Monaghan in the dark about 'Lost'

By KEVIN WILLIAMSON, SUN MEDIA

Last Updated: 19th January 2009, 4:20pm

PARK CITY, Utah — Dying to know which killed-off castaways will find new life on Lost this year?

So is Dominic Monaghan, whose character drowned in 2007 only to pop up last season as a hallucination/ghost. The time-spanning flashback-jammed drama enters its fifth and penultimate season tomorrow.

“It’s a question for the writers, I have no idea,” the 31-year-old says of whether or not he may return.

“Why would they tell me? They’re not going to say, ‘We may have you show up.’ They’ll write something and then they’ll tell me. But I know as much about it as anyone else does.”

And there’s no reason to think he’s not being forthright. After all, it’s not like they can kill him twice.

At the very least, the tightly-guarded secrecy surrounding Lost has prepared Monaghan to deal with other similarly hush-hush high-profile projects.

Case in point: X-Men Origins: Wolverine. Although he won’t confirm it, reports have suggested he’s playing the feathered mutant Beak in the prequel, opening May 1.

“I’m really excited about it; it’s a great movie. I got the chance to work with Hugh Jackman and he’s a great guy. But I’m totally sworn to secrecy. Fox is understandably very protective over it.”

As is Monaghan — here promoting a movie entitled I Sell The Dead at the Slamdance film festival — about his personal life and his relationship with Lost co-star Evangeline Lilly. Depending on what you read when, the two are dating, broken up, back together or engaged. “You know, I’m an actor. If people want to talk about or critique my work that’s fine, but I think everything else is private. It’s something I feel passionately about.

“I don’t go to the all the clubs. It’s just not my bag at all. And if there are photographers or other people coming up to me on the street, I make it clear I’m not interested.”

Still, some attention doesn’t hurt when you’re trying to promote a small indie movie that needs all the promotional boost it can get.

Says Monaghan, who first acquired a fanbase during the Lord of the Rings trilogy, “It’s certainly easier when you have to go about selling a project. It opens doors; it helps to get interest. But it has to be a good film. I wouldn’t have done it if it wasn’t a good script. If no one tuned into Lost, I still would’ve wanted to make it. And if no one sees I Sell The Dead, I’m still proud to be in it.”

[Sources: Toronto Sun, Calgary Sun, The Niagra Falls Review]