Observer writes: In the December 2003 issue of Brio magazine, there was an interview conducted in which the cast was asked this question: “While working on these movies, did you learn a particular life lesson that would be valuable for teens today?” [More]

Observer writes: In the December 2003 issue of Brio magazine, there was an interview conducted in which the cast was asked this question: “While working on these movies, did you learn a particular life lesson that would be valuable for teens today?”

Sean Astin: “Contentment. That you can’t do everything all at once, right away. Be patient and take things as they come. Learn to live each moment. I’ve finally gotten to that place.”


Miranda Otto: “‘Lord of the Rings’ reveres things I think society is aching to go back to [such as] honor, loyalty and dignity – qualities we tend to forgo so quickly for money. If someone says, ‘I’ll give you $200 if you take your clothes off and run around the block,’ a lot of people will do it.”


Peter Jackson: “The need for determination. You have to believe in yourself and not let anything stand in your way. There have been several periods in the history of this project when it could’ve just died.”


Andy Serkis: “Not taking people at face value…. It’s important to understand the nature of the dark and light sides of our personalities.”


Dominic Monaghan: “Keep what’s pure – love of friends, your family, or defending something good and honest that you believe in – as opposed to greed, power, hunger, and domination.”


Brad Dourif: “The whole theme of fear and confrontation with yourself. What you’re afraid of seems bigger than you are, but if you let it overwhelm you and overcome you it makes you small. If you face it, you triumph and become much more.”


John Rhys-Davies: “Unity, courage, and a willingness to sacrifice yourself. We all have a choice: we’re either slaves or princes in this life. We make slaves of ourselves so readily and so easily.”


Billy Boyd: “Don’t get all stressed out wondering where your next 10 years are going to go. Partly from playing a hobbit and partly from living in New Zealand, which has a more laid-back lifestyle, I’ve learned to be more happy in what’s happening now.”


Bernard Hill: “For the battle scenes we learned sword positions and practiced a lot. Because it can be dangerous, we needed to trust each other. So we’d hang out with the stunt guys and really got to know each other. When it came time for filming the Helm’s Deep scenes, they’d arrive in makeup and Uruk-hai armor with their false teeth in and we’d hear the call, ‘OK, heads on!’ So they’d put their heads on and come at us, and you couldn’t tell who was who. My immediate reaction was, ‘Ugh, I don’t like this person.’ Then you’d hear, ‘Hey, Shaw!’ ‘Who’s that?’ ‘Andy.’ “Oh Andy, hi!’ Inside this head was my friend. But with the head on something happened to him. I was frightened of this person because of an appearance that was only prosthetic deep. It forced me to think about my fears and innate prejudice.”


Elijah Wood: “You don’t realize how important your friends are until you need them. During tough times when you lose perspective or have mental or emotional fatigue, those are the people who pick you up and tell you, ‘It’s cool. We’re in this together.’ Embrace those friends that you have.’

Actor Dominic Monaghan (Lord of the Rings Trilogy, The Purifiers, Spivs, Shooting Livien) employs his international stardom by becoming Spokesperson for Project Last Stand, an international effort bringing attention to the current state of the world’s forests and raising funds by organizing a celebrity charity auction. [More]

TTT After Party Pics!
Monaghan at the TTT Premiere in NYC with the word ‘trees’ written on his hands

Actor Dominic Monaghan (Lord of the Rings Trilogy, The Purifiers, Spivs, Shooting Livien) employs his international stardom by becoming Spokesperson for Project Last Stand, an international effort bringing attention to the current state of the world’s forests and raising funds by organizing a celebrity charity auction. The proceeds from the auction will support forest groups who are buying unprotected forests and planting trees worldwide:

http://www.lichenjune.com/LastStand

Among the featured charities is the Nga Uruora Kapiti Project, an organization dedicated to the restoration of native forest habitats along the Kapiti Coast, north of Wellington, New Zealand. They are currently planting trees and restoring native bush between Paekakariki and Pukerua Bay:

http://www.kapitibush.org.nz/default.htm

‘We are cutting down the equivalent of eleven football pitches of rainforest a day that is not being replaced. When I was told this, I was completely horrified.’
– Dominic Monaghan,
The Lord of the Rings Fan Club Official Movie Magazine

Monaghan is an active environmentalist, enjoys the outdoors, monkeys and football.

For more information about Project Last Stand Contact:

Project Last Stand
laststand@lichenjune.com

http://www.lichenjune.com/LastStand

Michael Jenkinson writes: I settled in last Tuesday night to watch The Lord of the Rings: The Two Towers extended-edition DVD. Some 26 hours later, I left the couch and came to work. OK, I’m kidding. It took me three nights just to get through the three-and-three-quarter-hour extended version of the movie. I should be done the four commentary tracks and the two discs of documentaries by Christmas. Of next year. [More]