Welsh actor John Rhys-Davies, best known for playing Gimli in the "Lord of the Rings" movies, has a new romance with a New Zealand TV reporter.

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The Dominion Post says Lisa Manning and Rhys-Davis met in September when he returned to New Zealand for a fantasy and science fiction convention. Manning interviewed him for the television show "Good Morning" and the couple were later seen together at the convention.

The "Rings" trilogy was shot in New Zealand. Rhys-Davies, who is more than 6 feet tall, played a dwarf via special effects and size doubles.

Manning, who recently lost her television job in a reorganization, has reportedly joined Rhys-Davies at his Isle of Man home.

Before leaving, Manning told New Zealand Woman's Weekly that she was romantically involved with an unnamed 60-year-old British actor she described as "kind, generous, caring, extremely intelligent and funny."