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.

James Nesbitt's Possible DVT Diagnosis

According to an article posted by Independent.ie, James Nesbitt, playing Bofur in Peter Jackson's The Hobbit films, is suffering from DVT. Deep Venous Thrombosis is a forming blood clot usually found in the legs, as is the case with Nesbitt. The condition is being blamed on the actor's frequent flights between the UK and New Zealand, where The Hobbit is being filmed. This report came after witnesses saw Nesbitt severely limping at a charity golf match. No word yet on what this means for Nesbitt's future travel between the two countries.


Filming of The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey (scheduled for release on December 14, 2012) and The Hobbit: There and Back Again (December 13, 2013) is due to continue filming again this October 2011 after a brief hiatus to allow Martin Freeman (playing Bilbo Baggins) to film the hit UK TV show Sherlock’s second season.


The staff here at Middle-earth News wishes James Nesbitt all the best and a very speedy recovery. If you would like to send him a "get well" message leave one on our comment section below. Once we've gathered a good amount we will send them to Peter Jackson so he may forward them onto James Nesbitt.

Next Photo of Dwarves Hits the Web: Bombur, Bofur, and Bifur

In this photo released by IGN we meet Bombur (Stephen Hunter), Bofur (James Nesbitt), and Bifur (William Kircher) and I have to say, the moment I saw it I burst into laughter. You definitely get a sense of humor with these Dwarves and I can’t wait to see their characters develop on screen.

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

The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey hits theaters December 14th 2012 followed by The Hobbit: There and Back Again on Decemeber 13th, 2013.