| Manchester Evening News, 4 August 2005 |
| Articles & Interviews - 2004 | |||
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Lost star finds paradise Ian Wylie 4/ 8/2005 LORD Of The Rings star Dominic Monaghan lives in Hawaii and Hollywood, but he still dreams of home back in Manchester. "I only moved out there for work. I'd never had a huge fascination with LA but I wasn't going to sit around waiting for work in England," he says. "I love England, it's my home. But there simply weren't the opportunities there for me. I don't buy into any of that Hollywood rubbish. I'm not out chasing Paris Hilton around bars or any of that stuff. "I go to the gym and I hang out and have a close group of friends. We watch movies and play video games and that's about it. It's kind of like my life in Manchester, only a bit warmer." Born in Berlin but raised in Manchester, he adds: "I miss the pubs, although I don't miss being drunk every Thursday, Friday, Saturday and Sunday night. I miss the football, getting up on a Saturday for United against Liverpool, getting excited, going and putting a bet on and walking down to the pub. I miss the sarcasm and the sense of humour." Best known as Hobbit Meriadoc "Merry" Brandybuck in the Lord Of The Rings trilogy, he's back on British TV next week in American import Lost (Channel 4, Wednesday, 8.30pm). As you may have seen from the trailers, the series doesn't spare any expense. The pilot episode cost over $5m, including $250,000 to move wrecked plane pieces to Hawaii, where most of the filming takes place. Pacific Island The story begins with a plane crashing on to a remote Pacific island and 48 bewildered castaways scrambling for safety. Some of the survivors have secrets and not all appear to be who they say they are. Then there's a fearsome creature stalking them from the woods and the possibility that they're not really alone. Dominic plays Charlie, a faded rock star who has a painful secret of his own. "Basically, huge aspects of who he is have crumbled around him. His relationship with his family, his music career and his faith have all gone off the rails. He is, for want of a better word, a little lost." ONCE a regular at Manchester Youth Theatre before a spell in BBC1's Hetty Wainthrop Investigates, Dominic admits the global success of the Rings films has altered his life. "Everything around you changes, whether you like it or not. Everybody responds to you differently. I've had to revisit and reconnect with everyone in my life. I've had to sit down with family and close friends and make them understand that I'm still the same person and I still care about the same things. "But, of course, some things are different. When I started Lord Of The Rings I was 21. By the time it all came out, I was 26. So I changed, definitely. New Zealand "And I learned to skateboard and surf and went bungee jumping and met some amazing people in New Zealand. So, of course I changed, and that's a good thing. What kind of person would I be if the experience hadn't changed me?" With a second series about to start filming, Lost shows how the survivors cope with life trapped on a tropical island that seems to be subject to strange, malevolent forces. "It's essentially the story of how human beings react and respond to life-threatening situations." The drama also stars Party Of Five actor Matthew Fox, who plays hero Jack Shepherd, and Evangeline Lilly, named by one magazine as the second sexiest woman on the planet. Dominic and the rest of the cast are based in Hawaii for filming. "Lots of us live together in the same pockets of villages. We spend weekends socialising. And the show plays in America every Wednesday, so whoever features most strongly in that episode would host a party. People would come over and watch the show all together. "I really like Matthew Fox's family, so I'd go out and play with his kids. "I always seem to find myself gravitating towards kids. There's no ego - I just like to mess around and play practical jokes with them. "It's a very blessed place to live. And it's much better weather than Manchester." http://www.manchestereveningnews.co.uk/entertainment/film_and_tv/s/168/168318_lost_star_finds_paradise_.html
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