Archive for 2002

Billy Boyd and Dominic Monaghan are as close and funny in real life as their characters in Lord of the Rings, Pippin and Merry. Talking with these two “hobbits”, we could realize that the friendship that started in the set of filming, in New Zealand, must last forever. But beyond having a lot of fun, the two actors prove that they can also be serious (once in a while) and can approach subjects such as the deforestation, something that happens every day. Catch your pipe, your grass-of-smokes, relax and enjoy the interview.

What’s this in your hands? Lembas? BB: Lembas! Hehehe, it’s chocolate, from Vienna. We got it from a very nice journalist….what do you have there for us?

DM: It’s my birthday today [it was actually his birthday!]. Give me one of these CDs!
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From playing TV detective Hetty Wainthrop’s sidekick to being one of the saviours of Middle-earth, the last few years have been a wild ride for Manchester’s Dominic Monaghan. Now based in LA, the man who plays Merry in “Lord of the Rings” hopes the best is still yet to come…

Did you have any doubts about committing so much time to “The Lord of the Rings”?

To be honest, it didn’t cross my mind, I was just so happy when I was offered the role. I’d be really nervous going to auditions, convinced that I wouldn’t get it, so when I was offered the chance to play Merry I was delighted. It’s a dream, I can’t even begin to tell you how my life has changed since doing this job. It changed at that moment when I said “Yes” to Peter Jackson. It’s incredible.
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They were the comic relief of The Lord of the Rings: The Fellowship of the Ring . Hobbits Meriadoc “Merry” Brandybuck and Peregrin “Pippin” Took drew snickers from audiences at the theaters, but the actors who portray them, Dominic Monaghan and Billy Boyd , have since probably drawn more on press tours and in the DVD extras. As you read, you might hear in your mind’s ear Monaghan’s deadpan English accent and Boyd’s twinkling Scottish lilt. We find them in the land of the Ents, taking tea with Treebeard. Take it away, boys…

Billy Boyd : Treebeard gets incredibly sore for your bum. We were up that tree for about twelve hours a day. The strange thing was, they built this tree. It was 20 feet tall. It made the acting easier because his face was there; it was animatronic. There was an actor there reading the lines. Really beautifully, which helped. And as Treebeard swept us up to look at us, we were actually being lifted 20 feet, so it all felt quite real.
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The hero hobbit of Heaton Chapel returned to his Stockport school to tell drama students about his own epic tale.

Former pupil Dominic Monaghan, 25, who plays the hapless halfling Merry in the blockbuster Lord of the Rings, visited St Anne’s RC School’s drama department.

Fresh from wrestling Orcs, Cave Trolls and a Balrog in Middle Earth to protect ring-bearer Frodo Baggins from the evils of the dark Lord Sauron, actor Dominic encouraged students to begin their own heroic journeys.
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At The Lord of the Rings: The Two Towers press junket we also talked to Dominic Monaghan and Billy Boyd, who play Merry and Pippin, respectively, in all three of Peter Jackson’s movies. The two shared their thoughts with us on the films, life and more.

Sean (Astin) mentioned women like to dress up as Frodo and Sam at conventions. What’s the weirdest thing you’ve seen?
Dom – Well, we like to dress up as women (laughter).

How’s life changed since last year?
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Benji and Joel from Good Charlotte sit down with Hobbits Dominic Monaghan (Merry) and Billy Boyd (Pippin) and talk about puberty, P. Diddy, tattoos, religion and ? oh yes, “The Lord of the Rings: The Two Towers.”

Joel: I love “The Lord of the Rings,” all the lords and all the rings. In the first movie, you guys were comical kind of sidekicks. In ["The Lord of the Rings: The Two Towers"], I felt you had really important ? it was like there was another movie inside the movie. I’m sure there is a word for that in movie terms.

Boyd: Let’s call it a sub movie.

Joel: For the whole movie, my mind was in two different places. I was watching Frodo, then I was watching you guys with the trees. I was excited, because I liked you guys in ["The Lord of the Rings: The Fellowship of the Ring"] ? I can’t believe I’m sitting here and you guys are Hobbits. In “The Two Towers,” it was so cool that you had such an important, big, other part of the movie, like a whole different movie. How’d you feel about that?
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Dominic Monaghan was best known for the TV show “Hetty Wainthropp Investigates”, but since his prominent role in ‘The Lord Of The Rings: The Fellowship Of The Rings’ he is known to millions as Merry, a mischievous Hobbit and friend to Frodo Baggins (Elijah Wood) . Before he got his first TV role, he was studying English Literature, Drama and Geography at Sixth Form College. The “Hetty Wainthropp…” show which he was offered the co-starring role in ran for four years.

His other television credits include “This Is Personal: The Hunt for the Yorkshire Ripper” and a leading role in “Monsignor Renard”, also starring John Thaw.

On the stage, Monaghan has performed in the world premiere UK production of The Resurrectionists, Whale and Annie and Fanny from Bolton to Rome, but since watching ‘Star Wars’ when he was six years old, Dominic has been consumed by films.
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