Dominic Monaghan On Why His 'Quirky' Moonhaven Character Suits His Personality - Exclusive
Dominic Monaghan is no stranger to playing quirky characters. In fact, his introduction to Hollywood came in the form of the one-two punch of portraying a Hobbit in Peter Jackson's blockbuster "Lord of the Rings" trilogy and, soon after, a washed-up rock star on the cult-hit series "Lost."
Twenty years later, Monaghan is still a go-to guy for unconventional personalities. Just look at his latest role on the offbeat sci-fi mystery series "Moonhaven," which is now streaming on AMC+. On it, he plays Paul Sarno, an eccentric detective who's trying to solve a murder that occurred in his utopian colony on the Moon that was created in order to find solutions to the problems that will soon end civilization on Mother Earth.
As Detective Sarno, Monaghan focuses on emotions rather than clues to catch the killer, even offering to perform a soothing dance for the victim's long-lost sister so that she can come to terms with her untapped feelings. It's a role that the actor seems to effortlessly step into, and one that fits in perfectly on his resume.
During an exclusive interview with Looper, Monaghan explained why he portrays so many quirky characters — even though he sometimes wishes he'd be cast as a big-budget superhero.
Moonhaven naturally brings out Monaghan's 'artistic' side
In addition to "Moonhaven," "Lost," and the "Lord of the Rings" trilogy, Monaghan has also appeared in "X-Men Origins: Wolverine" and "Star Wars: The Rise of Skywalker," among other notable projects.
When asked what makes such "quirky" roles appealing to him, Monaghan is blunt.
"Those are the ones that I get offered," he says. "I would very much enjoy playing Peter Parker or Tony Stark, but people don't think I can play those roles — or people are not ready for me to play those roles — so I take the ones that I get offered."
Still, Monaghan admits that his off-kilter "Moonhaven" character is right up his ally.
"I guess it appeals a little bit more to my personality," he says. "I don't necessarily identify too much with the classic macho guy. I've always been more artistic. There's a sensitivity to that and a slight quirkiness to that. Maybe these are characters that I know a little better."
"Moonhaven" is now streaming on AMC+, where new episodes are available every Thursday.