The following text is a report of Elijah's appearance at "Wetten Dass?!" in Freiburg, Germany. It also contains some interview transcripts.

Thomas Gottschalk: We await the return of the King, and whom we have here tonight is the ring-bearer, I especially look forward to have him here, because he is also a very good sport, we know him as Mister Frodo - today we meet him as Elijah Wood!

Elijah enters the stage, smiling and waving, of course in his beige cord Jacket - I still wonder if it is always the same of if he has several of them, but that is Lij as we know him - welcome to Germany!

Elijah Wood: Hello, sir!

TG: Good evening!

EW: Good evening!

TG: There you go...

He leads him to the huge couch were already Katharina Witt sits.

EW: Hello!

TG: Katharina Witt - Elijah Wood

They sit down and start the interview.

TG: Well I am really in a sort of insecurity, some people say Elijah, some Eliyah, how is it right?

EW: Elijah!

TG: Elijah...

EW: Elijah, yeah.

TG: Elijah!

EW: Eliyah is alright as well, I don't mind!

TG: Or Eli!

EW: Eli!

TG: A beautiful name! One cannot really image the life you live at the moment, you lived in a fantasy world for a year and a half, between trolls, kings, knights and castles, but that is quite a while ago now, was it hard for you, after these one and a half years to return back into reality?

EW: It was a little bit, mainly for the fact that we got so used to the fact that we were in this world, especially through living in New Zealand all the time, it was difficult to assimilate to normal life, I didn't really know what my life was meant anymore, I think I was in a sort of hibernation for about five or six months after the movie.

TG: Well you shot in New Zealand, obviously a very special realm, many people now seek Middle-Earth, many were at the premiere lately, hundreds of thousands went there, you really hit a nerve at the people.

EW: Yes, there was, I think a hundred and twenty-five thousand people were at the world-premiere in Wellington, unbelievable, I've never seen something like that. There are a lot of fans, during the past few years that became more and more, the popularity increased so extraordinarily.

TG: I think that is very congenially, because actually one accused young people to mostly react to techno-stuff, and gore and violence and it must be fast and so on, but this shows that nevertheless fantasy still works.

EW: Yes, no absolutely, and it's nice to see that people enjoy sitting through a three-hour-movie without getting bored - delving into another world.

TG: You live in Los Angeles, and you made have that - let's call it excursion into the past, but what are your upcoming projects? Because you have done some other movies, but we all now see you as Frodo, what's now on your list?

EW: (adorable soft giggle) Well I live in New York now, I have a small apartment in New York, and I did a movie earlier this year with Kate Winslet and Jim Carrey, "Eternal sunshine of the spotless mind", that should come out sometime next year. And I'm actually about to go to London in April to work on a movie called "Hooligans" there, so there are a few things in the future.

TG: How often does it happen to you know that kids run after you screaming "Frodo! Frodo!"?

EW: Yeah, I get that a lot, actually, yeah, Frodo. I think I'm gonna be known as Frodo for the rest of my life, what is alright, I'm quite proud of it, it could be worse!

TG: I was always worried about your feet! In the movie you guys always climb over the most horrible stone and rubble bare footed, I always though that poor guy, also as an actor, didn't your feet hurt? Did you have plastic feet... on your feet?

Elijah holds his foot and does a huge pout.

EW: Well they were plastic, they were foam. It was a form of foam on your feet, that were applied everyday but they were actually very comfortable, and they protected our feet. Although there were a few foot injuries during the course of the movie, yeah.

TG: Now we are gonna watch a sequence of the movie, I thought it was from the second, but everybody kept telling me it was from the new, there's gotta be in similar scene in the second movie, but let's take a look:

EW: This is from the third part, yeah!

They show a fighting scene of Gollum and Sam, where Sam accuses Gollum to want them killed and Frodo tries to calm Sam down, and tells him that they need Gollum to lead the way. (Gosh I do hope it is just a provisionally Gollum dub because it is really awful! Much too human! Btw, the guy who dubs Elijah is the same who dubs the superman guy from "Smallville" what is really weird because they look so different!)

EW: (laughing) That's me speaking German!

TG: You're doing it great!

EW: Fantastic, it's ... dubbed! I'd like to say that I did all my dubbing, but I didn't, sadly.

TG: The Europe premiere here is at the 17th of December, and now I will present your bet to you: Are you a sportive guy, what do you do in your free time, any sports, as a counterbalance to the set?

EW: I'm a bit of a sportsman, I don't really follow sports so much, but I do like sports, I'm a big football-fan, I like football. Yeah.

TG: Do you know these BMX-bikes?

EW: Ya, Yeah!

TG: I will now introduce you to two young men, who stand, not far from here, in the "Europa-park" in Rüst, they are Stefan Prankel and Alexander Ezolt, are you there, guys?

SP: Yes we are, our greetings from the "Europa-Park"!

TG: Yes they are, there they stand, alongside many visitors. Stefan I will now explain to Elijah what you plan to do. Stefan and Alexander from Cologne bet that they, in a half pipe with the back-wheels of their bikes, can burst 9 balloon during a time of 3 minutes. That means they will drive back and forth in the half pipe and each times they are in the air they will try to hit the balloons with their back wheels. They have to burst 9 balloons and have 3 minutes time. At first we will introduce you two to Elijah, Stefan and Alexander, what do you do in real life?

TG: Now please be so nice and get into your starting position, I outlined the bet to Elijah, so now my question, do you think this is possible?

EW: Yes!

TG: You believe it?

EW: Ah... oh! Uh, can they, can they put nails on the wheels, something that aids them perhaps? I'm eh... I'm gonna say yes, I'm gonna say they can do it! It's three minutes?

TG: Three minutes, yes.

EW: Three minutes, let's go! Let's do this!

TG: OK, Elijah has faith in you, but what this man has experienced anybody else here hasn't!

EW: I believe!

TG: So he said they can do it, we now get them in position and then we get going.

He gets Katharina's hand.

TG: Now tell me, Katharina, in the US she is almost more popular then here in Germany, you surely know her, have you ever seen her ice-skating?

EW: I have, I have seen you skate.

KW: Thank you!

EW: Wonderful skating, it is!

TG: So, Katherina said, if she lost her bet that she promised...

EW: She's also very beautiful, as well! Very beautiful.

She laughs.

TG: Do you want us to change seats? (to let him sit next to her as well)

EW: I think I'd be to shy!

TG: There go on, Katharina dares, if you're to shy then we get her changing seats.

They all laugh and at first she sits between them for a second, but then moves to Elijah's other side.

TG: Ah, see? German girls! Katharina promised if she lost her bet she would, dressed as a female Santa Claus, skate around in the studio, but you didn't loose your bet, right?

The audience protest.

TG: Oh yes, holy crap, so you gotta do the Santa Claus!

KW: No, I think I lost the bet, yes!

TG: Oh yes, so we have something already!

EW: You gotta dress up as Santa Claus? Wow..!

TG: Yes, now pay attention, wouldn't it be nice if we had a Christmas poem along with that? They you would do the female Santa Claus, and you would recite a German poem.

EW: Yes, I'll do the poem. [...]

TG: So then we have our own little Christmas party afterwards, but at first the question is, if the two guys can pass their bet, Elijah says they can, and I say "The bet's on!"

Elijah cheers almost nervously during the time of the three minutes, actually after the time has just run out the last balloon bursts, and they win the bet. And I so hoped they wouldn't!

TG: Ok, ok...

EW: They did it! Was it just in time? Won!

TG: Won, won, won! Well, wow, that was close, well done! Frodo almost had rendered the ring freely, after saving it through three movies, but now away with it!Congratulations, Stefan and Alexander, you know how to work tension on us! But that wasn't intentional, was it, because it almost looked as if!

SP: No absolutely not, it was really hard, the balloons are actually very resistant.

Elijah between the other's appearances:

Kylie Minogue:

TG: Kylie, there you go - Elijah!

Elijah: Hello, that was wonderful!

He hugs her.

TG: Now we finally can answer a question millions of fans had asked themselves: Who is taller, Frodo or Kylie? Could you please stand up once more, next to each other? There look...

They laugh, Elijah is about 5 cm taller, but she wears high-heels.

KM: A good match, he's a good match!

TG: See, a hobbit? Wait a second I gotta give you the dubs. Thank you very much, oh come a bit closer, now, there is the German voice.

EW: They were comparing our size.

KM: Ahh. Ok now I'm all connected.

TG: and now we saw how important it is for our kids to brush their teeth, did you all see how beautiful teeth, Kylie has?

(to Katherina) I'm gonna make one of you later as well, ah you also have nice teeth!

(to Elijah) And you?

He super-smiles.

TG: Well, he's a hobbit, hobbits of course have...

EW: I smoke too much, yeah I don't have as nice teeth.

TG: You really smoke?

EW: Yeah too many, too many cigarettes, and coffee as well.

Peter Lohmeyer and Louis Klamroth:

To introduce them TG talks abouit their latest movie, which is partly about soccer, and he says that Americas don't really have a sense for soccer, Elijah seems pretty confused, because he actually told him before that he likes football - well I assume here, that he didn't mean American football, taking his shape into account .

EW: to Peter Lohmeyer Hello, how are you? Nice to meet you!

To Louis (a kid), Hi, how are you?

They all kind of assimilated to the new couch conditions and Elijah moved closer to Kylie, and casually almost sat down on her hand, with which she tried to grab her microphone, she giggles.

TG: Elijah, German film, you don't really know what that is, do you?

EW: Yes.

TG: There is something like that, it is!

PL: Ever saw a German movie?

EW: (seemed slightly defensive) There are! Of course, there are! I've seen many German movies!

Kelly and Ozzy Osbourne:

TG: So you all introduce yourselves, Elijah meats Ozzy...

Lij hugs Ozzy and Kelly

EW (to Ozzy): Good to see you!

Kelly: Hello you!

TG talks about their TV show etc.

TG: Kelly, did you see the Lord of the rings, the movies?

Kelly: I did, yeah, yeah!

TG: Frodo, he is a nice guy!

Elijah and Kelly crack up because TG doesn't check they are friends! And in a really embarrassing manner tries to save the situation and misinterprets it for flirting. Embarrassing moment!

In the end:

TG gives Mulled wine to everybody who wants.

TG: But Hobbits, hobbits drink mulled wine.

EW: Oh yes, I'm a hobbit, you know your Hobbits!

TG: Flowers for Kylie, it was so lovely to have had you here, and you stayed the hole time... Maybe because he sat next to you (goes over to Elijah) You're a good sports!

EW: Thank you, thank you so much!

TG: Thank you!

EW: It was a pleasure!

Thanks to Julia and to Laila (EWAC) for the translation! :)