first of a series".

As Seldom is an authority on logical series, he suspects that a serial murderer is defying his intelligence. Martin, Seldom and Lorna (Leonor Watling), a Spanish nurse, will try to guess the following terms of the series as murders continue.

He is also set to appear in a biopic of singer Iggy Pop, The Passenger and he has just finished recording voice work for 9, Tim Burton's new animated feature.

The Oxford Murders is released 25th April.

FemaleFirst Helen Earnshaw

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