Archive for the ‘News & Gossip’ Category
Dominic Monaghan currently plays Charlie, the burned-out rocker stranded on an isle of the damned on ABC’s Lost . But as the Dec. 14 release of The Lord of the Rings: The Return of the King Special Extended DVD Version approaches, we’re bringing him back to his life and times as Frodo’s fellow hobbit, Merry Brandybuck. Specifically, TV Guide Online wants the scoop on those gay rumors ? both on-screen and off. Was there ever anything behind Frodo and Sam’s legendary longing looks? And just how close were boon companions Merry and Pippin? Or were those hairy-footed hobbits ? and their cute portrayers ? just friends? Here, Monaghan dishes the dirt.
You’ve got a big female fan base. Are you still unattached? Dominic Monaghan: I am. I’m working so much. I still enjoy female company, but in terms of anything really serious, that’s not really where my head’s at.
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The Lord of the Rings movies and ABC’s Lost are divergent tales, but they have more in common than meets the eye. Both are runaway hits. Each features filming on a verdant Pacific island that allows for adventurous off-day activities.
“I love having the opportunity to surf,” says Dominic Monaghan, speaking from Hawaii, where he is part of the Lost ensemble.
Both also share Monaghan, who came to renown as the hobbit Meriadoc “Merry” Brandybuck in the Tolkien trilogy, and his exceptionally devoted fan base.
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“Lost” star Dominic Monaghan reports that he and his “Lord of the Rings’” homies, er hobbits, are creating their own off-screen fellowship.
“Elijah Wood and I are working on starting up a T-shirt company,” says Monaghan. “We’re just big fans of clothes so we want to do certain designs of clothes we wish were out there, with text we’d like to see on T-shirts. We’re in the midst of putting together designs now.” Monaghan says he’s also collaborating with Billy Boyd, who played Pippin in the “LOTR” sagas. “Billy and I are in the midst of writing and doctoring a couple of scripts.”
The actor, who’s been in Hawaii shooting “Lost,” says the “LOTR” fellowship, which includes Viggo Mortenson and Orlando Bloom, does more than just stay in touch. “I still see the guys all the time.” In fact, he’s expecting visits from the “LOTR” gang through the holidays. “Viggo and Orlando are coming over for Thanksgiving. Then Billy and Elijah are coming over for New Year’s Eve.” They’ll need all of Gandalf’s magical powers to keep the “LOTR” groupies away, that’s for sure.
AIM Celebrity
Dominic Monaghan, who played “Merry Brandybuck” in the “Lord of the Rings” trilogy, has shaved his hairy feet. Now he’s a one-hit-wonder musician turned drug addict — “Charlie” — in “Lost.
Monaghan admits he’s struggled since the Tolkien trilogy hit the big screen with people internationally associating him with “a very cute, adorable, sweet-hearted, nonthreatening kind of boy.” Then “Lost” came along and Monaghan jumped at the chance to show he had way more in him than that. He doesn’t mind that audiences loved his Hobbit character — he just knows he has to move on to a very different personality, or he’ll end up being typecast.
Seeing “Lost” as a new break in television and hearing that the show was a bit of a risk, Monaghan saw it as a calculated risk well worth the taking and isn’t surprized at its popularity. However, fame doesn’t come naturally to some of the cast, who, being their first job, are quite nervous about their own new popularity. With feelings ranging from fear to excitement, Monaghan reveals that the 14-member cast are becoming very close and supportive, giving each other advice and keeping everyone’s feet on the ground.
Monaghan grew up in Manchester, England, where he felt the draw to acting early when he saw Star Wars, specifically idolizing the character “Hans Solo”. As a child, he has also been the proud owner of snakes, lizards, bugs and beetles, and currently has a black widow spider. As an environmentalist, he’s hoping to use his fame to promote those causes.
LORD OF THE RINGS star DOMINIC MONAGHAN was a teenage entrepreneur in his native Manchester, England, when he realised he could sell sweets and comics for a huge profit.
The actor admits he was a wheeler-dealer back in school – and made a small fortune doing it.
He recalls, “I didn’t get a lot of pocket money when I was a kid so I struck upon the idea of selling the candy that I brought to school for 100 per cent profit and then buying more and then coming back the next day with more.
“I made some cash and I had to write the orders on my hands because then it became like comic books, certain items of clothing. It became more of a big deal.”
LORD OF THE RINGS star DOMINIC MONAGHAN owes VIGGO MORTENSEN a huge debt of gratitude after the movie hunk saved him from a hefty fine and a reprimand on the set of the epic trilogy after he took him surfing.
The stars of the films were strictly forbidden from surfing in New Zealand, where they shot the films, because active sports injuries were not covered by insurers.
But Monaghan, a proficient surfer, couldn’t resist taking pals Mortensen and BILLY BOYD out for a session – and almost paid dearly for his dangerous hobby.
He says, “We were filming THE FELLOWSHIP OF THE RING, and, if you notice, you can only see Viggo from the side profile for a few sequences because we went surfing.
“He fell off his board, his board went up in the air… and smacked him right in the eye.
“As he surfed over to Billy and I to say, ‘How do I look?’ we saw his eye just close.
“Viggo, being the cool guy that he is, said that he fell down the stairs or trod on a frog or something like that and we got away with it.”
