How Billy Boyd and Dominic Monaghan's friendship lead their careers to center stage
The former Oscar-winning Lord of the Rings actors on their roles in Rosencrantz and Guildenstern Are Dead
Billy Boyd and Dominic Monaghan have hung up their walking sticks as Pippin Took and Merry Brandybuck and are taking on another iconic duo.
The pair are portraying Rosencrantz and Guildenstern from Shakespeare's legendary Hamlet in the on-stage production of Rosencrantz and Guildenstern Are Dead by Tom Stoppard, which launched at Neptune Theatre in Halifax, and has now moved to Toronto.
In real life, Boyd and Monaghan's friendship mirrors that of Pippin and Merry's fictional bond. The transition from on screen cousins to on stage best friends translated well for the performers they tell Tom Power in an interview on Q.
"I think Billy and I are relatively grounded. We take everything with a pinch of salt," says Monaghan."These shared experiences together means that there's a shorthand between us."
From on screen friends to on stage friends
Initially, the idea of the pair working on a play together came up during the shooting of the 2002 film Lord of the Rings: The Two Towers.
They were eager to work together outside of the production because of their instant bond which they attribute to "British pub culture," says Monaghan.
Boyd initially brought up the idea to work on the production of Rosencrantz and Guildenstern Are Dead, because it dealt with themes of life and death but with a comedic twist.
Monaghan always knew he wanted to be involved in the production of Rosencrantz and Guildenstern and that it was always a matter of when and not if. Prior to The Lord of the Rings, Monaghan had performed in a play which left him feeling "quite hungry" for more, he says.
The two hope their production of Rosencrantz and Guildenstern Are Dead, will remind audiences about the importance of live theatre.
"There is something about going into a room, closing the doors and sharing one, two or three hours with a few hundred people that is human. It is humanity," says Boyd.
"We have all agreed to share this moment," echoes Monaghan, "We know that there's an exchange going on. These guys are expressing themselves. We're receiving that expression. We're giving you something back."
Rosencrantz and Guildenstern Are Dead, runs from March 4 to April 6 at Mirvish Theatre.
The full interview with Billy Boyd and Dominic Monaghan is available on our podcast, Q with Tom Power. Listen and subscribe wherever you get your podcasts.
Interview with Billy Boyd and Dominic Monaghan produced by Mitch Pollock.
ABOUT THE AUTHOR
