Frustrated Stephen Colbert finally stumped by 'Lord of the Rings' trivia question

On The Late Show With Stephen Colbert Tuesday, Dominic Monaghan and Billy Boyd, who played Merry and Pippin respectively in the Lord of the Rings franchise, stopped by and actually stumped Colbert in Lord of the Rings trivia. Colbert is a J.R.R. Tolkien superfan and prides himself on his knowledge of the world and characters Tolkien created. But after getting the first question right with no problem whatsoever, Colbert met his match in Boyd.

“As you know, Merry and Pippin meet Treebeard, he is an Ent,” Boyd began. “The Ents have a meeting with Merry and Pippin, which is called an Entmoot. They have this Entmoot in Fangorn Forest. But where in Fangorn Forest?”

It was clear to all when Colbert made a face like he’d bitten into a sour fruit that he didn’t know the answer, and Monaghan and Boyd reacted with appropriate excitement. Monaghan stopped long enough to wonder if Colbert was “goosing” them, but he was not.

After racking his brain, with his head in his hand, Colbert finally admitted, “I don’t know. I don’t know the name of it.”

“Ladies and gentleman,” Boyd said, raising his arms, “stumped by Pippin!”

Video Transcript

BILLY BOYD: They have this Entmoot in Fangorn Forest--

STEPHEN COLBERT: Yes.

BILLY BOYD: --but where in Fangorn Forest?

DOMINIC MONAGHAN: Oh!

BILLY BOYD: Oh! Oh!

DOMINIC MONAGHAN: Oh, hang on a second.

KYLIE MAR: Dominic Monaghan and Billy Boyd of "The Lord of the Rings" franchise joined "The Late Show with Stephen Colbert" Tuesday, where they attempted to stump Colbert, a Tolkien superfan, on "Lord of the Rings" trivia. Colbert easily got the first question right. But when asked where in Fangorn Forest Merry and Pippin took part in an Entmoot, Colbert was at a loss.

STEPHEN COLBERT: I don't know. I don't know the name-- I don't know the name of it.

[GASPING]

Are you--

BILLY BOYD: Ladies and gentlemen, stumped by Pippin.

DOMINIC MONAGHAN: Oh.

STEPHEN COLBERT: Well, what is it? What's the answer, Pippin?

BILLY BOYD: Derndingle.

STEPHEN COLBERT: Damn it.

DOMINIC MONAGHAN: Oh, Stephen!

KYLIE MAR: But Colbert, who made a cameo in "The Hobbit," had a surprise for Boyd and Monaghan. "Lord of the Rings" director Peter Jackson made an appearance with a question for all three.

PETER JACKSON: Merry and/or Pippin descended directly from "The Hobbit," who invented golf. And what was the name of that hobbit who invented the game of golf?

DOMINIC MONAGHAN: Pippin, and his name is Bullroarer Took.

KYLIE MAR: And for his troubles, Colbert was rewarded with a precious gift.

DOMINIC MONAGHAN: A genuine pair of merry ears from the movie.

[LAUGHTER]

Hey!