In an interview with SFX, Evangeline Lilly was asked some questions about the character she’ll be playing in the upcoming film ‘The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey.’ For those who may not know, she was cast as a Woodland Elf named Tauriel (most likely a Mirkwood Elf like Legolas).

Lilly explains that she was a Tolkien purist who refused to see the original ‘Lord of the Rings’ when it first came out on principle, but was won over by Peter Jackson’s true-to-spirit adaptation and has since become a tremendous fan. She also expresses her own worry that purists like her will see her turn as Tauriel – a character created specifically for the movie who is not in the book – as a black mark on the film.

Here are some segments of the interview:

Did you have any reservations about joining The Hobbit cast? “With The Hobbit, it was a no-brainer because I have been a fan of those books since I was 13-years-old.” Being a fan of the books, what did you make of Jackson’s Lord Of The Rings trilogy and all the changes he made to the story? “When the original came out in theatres, I swore up and down that I would not see them because I thought it was sacrilege that anyone would adapt Tolkien’s work. I didn’t think anyone would justify films by making them as good as they should be. Then my entire family when I was visiting went to see the movie and so I relented and went. We were all fans of the books and we were all blown away! It was a little piece of magic what Peter Jackson accomplished because it was truly a homage to the books rather than an offense.”

While there are no real details about what her character will be doing – aside from shooting arrows, swinging swords and speaking Elvish – it is comforting in knowing that, as a purist herself, she is still enthusiastic to play this role. Jackson’s previous work has earned him the benefit of the doubt from fans when it comes to creative license, and this fan is curious to see Tauriel and what role she will play in the journey to the Lonely Mountain. The journey will take them through Mirkwood, and it has been confirmed that Orlando Bloom will reprise his role as Legolas in these films.

The entire interview with Lilly, where she discusses both ‘The Hobbit’ and the upcoming ‘Real Steel,’ can be found here at SFX.

‘The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey,’ which is the first of two films, will be released on December 14, 2012.