Elijah Wood goes dark

Wed, 19 Jun 2013 16:09:00 +0000

Elijah Wood, 32, has been acting on the big screen for three quarters of his life -- but in "Maniac," Franck Khalfoun's remake of the 1980 slasher movie of the same name, Wood manages to find a new challenge: playing the serial killer Frank Zito in a film shot almost entirely through Zito's point of view. Wood creates Zito's persona through the actions of his hands, his breathing, his muttering and where his gaze lands.

Wood, probably most famous for playing Frodo in "Lord of the Rings," has largely avoided falling into the "child star" trap or being typecast, by looking for roles that keep him on his toes. Since "Lord of the Rings," he's played a serial killer as a supporting role in "Sin City," a young adult on an emotional journey in indie film "Everything Is Illuminated," a supporting role as creepy Patrick in "Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind," and the severely depressed, hallucinating Ryan in FX's TV show "Wilfred." Wood talked to Salon about the future of the film industry, his favorite books and what it's like to play the villain.

Salon.com > maniac

Elijah Wood goes dark