Lord of the Rings actor Bruce Hopkins continues charity tradition with 69 backflips for 69 years of life

New Zealand actor Bruce Hopkins is planning a dizzying feat of 69 backflips into the water down at Auckland’s Wynyard Quarter on Friday and Saturday. He tells The Herald’s Mitch Hageman why.

Like a feather in the wind, Bruce Hopkins glides off the Auckland tidal stairs jumping platform with the form and elegance of someone less than half his age.

Arms and legs formed like a pro during his descent, the 69-year-old backflips into the Karanga Plaza Pool (aka Brownie’s Pool) and swims to the edge to do it again.

“Rinse and repeat,” he says with a cheeky smile.

By this point, a crowd is already forming to watch the Lord of the Rings star take flight. No doubt more will be there to support the humble grandfather on February 28 at 6.30am when he repeats the jump 68 times for charity.

The grand finale — his 69th and final flip — will take place the next day during the Z Manu World Champs final on Saturday, March 1 about 3pm.

Bruce Hopkins is ready for another of his famous backflip charity fundraisers. Photo / Michael Craig

It’s a somewhat mad idea from the Kiwi actor, one that originated from a series of physical challenges he’s put himself through over the years for a cause dear to his heart.

“Back in 2017, 2018, I walked Te Araroa, the long trail, 3000km. I was doing it for my own reasons, but realised I needed to help do something or contribute to something."

Feeling like his trek was “self-indulgent” he decided to find a charity to fundraise for and came across Grandparents Raising Grandchildren.

The organisation provides support services for grandparents who are raising their grandchildren or someone else’s child full time.

“I’ve got four grandkids. Someone said to me one time, ‘oh, yeah, it’s great, hey, you can hand them back'. I used to be insulted by that,” Hopkins said.

“[With] grandparents raising grandchildren, they don’t get to hand the children back and have a rest. It’s ongoing and it’s usually through incredibly traumatic circumstances that this is happening.”

He cited struggles with the justice system for guardianship and increased financial burdens that made the job of these grandparents extremely difficult in today’s society.

Methamphetamine and family violence were two of the key drivers that led to grandparents having to step up and raise their children’s kids, Hopkins said.

“The first time I’d heard of them I thought, ‘I want to try and raise some money for them’. So, I did that, and it was fantastic.”

His next big fundraising effort would see him take to the water.

“For my 67th birthday, I thought ‘I want to do some backflips off a wharf. 67 flips for my 67th birthday’, and it began what’s becoming a little tradition for me now.”

Hopkins trained as a PE teacher and worked as a crayfisherman before making the leap to acting. People would likely know him from his starring role as Gamling in two of Peter Jackson’s Lord of the Rings films.

While the actor and dancer knows a fair bit about keeping fit, he said training for an event like this was a bit different. Swimming back out and walking up the platform after the jumps was described as a “mini marathon” of sorts.

“I’m really fortunate in that where I rent my little, what I call my hobbit hole, along the coastline, there’s a wharf, and there are these poles at the end of the wharf. I’ve been somersaulting off there for, I’d say, seven years, and I swim all year round.”

Bruce Hopkins attracting a crowd at Wynyard Quarter with his backflips. Photo / Michael Craig

When asked what he liked most about the feeling of somersaulting, Hopkins pointed to its nostalgic thrill.

“It’s like being a kid again, you know, it’s just so joyful throwing yourself in the air. [It’s also sort of] scary when each time you have to go, ‘don’t screw this up, man, it’s gonna hurt if you do'.”

And will there be a 70th round of wharf jumping madness?

“I’ll do it for as long as I can,” he smiled.

See Hopkins backflip this Friday from 6.30am and 3pm Saturday at Karanga Plaza by the tidal stairs. Grandparents Raising Grandchildren collectors will be onsite, and you can also donate directly at grg.org.nz.

The grand final of the Z Manu World Champs is also on Saturday at Karanga Plaza from 9am, with prizegiving at 6.30pm. To find out more information about the competition, head to manuworldchamps.com.

Mitchell Hageman joined the Herald’s entertainment and lifestyle team in 2024. He previously worked as a multimedia journalist for Hawke’s Bay Today.