| Telegraph (UK), 16 October 2001 |
| Articles & Interviews - 2001 | |||
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Making Merry Dominic Monaghan is a very busy boy. His mobile rings constantly, a pile of scripts are waiting to be read at home and he's even got a list of things to do scribbled in blue biro on his arm. Why? Simple, because he has a part in the biggest movie of the year (yes, that includes Harry Potter). The Mancunian actor...reveals to T2 what it was like to appear as hobbit Merry Brandybuck in the epic adventure The Lord of the Rings Were you aware what a huge, huge film this was going to be? Not, really. I was such a small cog in this huge wheel that was turning. I'm starting to realise now that this isn't just a movie, it's an event. Even people like Liv Tyler and Cate Blanchett said it was the biggest movie they'd ever been in. How did you get the part of Merry? I was in a play in London and the casting directors came to see it. They asked me if I knew the book and I did. Anyway I went off to do this job in France. Five months later and my agent called to say, 'I don't want to excite you but they're quite interested in you for Lord of the Rings'. I was like, 'Omigod!'. Before I knew it I'd got the part and was packed and off to New Zealand. I was working on Monsignor Renard at the time so I had a week to come home, celebrate with my family and friends, move out of my house and pack for a year and a half. And it was hell. It was one of the hardest weeks of my life. Where did you stay for those 18 months in New Zealand? At first we were in hotels but then we were shown all these estate agents pictures of houses and told to pick any one we wanted. Like you do. Mine slept nine. Wasn't it nerve-wracking to walk on set and see people like Sir Ian McKellan and Cate Blanchett standing there? I try not to approach things in a nervous way. It was difficult with this job but I just tried to realise that it was just another job. Did you ever get homesick? Oh yeah. I have a small group of very, very close friends. They are friends who I love. Not to see them on a daily basis was hard but they all came over to visit. I said to them this isn't just about me, it's an opportunity for you to travel and come and stay with me. What did you miss the most? Good TV and Manchester United matches. I'd listen to games on the radio or on the Internet and sometimes my dad would send me over tapes of Match of the Day but I did miss going to the games. What were your most memorable moments? I kept a diary and there are so many moments. I remember one day when I was in the hotel and I got a call saying, 'Mr Monaghan, your helicopter is here to pick you up.' That was quite nice. Don't you miss that foxy wig? No! It made me look like a Seventies football player. Some of the crew got so used to seeing me in it that when I they saw me out socialising they didn't even recognise me. Did you make any good friends on set? Yes, I made some incredible friends. We are so close and connected, especially the four Hobbits. We still meet up when we can. We all went through this weird experience together that I think will always tie us together. There are only eight other people in the world that know what I got up to in those 18 months. Did it take you a while to adjust to being back at home? Yes, ages. I had quite a hard time of it. I just couldn't settle. I went to see my brother in Australia, then went back to Manchester for four days, then to London, then Dublin, New York, LA and then back to Manchester. I just couldn't deal with it. I said to my mum, 'I feel really strange being back in Manchester.' She said, 'Well, you've been away for nearly two years, it's normal.' I'm fine now but it's an experience I'll never really get over. Original Source: Telegraph.co.uk
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