When you think of Dominic Monaghan, you are most likely thinking about either his role as Charlie Pace from Lost or Merry from the Lord of the Rings trilogy. While those are Monaghan’s most memorable roles, he has starred in many other significant roles. Indeed, the actor’s performances have taken him across some of the biggest franchises, including Star Wars and Marvel’s X-Men. Monaghan’s best performances started early in his career when he landed the role of Merry in The Lord of the Rings trilogy. Immediately after wrapping on the franchise, he signed on with J.J. Abrams’ Lost, where he was a series regular for three seasons. In 2009, he appeared in X-Men Origins: Wolverine as Chris Bradley/Bolt and in a new ABC show called Flashforward. Monaghan went on to star in a few other films and series, but none as popular as his role as Beaumont in Star Wars: Episode IX - The Rise of Skywalker.

Currently, Monaghan can be found in the new AMC+ series Moonhaven, which is part sci-fi and part mystery. Variety describes the first two episodes as surprisingly fun, but with a dark side. Reviews of the series are on the lower side of ratings, but with most of the first season still to drop, we expect to see those early reviews reconsidered. With a new episode airing weekly, to help pass the time, you can catch up on some of Monaghan’s other performances here.

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5 Star Wars: Episode IX – The Rise of Skywalker

     Lucasfilm

Star Wars has had a long franchise that dates back to the late 70s, with new material still being released today. Episode IX - The Rise of Skywalker brings the conclusion of the Skywalker saga. With Rey finalizing her Jedi training and leading another epic battle, the film was jam-packed with action and drama. In the film, Monaghan plays Beaumont, a historian and educator who was about to become a professor when he put his career on hold to join the resistance. Beaumont was also the man behind Chewbacca’s nickname of Chewie. His historic knowledge allowed him to help the resistance with language translation as well as with actual fighting. While his character most likely will not appear in the new Star Wars trilogy being planned, Monaghan’s exciting performance in the film earns it a spot on this list.

MOVIEWEB VIDEO OF THE DAY

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MOVIEWEB VIDEO OF THE DAY

4 X-Men Origins: Wolverine

     20th Century Studios

In X-Men Origins: Wolverine, Monaghan played Chris Bradley aka Bolt. He was one of the original members of Team X (which also featured big names like Deadpool). His mutant superpower is his ability to manipulate electronics. When he quit the team, he started working a booth at a carnival where he would use his powers to con people out of their money by never letting the lightbulb go out. One night, Victor, another Team X member, comes knocking on his door to “steal” his power for the new and improved Deadpool, who later fights Wolverine. Though his role is small in the film, we get to see Monaghan’s comedic acting at play.

3 Flashforward

     ABC

In 2009, ABC released a series similar to Lost called Flashforward. Though the show only ran for one season, it received high ratings and a strong push for a second season. The show centered around an FBI special task force set to investigate why everyone on Earth simultaneously blacked out and awoke with a short version of their future. From excellent acting to a unique storyline, the sci-fi mystery had the potential to become a long-standing show and was, per Den of Geek, ahead of its time.

In the show, Monaghan played Simon Campos, a scientific genius. He was originally painted as the villain behind the blackouts, but to clear his name, he offered his scientific mind to the task force to find the real reason behind the blackouts.

2 The Lord of the Rings Trilogy

     New Line Cinema

The Lord of the Rings trilogy is based on the novel by J. R. R. Tolkien. The three films were filmed simultaneously and cover the journey of Frodo Baggins, a hobbit, and his friend Sam as they travel through Middle Earth to destroy the “One Ring” and its creator once and for all. In the trilogy, Monaghan plays Meriadoc Brandybuck, or Merry as he is known to his friends. Merry is another hobbit who helps Frodo on part of his journey to destroy the ring. Merry was often regarded as being one of the most intelligent of the group and one of the driving forces in convincing Frodo to go on the dangerous journey. Though the group of four hobbits ends up getting separated, they all play an important part in destroying the ring and bringing Middle Earth back to peace.

1 Lost

Arguably one of the saddest deaths in all TV history was when Charlie Pace, played by Monaghan, sacrificed himself to get a message to the others about the boat spotted. Prior to this redeeming moment in Lost, Charlie was on the outs with the groups of survivors who are stranded on an island after their plane crashed. In fact, throughout his time on the island, Charlie goes through stages when his character is either loved or hated.

In the series, the survivors of the plane crash have to navigate an island that has a mysterious hatch, polar bears, “others”, and a black smoke monster. What seemingly started as an accidental plane crash turns into multiple seasons worth of uncovering many secrets behind this mysterious island.