Elijah Wood spends plenty of time Down Under

LOS ANGELES – New Zealand and Australia have become second homes for Elijah Wood.

Not only did he make trips Down Under from 1999-2004 to shoot the "Lord of the Rings" trilogy, but he also just returned from filming "The Hobbit" there. That's not the only connection. His FX series, "Wilfred," is based on an Australian TV series, and he did all the recording for his new animated film, "Happy Feet Two," in Aussie studios.

Most of the "Happy Feet" recordings were done in Los Angeles. But director George Miller shifted everything to his native country for the sequel.

"The difference it made was significant. It was more immersive because we were away from home," Wood says. "I love being away. I love the part of the film where you create bonds with all the people you are working with.

"It's easier to do that when you are all immersed in a project far away from home. I feel like it brings people closer together."

Wood reprises the role of Mumble, the penguin who couldn't sing but had some fancy footwork. This time, Mumble is a dad and dealing with new problems.

Wood was particularly excited about working with Robin Williams, who reprises his role as the macho penguin Ramon. Wood, an animation fan, considers Williams' work in "Aladdin" as one of the biggest influences on him as an actor.

Wood started acting when he was 8, but had not done much voice work before "Happy Feet." He remembered the energy and creativity Williams brought to the voice of the Genie in "Aladdin" and used that when he got behind the microphone.

It helped that Williams was in the recording studio with him.

"He's a legend in comedy and creating voices. So to get to work with someone like that, in the medium he's spent quite a lot of time in and is established so well, it was just a treat. He's a generous and kind human being and hilarious to be around," Wood says.

The 30-year-old actor has worked in a variety of films over the years, including the "Lord of the Rings" trilogy, "Sin City" and "Bobby." He's made guest appearances on TV shows, but "Wilfred" is his first full-time series. He plays a man who sees his neighbor's dog as a man in a dog suit.

"I was mainly interested in drama, but also looking to see if I could find something in comedy I could express. I had never done comedy before," Wood says. "'Wilfred' blew my mind. It isn't a traditional comedy. The dramatic elements help the comedy along. I love that its steeped in some kind of reality that things are happening to these people."

He'll get to keep working on the series, since FX ordered a second season.