Flair of Elijah: Prolonged exposure to the One Ring, it is written, makes a person strange. Elijah Wood has avoided this fate. He's one of Hollywood's best-adjusted young actors, despite following up The Lord of the Rings by playing some real nut jobs. Like the tourist who joins a British soccer fight club in this month's Green Street Hooligans. Or literary nerd Jonathan Safran Foer in Everything Is Illuminated, opening soon. Or whatever that perverted thing was in Sin City. And it's good to see that Wood at least keeps the pathology strictly onscreen.

Ever really beat someone up?
I'm not a violent person. I would much rather walk away or talk something down than resort to violence. That just seems so unnecessary.

Should Manchester United have been sold to an American?
These teams are incredibly important to the towns they come from. When one is owned by someone from (A) a different town and (B) America, for God's sakes, that's a pretty significant blow. I'm only making an assumption here. But I personally think, based on the information I heard, that it's pretty f--king tragic.

Do you look for roles requiring huge, crazy glasses (Sin City, Everything Is Illuminated)? Or do they find you?
These are not things that are predetermined. Yeah, though, there have been a couple of different characters with glasses. But one thing I loved about playing Jonathan Safran Foer was the character had such a distinct look. Such a practical kind of suit every day, and these odd glasses. They reflect the sense that he is at arm's length with the world.

The guy is kind of a kook. Is the real Jonathan Foer like that?
No. And I don't know that Jonathan was ever as weird as that, necessarily. The book is obviously a fictional tale with truth included. But he is in his head, he's quiet.

You are strongly identified with one of the most successful movie franchises in history. How does that make you feel? Trapped? Rich? Depressed?
There's no escaping it. But the thing about the fans of Lord of the Rings is that they're incredibly supportive of and interested in everything that I do. I actually just went to a Lord of the Rings convention and hung out with the fans.

But you still haven't read the trilogy, have you? Nor Everything Is Illuminated, for that matter.
I know it gives off the impression that I am not a literate individual. But I do love to read. My history with reading is so bizarre. I read a lot when I work, but I don't read when I have free time. I've got this weird thing.

Are you going to give up movies and become a music mogul?
A mogul? Oh, no! God forbid. I am sort of in the process of starting a small label. The idea of cultivating bands that I believe in and helping get those bands heard just seemed to be incredibly gratifying. But I've always conceived of it being on a really small level.

Seen King Kong yet?
I've seen about 20 minutes of it. It looks amazing. I think it's going to be truly incredible.