The Dominic Monaghan Resource - UGO.com, December 2003

UGO.com, December 2003

Articles & Interviews - 2003

Halfing Actors Dominic Monaghan and Billy Boyd

Every big, heavy epic needs its comic relief, and up until now, Dominic Monaghan and Billy Boyd have served that purpose in The Lord of the Rings. In Return of the King, however, their characters, Merry and Pippin, get to take center stage. How do they feel about it? We sat in with them and found out.

Question: Can you tell us about the shirt you're wearing?

Dominic Monaghan: Yeah. Myself, Billy, Viggo and Elijah have become involved with a company called Carbon Neutral. They find out how much carbon you use over the year and offset that by planting trees for you. We're going to try and plant a million trees in the next two years. First, on a plot of land in Tibet, and then in New Zealand.

Billy Boyd: People will be able to buy a tree, have it planted in the fellowship forest, and then go to the forest and see the tree.

Question: Do you miss New Zealand?

Billy Boyd: I miss just hanging out, walking around Wellington. There's no rushing around, no people needing to get to the gym. It's very organic, not so regimented. It feels like it's its own little place.

Dominic Monaghan: And cheap.

Billy Boyd: Yes, and cheap.

Question: You two have been victims of a lot of trimming for the theatrical versions of the films. In Return of the King, what are you looking forward to in the extended cut?

Dominic Monaghan: I'm looking forward to about 12 scenes I was in that got cut. It's just the nature of the beast; the final movie would have been about a five and a half hours long.

Question: What will you be taking away from the experience, looking back on it now, of working on these films for the last few years?

Dominic Monaghan: Syphilis? No, I would say the friendships. I think with any jobs, if you can take friendships away with you and keep them permanent, that's the most important thing.

Question: Is there such a thing as permanent friendships in the world of moviemaking?

Dominic Monaghan: Yeah, we're not always making movies. Billy and I are trying as hard as we can to work together again, through the fellowship forest we stay connected; Elijah, Viggo and I live in the same city. We all went to see Billy in a play together last year. Basically, everything that goes on in our separate lives, we all try and share with each other.

Question: What was your favorite part of Return of the King from an acting standpoint?

Billy Boyd: For me, it's when Pippin gets to Minus Tirith. He's quite naive in this encounter, and it's nice to have time over three movies to let your character mature and have an arc. He proves himself to be noble and heroic.

Dominic Monaghan: Merry and Pippin have the most amount of drama and jeopardy in the third movie. I enjoyed watching Merry go from a happy go lucky gregarious young boy in the first movie, to a long haired, battle scarred, wounded person who's come through a lot.

Question: Did you guys listen to any Led Zeppelin 4 during the filming?

Billy Boyd: “Battle of Evermore.”

Dominic Monaghan: We listened to Zeppelin quite a lot, especially doing the battle scenes. Billy and I met Jack Black in New York, and he asked us why there was no Zeppelin in Lord of the Rings. With the theme that Peter was going for, I don't think it would've worked out with contemporary music.

Question: So what's next for you guys?

Dominic Monaghan: While these guys go off to Berlin, I'm going to New York to finish up a film. It's about a band obsessed with the Beatles who are breaking up. Then Billy and I are spending Christmas and New Year together.

Billy Boyd: Like last year.

Question: What else do you guys do together?

Billy Boyd: Nothing much, but we DO like women.