February 10, 2012 
Actor and comedian Billy Connolly has joined the cast of Peter Jackson’s The Hobbit, according to The Hollywood Reporter.
Connolly, best known for his stand up comedy and films such as Mrs Brown and The Man Who Sued God, will play a dwarf warrior named Dain Ironfoot.
Jackson’s two-part adaptation of the bestselling J.R.R Tolkien novel is currently in production with Martin Freeman as Bilbo Baggins and Ian McKellen reprising Gandalf the Grey. Cate Blanchett, Hugo Weaving, Elijah Wood, Orlando Bloom and Andy Serkis will also revisit their former roles.
In a statement Jackson said, “We could not think of a more fitting actor to play Dain Ironfoot, the staunchest and toughest of Dwarves, than Billy Connelly, the Big Yin himself. With Billy stepping into this role, the cast of The Hobbit is now complete. We can’t wait to see him on the Battlefield!”
The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey hits Australian cinemas December 26, 2012. The Hobbit: There and Back Again debuts December 2013.
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Let’s hope he doesn’t get booed and heckled and walk off as occurred a few times in his current UK tour. Apparently he’s recycling too many jokes so perhaps movies are more his go now. He’s not a bad actor actually.