Can you please remind me which movie put Elijah Wood's career "on the map?"
—Cheryl H., Colorado
The Lord of the Rings: The Fellowship of the Rings catapulted the 22-year-old star from respected child actor to serious movie star. Before that, he worked in many films, making it difficult to pinpoint the movie that, "put him on the map." Born in Cedar Rapids, Iowa, he started out as a child model and did local television ads until his family moved to Los Angeles so he could pursue acting roles. His first acting job was in a Paula Abdul video. He made his movie debut in Avalon, and went on to significant roles in Forever Young with Mel Gibson, The Good Son with Macaulay Culkin, and North. Although the critics panned North, they praised Wood's performance. He solidified that impression with his work in The Ice Storm, which was both a critical and popular success. You might argue that he emerged as a real up-and-comer as the intelligent high school student who discovers an asteroid hurtling towards Earth in Deep Impact. That film exposed him to a far larger audience.
