“I Literally Lost the Skin Around My Eyes”: Gimli Actor Shares Harrowing Prosthetic Toll in Lord of the Rings

In a revealing interview, John Rhys-Davies—best known as Gimli in The Lord of the Rings trilogy—opened up about the severe physical toll that came with wearing the franchise’s iconic prosthetics. Shockingly, he revealed that the makeup process caused him to lose the skin around his eyes, a testament to the grueling demands of on-screen transformations.

A Painful Transformation

According to Rhys-Davies, after months of wearing prosthetic “eyebags,” the delicate skin beneath and around his eyes began to deteriorate. He described experiencing topical eczema, losing the upper layer of skin each time the prosthetics were applied. The result? He likened his appearance to a “sick, puffy-eyed panda with bloody eyes.” On particularly bad days, production had to pause because there simply wasn’t enough skin left for the makeup to adhere to.

The Most Unpleasant Experience

In a later, more detailed recounting, Rhys-Davies elaborated on how this abrasion led to a near-constant, swollen-eyed state. The irritation, coupled with his habit of subconsciously scratching while sleeping, made the process increasingly unbearable. He admitted it was “maybe the most unpleasant process” he’s ever endured for a role.

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Bottom Line: Bringing beloved characters like Gimli to life came at a steep personal cost. This candid disclosure sheds light on the lesser-known, physically punishing aspects of cinematic transformation—reminding us just how much actors sometimes endure behind the scenes to make magic happen.