Exclusive Interview: Dominic Monaghan Discusses Moriarty: The Silent Order, Creating an Immersive Listening Experience, and More

Dominic Monaghan, an award-winning storyteller, is best known for his transformative and nuanced performances in projects such as The Lord of the Rings franchise, Lost, and Moonhaven, among others. This November, he reprises his role as the titular character in Moriarty: The Silent Order.

The Audible Original turns one of literature’s most famous rivalries on its head. In this alternate Sherlock Holmes universe, Sherlock Holmes (played by Phil LaMarr) is a brilliant but evil force, and his nemesis, James Moriarty (played by Dominic Monaghan), is a good man who is forced into the underworld–flipping the original storyline on its head in a fun and surprising way.

In its gripping second season, Moriarty embarks on a quest to rescue the woman he loves, only to uncover her entanglement in the sinister web of a growing and formidable evil. To confront this threat, Moriarty must confront Lady Milverton (Helen Mirren), a ruthless mastermind whose blackmail extends to the highest echelons of power. Upon discovering that Sherlock Holmes is also ensnared by Milverton, the rivals must set aside their animosity to thwart an escalating peril of global proportions.

Pop Culturalist was lucky enough to speak with Dominic about the Audible Original, the magic behind creating the electrifying listening experience, his character development process, and more.

PC: During discussions with Treefort Media about collaborating on a project, numerous ideas were considered, including the possibility of focusing on soccer. How did you decide on these iconic characters and this medium?
Dominic: We were trying to develop a show about soccer and how the world’s game is starting to come over to the United States and influence that country. It’s the last big territory that has yet to be fully influenced by the sport.

While we were developing it, initially as a television show, we started to think it could be a podcast or mini-series. From my recollection, during a lunch break, they started asking if we had any other ideas. That’s when we started talking about the Sherlock Holmes universe, but told through the gaze of Moriarty, who is such a charismatic character.

I distinctly remember using a whiteboard to list all the personality traits about Moriarty that made him interesting. It went on and on. He’s this genius mathematician and chess grandmaster. He had paranoid delusions, problems with women, problems with men, and a difficult childhood. We were like, “This has to be a show.” That’s how it was born.

PC: You’re no stranger to playing characters who have existed in other mediums. I imagine as an actor you want to bring something familiar but new to Moriarty. What was your character development process like and how were you able to toe that line so seamlessly?
Dominic: To create my own version of Moriarty, I had to try and get out of my own way in terms of not being intimidated by what other people have done. It’s important to go to the source material and read the books, but maybe not expose yourself to other people’s interpretations and their versions of Moriarty. Different people have played fantastic Moriartys, and that’s great. That is their own lane. But for me, I have to make my own version.

PC: In Season 1, you played off the performances of your fellow actors. But for Season 2, you did a lot of that in isolation because you were working on another project, which is one of the benefits of this medium as a whole. As this universe has increased in scope, how did you push and elevate that performance and ensure that continuity was there?
Dominic: It was definitely tricky, one of the more challenging things about this particular medium. But you have to solve that conundrum. You’re in a studio where you’re being fed lines from actors who are standing in. I wear slightly constraining clothes when I play Moriarty, so I might be in a turtleneck or a high-necked sweater or a tight hoodie because I feel like physically his voice needs to be a little more constrained and boxed in. Outside of that, you’re trying to give as much of your acting performance into your voice because you can’t emote in any other way.

PC: With this being such a new medium, has anything surprised you about the experience?
Dominic: What’s surprised me about both seasons is Audible and Treefort’s ability to create this world. In the first season, they transport you to London with the cobbled streets and the horse-drawn carriages. Now, we’re bringing you to New York. When I was listening to it, I was struck by how different both these cities felt. You really feel like you’re in the middle of Manhattan and the skyscrapers being built around you. That’s been the most surprising part for me as I’ve listened. I’m always listening with my eyes closed and I can create my own world, a world that’s not being shown. It’s an immersive experience that gives listeners a lot of license to be imaginative.

PC: Everything that Moriarty does is so calculated, except when it comes to Rose, which brings this level of vulnerability that grounds him. Did that dynamic feel as paramount as it does to listeners? What do you hope listeners take away from that relationship?
Dominic: Human beings are flawed. We’re not perfect. We’re not all fantastic at everything. We all have our weaknesses and our blind spots. Moriarty presents himself as someone who has everything figured out. He’s an intelligent man. He has all the answers. He never gets himself into a corner that he can’t get out of. The blind spot for him is his emotions. In that respect, he’s probably a little immature or not fully realized in terms of how he expresses those emotions or how he should be around women. He feels very vulnerable, which for him is uncomfortable. That’s uncomfortable for everyone, but especially him who feels like he’s the man and he can figure stuff out. It’s always interesting when you’re playing someone who presents as very capable to show that there is something that can trip him up. He shows that softness that makes him more of a believable character and makes him more accessible for the listeners as well.

PC: Season 1 ends on a major cliffhanger, and listeners are led to believe that your character has died. How early in the process did the creative team discuss the fate of your character? As you’ve headed into Season 2, were there aspects of this character that you were interested in diving into further?
Dominic: Discussions about a second season began within three or four months after the first season’s success. Coming into Season 2, the focus was on expanding the universe. Moving Moriarty from familiar territory in London to New York added a new layer of complexity and ambition.

PC: There’s such a strong sense of brotherhood this season from his longstanding partnership with Moran to the unexpected dynamic with Holmes. Who were the people in your own life who have shaped your journey? Did you channel any of them into your performance or any of these relationships?
Dominic: With this project, outside of Moriarty’s relationship with Rose, there are a lot of strong male characters. It’s a slightly chauvinistic, slightly old-fashioned world where men are dictating a lot, which is why it was so important to have a strong female character like the one that Helen Mirren plays this season.

When I think of the male mentors in my life and those types of relationships, I think of Peter Jackson and Ian McKellen, people who are older than me, whom I look to for advice. Having those relationships has been key.

In terms of the relationship between Holmes and Moriarty, it’s slightly more competitive. They’re trying to one-up another. They both want to be collaborators. They both want answers. They’re both like, “I told you so.” I love my brother, and I have a strong relationship with him, but when we play chess, Scrabble, or soccer against each other, we both want to win. I thought about why it means when I lose against my brother and why it’s so important to me to win those types of things.

PC: I know that Season 2 just premiered, but have there been any early conversations about a potential Season 3? I know that you wanted to potentially adapt it for television as well.
Dominic: We’ve talked about it. We’ve talked about what it would look like on television. Audible is very ambitious in their scope of turning some of their original projects into television series. It’ll be about availability and scheduling. They might say they want to make a TV show and Phil is in Australia and I’m in Brazil. You never know. But the important thing is that between Audible, myself, and Phil, we’re all very passionate about the show. There is intention there to do more.

To keep up with Dominic, follow him on Instagram. Moriarty: The Silent Order is available on Audible today.