Evangeline Lilly's Hobbit elf 'lethal and deadly'

Evangeline Lilly says her character on The Hobbit is a warrior elf. Photo / Supplied

Evangeline Lilly has opened up about her mysterious new character Tauriel in The Hobbit, saying she plays a "big shot" in Peter Jackson's double feature.

The former Lost star told Entertainment Weekly that Tauriel - a Mirkwood elf who doesn't appear in JRR Tolkein's books but was written by Jackson solely for the film adaptations - was a "warrior".

"She's actually the head of the Elven guard. She's the big shot in the army," said Lilly.

"So she knows how to wield any weapon, but the primary weapons that she uses are a bow and arrow and two daggers. And she's lethal and deadly. You definitely wouldn't want to be caught in a dark alley next to Tauriel."

The Canadian actress also said Tauriel appears in the second Hobbit film more than the first.

"She comes into the first film near the end, and has a very small part to play. Her role in the second film is much more involved ... I think the role is becoming a bit more demanding than I had expected it to be.

"There's a lot more for me to do now, which is a lot of fun, but it's a little more pressure."

Lilly told EW she still had five months worth of The Hobbit to shoot in New Zealand, but was loving her time here.

"In some ways, it feels really familiar. I'm from Canada, and New Zealand feels like you took all the best bits of Canada and squished them onto a tiny island like Hawaii. I was absolutely blown away by the beauty of the South Island.

"I seem to be landing really great locations on a lot of my work. I hope that continues, knock on wood."

The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey will premiere on December 13 next year in Wellington and the second film, The Hobbit: There and Back Again, is set to be released on December 12 the following year.

- Herald Online