Lord of the Rings star says gay hobbit fan-fiction is a ‘beautiful thing’

Lord of the Rings stars Billy Boyd and Dominic Monaghan have spoke to PinkNews about The Lord of the Rings: The War of the Rohirrim and say fans imagining hobbits Merry and Pippin as a gay couple is a “beautiful thing”.

The legendary duo played Marry and Pippin in Peter Jackson’s original trilogy. 

Asking about their thoughts on the Lord of the Rings fans “shipping” their fictional characters, Boyd recalled a “piece of art” stemming from a scene that featured Merry and Pippin both “holding each other topless”. 

“It’s one of my favourite pieces of Lord of the Rings, I think it’s really lovely,” he said. 

@pinknews PinkNews spoke to Billy Boyd and Dominic Monaghan at the Premiere of ‘The Lord of the Rings: The War of the Rohirrim’. The legendary duo played Merry and Pippin in Peter Jackson’s original trilogy. We asked the pair their thoughts on fans ‘shipping’ their fictional characters, and if they could confirm or deny whether Merry and Pippin were in fact more than just friends. Billy and Dominic star in ‘The Lord of the Rings: The War of the Rohirrim’, but are not reprising their roles as Merry and Pippin. This new animated installment to the LOTR universe is set 183 years before the events chronicled in the original trilogy. It tells the narrative of the ninth King of Rohan, Helm Hammerhand, the last of the original line of succession, as he and his family wage a war against an army of Dunlendings in the stronghold of the Hornburg, a fortress that later becomes known as Helm's Deep. The Lord of the Rings: The War of the Rohirrim will be released in the UK and Ireland on 13 December 2024 by Warner Bros. Pictures. #lordoftherings #lotr #lotrtok #hobbit #merryandpippin #lgbtqia ♬ original sound – London Philharmonic Orchestra

Shipping refers to fans wishfully regarding fictional characters as being, or having the potential, to become romantically involved with one another. 

‘That’s a beautiful thing’

Monaghan added: “In the books they’re great friends, almost slightly related as family. If people who love that world want to create their own ideas of the relationships that’s up to them. That’s a beautiful thing.” 

Both actors will star in the new film, but will not be reprising their roles as Merry and Pippin. 

The animated instalment to the Lord of the Ring universe is set 183 years before the events chronicled in the original trilogy. 

It tells the narrative of the ninth King of Rohan, Helm Hammerhand, the last of the original line of succession, as he and his family wage a war against an army of Dunlendings in the stronghold of the Hornburg, a fortress that later becomes known as Helm’s Deep. 

The Lord of the Rings, which has a long and rich LGBTQ+ history, has inspired generations of queer folk, from The Hobbit through to the new Amazon Prime series, The Rings of Power.

Many fans ‘ship’ Frodo Baggins and Samwise Gamgee, believing that they are destined for one another. But for one fan named Beatrice it was Merry and Pippin’s love for each other that touched them. “Merry’s heartbreak when Pip leaves and the joy when they reunite feels so overtly romantic to me,” they explained.

The Lord of the Rings: The War of the Rohirrim will be released in the UK and Ireland on 13 December, 2024 by Warner Bros. Pictures.