LONDON: Actor Martin Freeman has revealed that he and Andy Serkis were known as the "Tolkien white guys" on the sets of "Black Panther".
Both Freeman and Serkis have appeared in the Hobbit series, which were based on celebrated author J R R Tolkien's novel of the same name.
Freeman played Bilbo Baggins in the series, while Serkis reprised his "Lord of the Rings" role of Gollum.
"Because we had performed in 'The Hobbit' together, we were known as the 'Tolkien white guys'," he said in an appearance on "The Graham Norton show".
In the Ryan Coogler-directed film, Freeman played CIA agent Everett K Ross and Serkis played black-market arms smuggler, Ulysses Klaue.
The 46-year-old actor also recalled the experience of watching "Black Panther" with a live crowd.
"It's been amazing. It's done amazingly well and we're all very proud of it. It feels like a moment.
It's lovely to be part of that," he said.
"(The premieres) were like football matches. They were properly vocal. Pretty much every fifth line was getting a big woof. People were hungry for it. People wanted it, like it was a bit more than a film," he added.
'Black Panther' surpasses 'Titanic' at the box office, makes it to top three grossers ever in US
Black Panther will inspire people of all backgrounds, former US first lady Michelle Obama
Black Panther: isiXhosa, the language of the Wakandans, is a real South African tongue
'Wakanda forever, India forever', says 'Black Panther' hero Chadwick Boseman
'Black Panther' movie review: A game changer for Marvel