Flashforward Dominic Monaghan talks about FlashForward and Lost

The FlashFoward star talks insects, hobbits and returning to Lost.

What can you tell us about your FlashForward character, Simon?
He is one of the smartest guys in the world. He graduated from university when he was 14, got a PhD when he was 15, and is on his way to the Nobel Prize for his work in quantum physics. He’s also narcissistic and has a very hard time interacting with humans.

Would you like a glimpse of the future like in FlashForward?
I would like to know some stuff. If I ever have children, I would like to know that they were happy and that I brought them up well and they didn’t resent me.

What’s it like working with so many other Brits in the cast?
There’s a real camaraderie. Jack Davenport and I are both football fans. Well, you can’t really call him a football fan because he supports Arsenal. I’m a Man United fan, so he gets to learn a lot about football.

What do you most miss about England?
The Sunday papers, United, my mum, dad and brother, pubs, the wry sense of humour, David Attenborough, and an English summer which lasts four days.

What’s been your toughest job?
Probably The Lord of the Rings. As hobbits, we would film six days a week, getting in at six because we had to put on our wigs, ears and feet, then working 15-hour days. There was lots of blood and guts and fighting and horse-riding.

You’ve been in The Lord of the Rings, Lost and now FlashForward. Are you a big sci-fi fan?
People have called me a sci-fi mascot, but it’s not necessarily where my head is at. I love documentaries and I probably have more American gangster movies in my DVD library than I do sci-fi films.

Do you still have your pet bugs?
I have my snakes, spiders, scorpions, Jersusalem crickets and a praying mantis. I like insects because they are the most successful animals on the planet and they deserve a lot of respect. They live in the moment and only do the things they need to continue with their evolution – sleeping, having sex and eating. I think that’s pretty cool.

Finally, we have to ask, will Charlie be back for the final series of Lost?
He is a cool character to play. It will be the show’s last season so they are probably thinking of having him come back, but we’ll have to wait and see.