Bombur, Bofur, and Bifur: A Character Synopsis

Left to Right: Bombur (Stephen Hunter), Bofur (James Nesbitt), and Bifur (Willaim Kircher)

Bombur "the Swollen One" and Bofur (meaning of name unknown) are brothers and cousins to Bifur "Hard Worker". All three are descendants of the Dwarves of Khazad-dûm, although none are related to Durin's line. In the book Bofur and Bifur both wear yellow hoods and play the clarinet. Out of the thirteen Dwavres to travel to the Lonely Mountain, Bombur is the heaviest and in the book the provider of much comic relief. He is constantly falling asleep at the most inappropriate times and because of his size, usually forced to the back of the line where he forgets to stop causing several Dwarf pile-ups. He plays the drum and wears a green hood.

Stephen Hunter has appeared on many TV series including Street Legal (Stan), Mercy Peak (Farmer), Love My Way (Sharpie), All Saints (Scott Griffith / Det. Sgt. James Kader), CJ the DJ (Si), Review with Myles Barlow (Kyle Sandilands), and Spirited (Larry). In an interview with TheOneRing.net, Hunter states, “The Hobbit is my first job in fantasy – in fact this is my first big-budget film... Being cast in The Hobbit is really exciting and really an honour. I’m just going to throw everything I’ve got into it. If I don’t come out the other end absolutely exhausted then I haven’t done my job.”

James Nesbitt was born on January 15, 1965 in Coleraine, Northern Ireland. His filmography beings back in 1984 and includes some well-known titles such as The Young Indiana Jones Chronicles (Yuri), Ballykissangel (Leo McGarvey), Waking Ned Devine (Pig Finn), Cold Feet (Adam Williams), Millions (Ronnie), and Jekyll (Dr. Tom Jackman / Mr Hyde / Dr Jekyll). Nesbitt has won 6 acting awards and has been nominated 12 times. In recent news, there have been reports of Nesbitt being diagnosed with DVT due to his frequent long flights from the UK to New Zeland, where The Hobbit is being filmed.

William Kircher’s career also began in 1984 and includes Hot Target (Pearson), Send a Gorilla (Ned), Shark in the Park (B.P.), The Last Tattoo (Gibbon), Return to Treasure Island (Pearce), City Life (Ross Palmer), Xena: Warrior Princess (Captain), and Legend of the Seeker (The Merchant). Kircher not only acts but also produces. He and his wife and four daughters reside in Eastbourne.

The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey hits theaters 

December 14, 2012 followed by The Hobbit: There and Back Again on December 13, 2013.