Dominic Monaghan

Though not quite a household name, actor Dominic Monaghan showed a knack for being part of some of the biggest films and television shows of his day. After breaking into acting on the small screen in his native England, Monaghan was plucked by director Peter Jackson to play Meriadoc "Merry" Brandybuck in his "Lord of the Rings" trilogy, one of the most successful and decorated fantasy franchises ever made. Though he languished a bit following the back-to-back filming of the three movies, he emerged on the small screen as Charlie Pace, one of 48 survivors of a downed airline on a mysterious island on the hit drama, "Lost" (ABC, 2004-2010). For three seasons, he endeared himself to fans as a soul-searching musician struggling to overcome addiction and to do the right thing, which helped make him one of the more popular characters on the show. While his fans were unable to "Save Charlie" once it became known that his character would be killed off at the end of season three, Monaghan nonetheless showed a capacity for playing starker, more textured characters, leading to a prominent supporting turn as Bolt in "X-Men Origins: Wolverine" (2009) and a starring role on yet another hit mystery drama, "Flash Forward" (ABC, 2009-10), which helped him become a true star on the rise.