Not all those who wander into a bar for trivia night are lost.<\/p>\n
Hollywood legend Ian McKellen and his former \u201cLord of the Rings\u201d co-star Dominic Monaghan surprised fans at the East London pub The Grapes on Monday night.<\/p>\n
A video of the exciting visit shared to social media<\/a> showed the pair mingling with patrons, laughing, and enjoying some food and drinks before competing in the establishment\u2019s weekly trivia night.<\/p>\n Ian McKellen and his former \u201cLord of the Rings\u201d co-star Dominic Monaghan surprised fans at the East London pub The Grapes on Dec. 1, 2025. yongelamparo\/TikTok<\/p>\n A video of the exciting visit shared on social media showed the pair mingling with patrons. yongelamparo\/TikTok<\/p>\n McKellen, 86, reportedly co-owns The Grapes and stops by from time to time. However, this is the first time he is believed to have brought Monaghan, 48, along for the fun.<\/p>\n Even more surprising was the fact that the pair, who played Gandalf and Merry Brandybuck<\/a> in the beloved Peter Jackson trilogy, won the night\u2019s trivia competition and scored a \u00a360 ($80) gift card.<\/p>\n The TikTok video of the pair\u2019s visit also appeared to show Monaghan sharing a quick kiss with an unidentified brunette woman.<\/p>\n The pair won the night\u2019s trivia competition and scored a gift card. yongelamparo\/TikTok<\/p>\n Dominic Monaghan appeared to share a quick kiss with an unidentified brunette woman during their visit to The Grapes for trivia night. yongelamparo\/TikTok<\/p>\n \u201cLord of the Rings\u201d fans, meanwhile, rushed to the comments section to express how excited they were to see the former co-stars spending some quality time together more than 20 years after they last appeared together in 2003\u2019s \u201cThe Return of the King.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cI love that even after all the years since the trilogy ended, the most unlikely of pairings are still this close!\u201d one person wrote.<\/p>\n \u201cLiterally one of my heroes, I wouldn\u2019t be able to cope,\u201d shared another, while a third commented, \u201cOf course Gandalf won, he possesses all the wisdom of the kingdom of men.\u201d<\/p>\n Ian McKellen during the 69th BFI London Film Festival on Oct. 12, 2025. WireImage<\/p>\n Dominic Monaghan in West Hollywood, California, on June 28, 2022. Getty Images<\/p>\n Sean Astin, Elijah Wood, Billy Boyd and Dominic Monaghan in \u201cThe Lord of the Rings: The Fellowship of the Ring.\u201d Courtesy Everett Collection<\/p>\n McKellen, who chipped a vertebra and fractured his wrist\u00a0after he fell off the stage<\/a> during a West End performance in June 2024, previously said that he \u201cavoids going out\u201d following the scary incident.<\/p>\n \u201cI avoid going out because I\u2019m nervous someone might bump into me, and I\u2019ve been dealing with\u00a0agonizing\u00a0pain in my shoulders due to the jolt my body took,\u201d he told\u00a0Saga Magazine<\/a>\u00a0last summer.<\/p>\n However, the \u201cX-Men\u201d star recently insisted that he has no plans to retire even despite his lingering injuries and old age.<\/p>\n Ian McKellen at the Prince of Wales Theater in London, England, on Nov. 17, 2024. Alan Chapman\/Dave Benett\/Getty Images<\/p>\n Sean Astin, Elijah Wood, Billy Boyd, Ian McKellen and Dominic Monaghan during the 76th annual Academy Awards on Feb. 29, 2004. Getty Images<\/p>\n \u201cI forget names\u2026When you\u2019re older, you\u2019ve got more to remember than people who are young,\u201d he told the BBC. \u201cNevertheless, it\u2019s a nuisance when you can\u2019t remember your best friend\u2019s name or forget your telephone number.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cWhat else would I be doing if I weren\u2019t working?\u201d McKellen added. \u201cJust keep at it as long as the legs and the lungs and the mind keep working.\u201d<\/p>\n As for Monaghan, he spends a lot of time with his other former \u201cLord of the Rings\u201d co-stars as well.<\/p>\n Ian McKellen as Gandalf in \u201cThe Lord of the Rings: The Return of the King.\u201d AP<\/p>\n Dominic Monaghan, Elijah Wood, Billy Boyd and Sean Astin in \u201cThe Lord of the Rings: The Fellowship of the Ring.\u201d AP<\/p>\n