10 facts about Cedar Rapids native Elijah Wood on his birthday

Elijah Wood is one of Eastern Iowa’s connections to Hollywood. Here are 10 compelling facts about the famous Iowan:

1. The 5-foot 6-inch actor with trademark blue eyes, Elijah (middle name Jordan!) Wood was born on January 28th, 1981 in Cedar Rapids.

2. Born to Debbie (Krause) and Warren Wood, he has an older brother, Zach, and a younger sister, Hannah. Some of Wood’s nicknames include Elwood (a combo of his first and last name), Lijah (shortened first name), and Monkey (for apparently locking his mom out of the house at a young age.)

3. His parents owned a deli when Wood was young and they looked for ways for the busy boy to burn off some energy. He is said to have been a part of local productions of “The Sound of Music” and “The Wizard of Oz.” That led to starring in a few local commercials. His mom saw his acting potential early and took him to a modeling event in Los Angeles at a young age. From there he began booking commercials. His first gig was actually in a Paula Abdul music video for “Forever Your Girl” when he was eight. They sold the deli and his family then moved to LA so Wood could start his career.

4. Since he got his start acting at a relatively young age, he’s had a three-decade-long career already. He has starred in some 60 movies and TV shows during that time. His first small part was in “Back to the Future Part II” filmed in 1989. He then had several other gigs as a child actor, which also meant he had to be tutored and was unable to attend school as most elementary and middle school children did.

5. Perhaps best known for his role as Frodo in “Lord of the Rings,” Wood beat out 150 other actors for the role, one that he was eager to snag as he is an avid fan of J. R. R. Tolkien and the worlds he created. “The Hobbit” is one of his favorite books.

6. He collects movie memorabilia and owns one of two prop rings used when filling “Lord of the Rings.” Perhaps in part because he is a collector of such memorabilia, in 2006 Wood was ranked at number seven on “Autograph Collector Magazine’s” list of the “10 Best Hollywood Autograph Signers.”

7. An avid music fan, Wood founded Simian Records and released its first album, New Magnetic Wonder by The Apples in Stereo, in 2007. He has starred in several music videos, including for Beastie Boys, The Cranberries, and others. He can play the piano and the guitar. He actually played the piano as part of his role in the movie “Grand Piano.” He also collects vinyl records.

8. Wood has a host of other hobbies including reading, photography, and Tae Kwon Do. In fact, he has earned his Black Belt!

10. He’s also a dad, having a son in 2019 and a daughter in 2022 with his partner, the Danish film producer Mette-Marie Kongsved.
11. He has traveled to Chile a number of times on humanitarian aid efforts. And perhaps wildest of all, Elijah Wood was the first person to cross Victoria Falls in South Africa by rope. It turns out, Wood is a bit of an adventure seeker, While appearing on Jack Osbourne’s British TV series “Jack Osbourne: Adrenaline Junkie” in 2008 the pair completed a tandem swing off the Victoria Falls bridge and then white-water rafting down the Zambezi River.

This article first appeared on Good Info News Wire and is republished here under a Creative Commons license.