British actor Dominic Monaghan only won a role in hit show Lost after persuading TV bosses to transform his character from a 45-year-old has-been rocker into a confused young musician. Monaghan, 28, felt his part as Charlie would have more depth if he was younger and less experienced, and the switch allowed the actor to channel his own life into the part. He says, “Charlie was a 45-year-old rocker who had been spat out the other side – they were looking at someone like (the actor) John Hannah. My pitch was, ‘Wouldn’t it be a more interesting character if he was someone who has barely scratched the surface of what he could be?’ I had a lot of frustration and confusion about my career that I transplanted into Charlie.”

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Lost star Dominic Monaghan became depressed when he couldn’t find work after Lord of the Rings. The actor, who played hobbit Merry in the epic trilogy, struggled to get another job after spending almost four years filming and promoting the Tolkien films.

He confessed: “I wasn’t taking care of myself. I was sleeping in the day and getting up at night. I wrote 50 journals in a year. I’d never been depressed so I didn’t understand it. I felt like I had a big weight on my chest.”

Dominic, who plays drug addict rocker Charlie in Lost, believes he was typecast after Lord of the Rings, which didn’t help his chances of employment.

He explained to Britain’s New magazne: “I was being asked to audition for sh*t teen horror films, fantasy-type things. I was trying to work out where do I go from here, is this the best it’s ever going to be?

“I had enough money to get food, but I was kind of scuppering myself because I didn’t have a car or a phone.”

Dominic was eventually pulled out of his depression by his Rings co-star Billy Boyd. He revealed: “Billy was a big help. He was doing Master and Commander in Mexico and said, ‘Come down!’ So I took my surfboard and we chatted. He reminded me of why I wanted to be an actor and I had days where I could see the magic.

“I think it will be a long time now before I could go back into that hole.”

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Actor DOMINIC MONAGHAN has a huge problem working on the set of hit TV show Lost – all of his cast mates smell after a few weeks of shooting. The show features a host of characters who are stranded on a deserted tropical island after a plane crash, and have only the clothes they’re wearing. And the authentic nature of their look translates into unpleasant odors, according to the Lord Of The Rings star. He says, “Obviously, the characters have no real showering system on the island… I think I’ve only changed (clothing), like, three times on the island. We’re stinky, but we live with it. It’s part of the charm of the Lost cast. You bring visitors on set, and they’re very excited to see everyone – until they get within three or four feet. Then they realize we all stink.”

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LOST star Dominic Monaghan warmed up for the Emmy Awards by downing Mojito cocktails with co-star Jorge Garcia.

Brit Dominic plays drug addict musician Charlie Pace in the Channel 4 show, which won the Best Drama gong at the Emmys in LA.

He joked that Jorge – who plays loveable Hurley Reyes – had been a bad influence on him.

The actor, best known as Merry the hobbit in Lord of the Rings, said: “I drove in with Jorge, we spent 45 mins drinking Mojitos in the limo.
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A group of LOST fans have become so fixated with DOMINIC MONAGHAN’s rocker character CHARLIE PACE on the show, they’ve set up real-life fansites for his fictional band DRIVESHAFT.

Monaghan plays one of several characters stranded after a plane crash, and he’s stunned to learn that he’s managed to attract fans almost as committed as those who followed his hit LORD OF THE RINGS trilogy.

He says, “That’s the internet for you. It has a life of its own. It’s a world bigger than our world that we can’t control – kind of like the Matrix.”

But Monaghan does like the idea of making his fans happy by bringing the band to life, adding, “If it did (happen), I’d be heavily involved with it. I would be singing and doing backing vocals, and maybe I’d try to play some guitar or some bass or some piano.”

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