Dominic Monaghan.Photo: Vivien Killilea/Getty
At the start of his career,Dominic Monaghandidn’t expect to be successful as an actor.
But as fate would have it, Monaghan’s career ended up taking off when he was cast as Frodo Baggins’s cousin Merry Brandybuck in theLord of the Ringsseries in 2001, and later, Charlie Pace onLostin 2004.
Now, in this week’s issue of PEOPLE, the actor, 45, is opening up about finding success in Hollywood — and why he’s made the cautious decision to avoid watching his many projects.
With time and maturity, Monaghan says, he eventually learned to remain present and enjoy the ride— which is why he rarely tunes in to his own work onscreen.
“It’s just not something I do,” he explains. “I lived those things so completely, I don’t need to repeat them to have the experience.”
Everett Collection
While it’s been about 15 years since Monaghan has seen any of theLord of the Ringsfilms, he admits he’s never watched a single episode ofLost, the ABC sci-fi drama that ran for six seasons until 2010.
“I’m aware that it was a good show and I’m aware that clearly people are continuing to like it now,” he says. “People will come over to me on the street and they’ve written, ‘Not Penny’s Boat’ on their hand or people will tell me that it was their favorite character or that their kids have just got into it.”
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RELATED VIDEO: Dominic Monaghan Shares His Fondest Memory from the Set ofLost
Today, the British actor — who is currently starring as detective Paul Sarno in the AMC+ dramaMoonhaven, and as a Sherlock Holmes villain in the Audible podcast seriesMoriarty: The Devil’s Game— says he’s very grateful for his life.
“I’m aware that being on-set makes me a very fortunate actor,” he says. “I’ve learned to live in the moment.”
For more on Dominic Monaghan, pick up the latest issue of PEOPLE, on newsstands Friday, or subscribehere.
source: people.com
