Matthew Goode (Watchmen) has claimed that he auditioned for the role of Bilbo Baggins in The Hobbit. Speaking to The Daily Telegraph, the star revealed that he met with director Guillermo del Toro about taking the lead role in the Lord of the Rings prequel. The 31-year-old said he would love to play Bilbo in the two planned Hobbit films, but he admitted that he’s not the obvious choice to portray the tiny character.

The 6ft 3inch tall actor said,

“Look at the size of me for Christ’s sake!”

The release of two-part epic has been delayed until 2012.