For his next act, the 32-year-old is starring in the low-budget/high-concept 18th century-set thriller "I Sell The Dead," premiering tomorrow at Slamdance. In the film, Dominic plays Arthur Blake, a graverobber who spent years chasing creatures that refused to accept their place amongst the dead.
The hilarious, scary, stunning -- and in Dom's own words, "tickling" -- film is just the latest project for the actor who will soon be starring in "Wolverine" and promises that Charlie will be retuning to "Lost" if he has his way!
PopWrap: What first attracted you to "I Sell The Dead?"
Dominic Monaghan: I get involved with projects based on three parameters -- the script, the actors involved and the director. Now I'm fortunate enough to be in a position where I read quite a lot of scripts and I felt that this was one of the strongest I've read, in terms of voice, in ages.
PW: The dark humor of it?
Dominic: You don't get to read many scripts with the kind of Celtic black humor that Glenn [McQuaid] had written into it. It has a very British feel to it, in the sense that when bad things happen people tend to laugh at them and be sarcastic and have fun with it. I think that's quite unique.
PW: I was amazed, based on the European look of the finished film, that you filmed in New York.
Dominic: We did a lot of work in New Jersey, too, over Christmas. Bitterly cold. One of the coldest shoots I've ever done. It was pretty grim to be honest, but it all worked to be honest because we're supposed to be poor, unable to afford good clothes and we don't have enough food to eat and we can't light a fire.
PW: It was like mother nature made you a method actor.
Dominic: Exactly. I think they made the film, which cost less than $1 million, look like a $2 or $3 million film. I was very impressed, but I don't get involved with films based on their budgets -- if it has a fantastic script and $50,000, we'll find a way to make it work. I had so much fun on this shoot, shivering in a little dressing room with Larry Fessenden and taking little nips of Jameson's whiskey from a hip flask to keep us warm at night. That was the charming part of the film, and I wouldn't have changed it for anything.
PW: You went straight from filming your last episode of "Lost" to shooting this film, that must have been quite a culture shock.
Dominic: It was quite cathartic for me, too, because when I let go of a character who was sympathetic and endearing as Charlie was, I grieved that passing. So it was nice to immediately jump into work and not have time to feel too sentimental about it.
PW: Plus, your character Arthur couldn't be more different from Charlie
Dominic: Yes, Arthur is quite proactive in his actions, and quite a strong character -- obviously not physically, but he stands up for himself. And it was nice to literally put on a new costume.
PW: Glenn not only wanted you for this role, but he postponed shooting for two weeks until you became available; that's got to feel quite nice.
Dominic: It's a place I've been trying to get to in my career since I started. If a director is holding up production because of the value of your cooperation, it just makes you work harder and harder. It's hugely complimentary.
PW: Did playing a graverobber bring to mind any of the terrible jobs you had prior to acting?
Dominic: When I was at college, I worked in a department store called Brit Home Stores, which is a pretty lackluster department store, selling clothes for middle-aged women. My job was to walk the floor and find anything that was damaged, take it to the store room and log it. Quite a lot of menial labor and I was treated in that regard, so that wasn't the greatest job I ever had. But I've been quite lucky with jobs and I try to approach any job with as much positivity as possible because then you get a positive thing out of a negative situation.
PW: Since I'm sure you can't get out of any interview without the subject of "Lost" coming up, I won't mess with tradition -- any chance Charlie will pop up in the final two seasons?
Dominic: The way I answer that question now is to say that unfortunately it's not up to me, it's up to Damon [Lindeloff]. I've been such a fan of Charlie -- the way he entered the show, the way he exited the show, the way he came back in season 4. They've treated him with a great amount of respect and tenderness. If it was up to me, I would revisit that character a dozen times if they gave him the same sensitivity they've given over the years. Obviously it's down to the writers, but I would go back in a heartbeat.
PW: Are you just as curious as the fans as to where the show is headed?
Dominic: I am. I've known Damon long enough now to understand how intelligent he is as a writer and how respectful he is of the project he's crafted, so I'm just excited to see what's going on in his brain. I don't have any doubts he'll finish it off with a huge shebang. But I'm like everyone else, a huge fan of the show and I want to see who's going to survive and what the ultimate cliffhanger is going to be.
PW: You are also a part of the upcoming "Wolverine" movie; how did that come about?
Dominic: One of my favorite films of the past 5 years is "The Fountain" -- it's just a work of a brilliant mind. So I've managed to sit down with [director] Darren Aronofsky over the years and tell him how much I enjoyed the project. I've done the same with Rachel Weisz. Hugh Jackman was the one person missing from that equation. So, I'd become friends with a guy at Fox who happened to call me one Thursday saying there was a part for me in the "Wolverine" movie and to call him on Friday after I'd read the script. So I called him Friday morning saying I loved the part and he called me back at 1 p.m. asking if I could be on a plane at 4 p.m.
PW: Just like that!
Dominic: Yep. I flew to Sydney, was there for about nine days of filming. I'm actually going back to do another 10 days in Vancouver at the end of January. It's a very exciting project. I'm a big fan of Hugh and I think the film will be a great thing to sit back in the cinema and strap on your seat belt and watch this huge beast of a movie explode.
PW: Are the 10 days reshoots or adding in new scenes?
Dominic: We're doing a bit of both, more than anything else, it's an additional scene which I would get shot in the head if I told you anything about. But my character features in a huge set piece with Hugh and Liev [Schreiber]. I think the best thing I can tell you is that it's a flashback scene.
PW: Between reshoots and going to Slamdance, it sounds like 2009 is going to be quite busy for you.
Dominic: I've got a hectic schedule, but I wouldn't have my life any other way. I'm really excited to see the audiences reaction to "I Sell The Dead," and to spend some time with the boys again.
PW: Will tomorrow's premiere be the first time you've seen the film with an audience?
Dominic: It will. My friend and I watched it the other day and my mom and dad have seen it. I think the best reaction I've heard is that people are tickled by it. It's a very cheeky film with endearing characters and it has a really unique voice that you haven't heard before.
Source: Popwrap
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