Second or thirding the points about Townsend.
My additional tidbits gleaned from hither & yon: Russell Crowe says he was offered the Aragorn role but wouldn’t take that much time away from home (Thank you God). Daniel Day-Lewis was contacted re Aragorn, but was too tied up with “Gangs of New York”
Sean Connery has stated recently that he was offered Gandalf but didn’t understand the script, book, or story. So wouldn’t commit that long a period of time to a project he didn’t understand - a shorter period, yes, but not a year and a half. (again, thank the lord).
I think another actress was originally cast as Eowyn, but pregnancy interfered. So we got Miranda. (yay)
I’ve never heard names bandied about seriously (I don’t consider Ethan Hawke for Faramir and Uma Thurman as Eowyn serious) for the other characters. I’d be interested to know if others have.
David Bowie wanted to play Elrond, but would have been too recognizable as himself.
Jackson and crew have been quoted as wanting Christopher Lee involved somehow from the beginning, and they said they always imagined Sean Bean as Boromir. Then after he was cast, David Wenham got to be Faramir in part due to his resemblance to Bean. Though they were at wits end about who to cast as Frodo, apparently, when they got around to watching Elijah Wood’s “home made” audition tape.
and that’s my geeky post for the day
(yes, I love the films & I think they were incredibly well cast)