Hollywood friendships rarely survive the transition from blockbuster sets to real life.
Most celebrity "bonds" last about as long as the press tour.
But Dominic Monaghan revealed one surprising detail about his Lord of the Rings co-stars that shocked everyone.
The Hobbits built something that outlasted the movies
Monaghan just pulled back the curtain on what the four Hobbit actors from Peter Jackson's trilogy actually do when they're not attending fan conventions or doing reunion tours.
Turns out, Elijah Wood, Sean Astin, Billy Boyd, and Monaghan have been running their own private group chat for years — and what they text about isn't movie business.
"We have different text chains. That one is just called Shire Folk, and that's just full of Hobbits," Monaghan told the New York Post.¹
The 48-year-old actor, who played Merry Brandybuck in the Oscar-winning trilogy, revealed the four maintain multiple group threads — including one exclusively for the Fellowship's smallest members.
But wait until you hear what these grown men who saved Middle-earth are actually discussing.
They're obsessed with the New York Times mini crossword puzzle.
"Generally, we'll all do the mini New York Times crossword and Wordle every day," Monaghan explained. "So we try and get all four Hobbits to do a sub-minute crossword."²
The competitive streak runs deep.
Monaghan and Wood regularly finish the puzzle in under a minute.
Sean Astin? Not so much.
"Elijah and I are usually sub-minute. Sean Astin tends to struggle, but every so often does," Monaghan said.³
At a 2022 LA Comic Con panel, Astin admitted his times typically run between four to eight minutes — though he's managed to break the one-minute barrier exactly twice.⁴
Wood explained their obsession: "We're all obsessed with the New York Times crossword, specifically trying to beat the Mini in as little time as possible."⁵
But crossword competition is just scratching the surface of what the "Shire Folk" chat contains.
Dog photos, restaurant reviews, and SAG politics
The conversation topics shift depending on who's firing up the thread.
"Who's the most talkative? It depends on what we're talking about," Monaghan revealed.⁶
When the subject turns to Screen Actors Guild politics and union issues, newly-elected SAG-AFTRA president Sean Astin dominates the discussion.
Food, travel, and cinema debates? That's Monaghan and Wood territory.
Billy Boyd controls the conversation when dog photos start flying.
"If we're talking about SAG-related politics and issues? Sean Astin. If we're talking about food and travel and cinema? Probably me or Elijah. If we're talking about dogs and funny dog photos? Then probably Billy," Monaghan explained.⁷
The four actors have remained remarkably close since filming wrapped on the early-2000s fantasy epic — a rarity in Hollywood where cast "families" typically dissolve once the paychecks stop.
Their constant travel schedule for fan conventions, which have surged in demand as Jackson's trilogy cements its legacy as one of the most beloved film series ever made, has become part of their routine.
And Monaghan revealed he and Wood have established a critical pact to maintain their sanity.
"Elijah and I made it very clear that on these trips, they can all become a bit of a blur, where you're not aware of what city you're in because you're signing stuff and that's about it," Monaghan said.⁸
Restaurant obsession keeps the fellowship together
Food naturally commands its own dedicated side-channel — a modern extension of the same bond the four built while shooting on location in New Zealand for years.
"Elijah and I are quite obsessive about researching restaurants," Monaghan revealed. "So once we know the city that we're in, then Elijah and I — very often on a separate feed — will start sending each other little things like this review in Reddit, and these guys in Yelp, and this got a good review on Facebook. Then we'll cross-reference, and then we'll decide."⁹
As for Sean and Billy? They're along for the ride.
"Sean and Billy will go wherever we go," Monaghan joked. "So it tends to be restaurant chatter, and then photos of kids and photos of dogs and any film that we might have seen. We were all talking about the recent Paul Thomas Anderson film."¹⁰
The group's dedication to maintaining their friendship has produced some memorable moments that social media has captured.
In July 2022, a fan dining at a Denver restaurant gave a play-by-play on Twitter of the four actors having dinner together — and even managed to photobomb their group photo.¹¹
That photo ended up on Monaghan's Instagram with the caption: "More nights of stories that will have to die with the shire folk. Great food great wine. Plots and schemes for a future involving hobbits."¹²
The four Hobbits aren't just maintaining a friendship — they're running a full-blown operation complete with multiple channels, daily competitions, and elaborate restaurant planning networks.
It's exactly the kind of attention to detail you'd expect from actors who spent years bringing Tolkien's beloved characters to life.
And it proves that sometimes, Hollywood friendships do last beyond the final take — especially when there's a crossword puzzle time to beat.
¹ Stephanie Webber and Connor Surmonte, "Inside the Hobbit group chat Dominic Monaghan shares with his 'Lord of the Rings' co-stars," New York Post, November 19, 2025.
² Ibid.
³ Ibid.
⁴ Tiffany Babb, "Sean Astin and Elijah Wood reveal that the four original Hobbits share their New York Times mini crossword times on a group chat every day," Popverse, December 13, 2022.
⁵ Jill Sederstrom, "Elijah Wood Shares His Thoughts on New 'Lord of the Rings' Movies," Today, April 15, 2023.
⁶ Webber and Surmonte, "Inside the Hobbit group chat."
⁷ Ibid.
⁸ Ibid.
⁹ Ibid.
¹⁰ Ibid.
¹¹ Scott Stump, "'Lord of the Rings' Stars Reunited in Denver and a Fan Detailed Every Moment on Twitter," Today, July 8, 2022.
¹² Ibid.