Rich in mythology and character development, and tantalizingly complex, Lost is not something to be watched passively. Throughout its five years, the ABC series has brilliantly weaved a human drama about plane-crash survivors on a mysterious island into a Byzantine tableau. We’ve witnessed smoke monsters and polar bears, unearthed a bygone scientific initiative, met the native inhabitants, and sidled up to a four-toed statue and a hydrogen bomb named Jughead. There have been flash-forwards, time travel, meditations on faith and destiny and redemption, literary and pop-culture references, and the occasional Latin phrase. What’s more, all of these bizarre components are all somehow connected. The show’s intricate and cryptic details have sent many a rabid fan to reference books and online chat groups in an effort to unlock the show’s secrets.

But even for those who aren’t content to parse through the myriad clues to find out what it all means, Lost, while epic in scope, is also intimate in its relationships. The overarching story can be incredibly dizzying and confounding as it travels around the world and through time and back again, but its writers (including executive producers Carlton Cuse and Damon Lindelof, or “Darlton,” as they’re called on message boards) take care to keep it rooted solidly in its characters—who, over the show’s duration, have grown as rich and deep as the mythology that surrounds them.

And this fifth season—which featured a return to the island for those who had been rescued and erratic time travel—was not only enthralling; it was satisfying. The energy intensified as the series began answering integral questions, ramping up acceleration and purpose as the show barreled toward its sixth and final year.
read the interview here

You know, the idea of Lost on Ice, ABC might be quite interested in that. But anyway, is this definitely your last year at Comic-Con or is some sort of “victory lap” or sorts even possible for 2010?
Carlton Cuse: This is definitively it. This is like a Cher farewell concert. This is the final hurrah. We’re not going back to Comic-Con after show is done and in fact, the theme for our panel this year is fan appreciation. We’re going as much to celebrate the fans who made Lost everything that it is as we are to talk about the show. It’s really exciting and a little bittersweet for us because this is it.

How will that “fan appreciation” manifest itself?
Damon Lindelof: We’re trying to be as inclusive as possible. A lot of panels are basically just the producers and directors and actors sitting up on a stage and answering questions, and while that’s certainly part of our panel, we look at it more as trying to produce a show. And this year’s show is going to try to take into account some content that was actually generated by fans so that they feel like they programmed the panel just as much as we did. We’ve got a contest out there that involves writing a title song for Lost. As you know, the only title song we’ve ever had is just “Waaaaaah” so the idea [for the contest was] “What if we had a conventional opening title sequence?” And the winner of that will be announced at the Con and we’ll be showing and recognizing that piece there. And there are a couple of other surprises that are fan oriented or fan generated.

Didn’t Jimmy Kimmel do a comedic Lost theme song for you guys at one point?
Carlton Cuse: Yeah. Jimmy’s done a lot of really cool viral stuff for Lost. He’s a huge fan of the show and we completely appreciate all his support, but actually this theme song thing is just open to the fans and we’re excited about what we’re going to get. I mean, there are some Lost tribute bands that are out there already. One band called Previously on Lost record a song after every episode which has the plot summary of that episode. So there has been some really cool stuff that has been done over time on behalf of the show. But obviously we promise some surprise guests on the panel as well so that hopefully will be engaging for the fans also.

Safe to say at least one cast member is showing up?
Carlton Cuse: I think it’s safe to say that you’ll see somebody from the cast.
Damon Lindelof: It sure would suck if it were just Carlton and I.

Oh that’s not…well, maybe that’s true.
Damon Lindelof: It is. Look, all we can say is that it’s enormously tricky because the actors don’t live in L.A. and/or San Diego and they’re still technically on their break when Comic-Con happens. They’re not back at work so that being said, the Comic Con experience has been one that not all our actors have had yet so we might be seeing some faces that never have been down to the Con before. [Editor’s note: Previous year’s attendees: 2008 - Matthew Fox; 2007 - Harold Perrineau; 2006 - Daniel Dae Kim and Jorge Garcia; 2005 - Josh Holloway and Maggie Grace; 2004 - Matthew Fox, Dominic Monaghan and Evangeline Lilly.]

Any moment from past appearances at Comic-Con that’s stuck with you guys?
Damon Lindelof: I think we probably have the same one.
Carlton Cuse: We did this thing last year where there was this guy who was a Hurley lookalike who asked [a] questions [from] the crowd and he was so far [away from the stage] we thought for a minute it was actually Jorge Garcia. And we were giving prizes away for questions and so we fortunately had on hand a giant tub of Dharma Ranch dressing which we gave to him as a prize for his question which was a huge really funny moment and that was really enjoyable.

And his question I imagine was, “Can I be a stunt double for Jorge?”
Damon Lindelof: The funny thing was although he was clearly trying to look exactly like Hurley, he did not make any reference to it. His question was not related to Hurley in any way so he sort of had the dry deadpan delivery. But, for me I guess, I’ll always remember the second panel that Carlton and I did together. We bought out these little bells, so whenever one of us started answering a question that was giving away too much information, the other one had the authority to ring the bell and that person had to stop talking immediately. To create that energy focused on this one tiny object in a room that had 3,000 people in it was pretty cool.

Are you going to answer questions about the last season?
Damon Lindelof: Yes.
Carlton Cuse: We’ll answer some questions and we’ll be evasive about some things. I mean, again, we want to find the fine line between teasing and spoiling.
Damon Lindelof: Up until Comic-Con, we’ve been answering those questions by saying, “We’re not talking about Season 6 until Comic-Con.” Now we will no longer be able to use that as an excuse so we’ll at the very least have to find a new dodge.

source : tv guide

It may contain one minor spoiler at the end.

Below is the transcript:

The A.V. Club: Darth Vader and the Joker were two of the bigger names that Entertainment Weekly’s readers put higher on the villains list than your character. Do you want to talk any shit about Darth Vader?

Michael Emerson: [Laughs.] He’s a great force of darkness, I guess, but how much acting goes on behind a plastic head? I’m not sure about it. [Laughs.] It seems like his costume does more work for him than mine does for me. I should get handicap points, I think.

AVC: Your character isn’t necessarily a straight-up villain; he’s sometimes portrayed as having the best of intentions. Why do you think Benjamin Linus has been so easily labeled as a villain?

ME: I don’t know. I’m happy to live with it, but I think it’s interesting that I make these best-villain lists when it’s not even clear that I am a bad guy. I think it’s something in the playing of the part. I think it worries people when they can’t get a handle on a character. I tend to play him kind of ambiguously. There is a sinister quality to him, but I think the verdict is still out about what his position is on the scale of good and evil. To a large extent, people’s interest in the character is the mystery of the character.

AVC: Because there are no clear-cut heroes and villains, it’s interesting to watch people discuss the show and say, “Obviously this person is good and this person is evil.” In the end, Hurley will probably wind up being the major villain, because nobody will see it coming.

ME: [Laughs.] Yeah, because that’ll come out of left field. That would be the last thing anyone was expecting. I’m going to make a broad statement here and say that I think people respond to villains because people in general are more villainous than heroic. I think it speaks to the human condition. I think we all secretly understand that we have our sins and our dark thoughts, but we put a face on it for the world. When we see villains played, we sort of perk up. We go, “How’s he doing?” [Laughs.]

AVC: Are you worried about being typecast?

ME: It’s on my mind, and it’s something I will have to deal with. Who’d say no to a role for fear of being so popular that they become typecast? You just do your work and let the chips fall. I really do think that every time you play a role well, you are in danger of being identified with that role until the next big thing comes along. My break on the live stage was playing the character Oscar Wilde in Gross Indecency. So for a while, it looked like all I would ever play was flamboyant Englishmen. But then I get a couple of things on TV where I’m a little bit sinister, and now that’s the thing I’m in danger of being forever. So I’ll have to be a little bit careful about what I pick next, and try to bust out and find another part that is such a good fit that I’m in danger of being pigeonholed.

AVC: You’ve done a lot of theater work, and you were once referred to as a stage actor who also does movies and television. Was it an easy transition from the stage to television and film?

ME: It wasn’t that easy, not so much in acting terms as in social terms. It’s an adjustment, you know, just to find your way around to those studio lots and stuff in L.A. The drill is different. It’s a different kind of working regimen. It just didn’t have all of the old comfortable rituals: the first table-reads, the meet-and-greet, all those things I’m used to; starting out at the table and gradually getting on your feet and having four weeks to rehearse the thing. Suddenly in television and movies, you’re left to be ready on the day. Your rehearsal was auditioning for the part. Now you’re ready to go on. Higher stakes, in a way. But now I really like it. I don’t think it’s a huge acting problem. Anyone with any sense can see that you just have to dial it back a little bit when the camera’s up your nose.

AVC: The show has become huge, and so has your role. But when you were starting out, was it hard to tell whether what you were doing was going to be well-received, as opposed to being onstage, where you can gauge an audience in real-time?

ME: It is a different feedback system. You depend a little bit more on a set of subtle signals from the crew, or from the director of the episode. But in your actor’s heart, you know when you’re playing well. Others may not always agree with you, but I’m always aware of when the scene is cooking or not. You have an instinct about that from years of doing scenes and plays, and I think it stands you in good stead even in the TV world.

AVC: When it comes to what’s going to happen next on the show, the cast is largely kept in the dark, getting scripts just before shooting begins. At what point did you realize that Benjamin Linus was going to be an integral part of the story?

ME: That really dawned on me gradually. As you know, I was originally engaged to be a guest player, to do a few episodes and go away, so I wasn’t thinking in terms of staying in Hawaii. The scenes I was in in the early going, when I was Henry Gale, they had a kind of ambiguity about them. There was a mystery in there, and no one could really figure it out. I remember one day, a director came to me—I had a line, Sayid was waving a gun in my face saying, “Tell us who your leader is,” and I said, “If I tell you, he’ll kill me,” and the director came and said, “That’s good. Let’s take it again, and this time, act as if the leader is the scariest person on Earth.” And I said, “Okay, I can do that, but what if the leader is me?” And he blinked at me a couple of times and said, “I can’t discuss that.” [Laughs.] And that was it. From then on, I thought, “Oh, I see. This could turn into something.” I’m like a slower factor on those kinds of issues; if even I can see that that’s a possibility, then it must be in there somewhere. And as it turns out, it was true. It was a great development.

AVC: Tell the truth, you were getting online and posting anonymously, “Who is this Ben Linus guy? He’s great! They should give him more screen time.”

ME: I wish I had the savvy to do that. I don’t go online much, and of course I don’t even have the sense to have an e-mail name that isn’t my own name, so I can never do any of that stuff anonymously. I’m hopeless.

AVC: About a year from now, you’re going to be done, and people are going to be packing up and leaving the island. Do you fear having a post-Lost depression?

ME: It will be a sad time. You know, your body just lets down. I’ve been ill since we wrapped 10 days ago. When the pressure’s off, that’s just natural. It will be sad to see this amazing chapter… It’s a great show, the show really interests me, and I’ve had so much visibility because of my work on it, it’s a great thing. I’ll never duplicate this experience. But on the other hand, it will be good to move on and embrace the unknown future and see what that holds. I will say that life will be simpler when I don’t spend two-thirds of the year in the middle of the Pacific.

AVC: But is that so bad?

ME: No, no, it’s great. I have a great time there, and the people are so lovely. Not every TV show is as welcoming and warmhearted as the Lost company. Everything’s good about that. It’s just the logistics of being so far from Carrie, my spouse, and loved ones, and the world of theater, and the life of New York City. That’s sort of my life for many years now. But I’ll go back to it.

AVC: Do you have any predictions for Ben in the sixth and final season?

ME: No, I don’t know. I wouldn’t even venture to try and second-guess Damon Lindelof. He’s so brilliant. I’m really curious to where it will go. People say, “What new angles and developments for your character do you long for?” and I say I don’t really long for any. I think Ben has a kind of constancy, that Ben’s mission remains the same. His character is rather set. I’ll be curious to see what sorts of challenges or situations they provide for me. Having said that, they may completely change the character, for all I know. [Laughs.] I don’t think so, though. I’ll be glad to be in it, because I’ll be curious to see how far into the last season I’ll survive. We’re going to have to start losing people next year.

Source : TheOnion

Technorati Tags: Benjamin Linus, lost season 6, michael emerson

source : http://www.goupstate.com

Lost fans really haven’t spent much time with Walt in recent seasons, save for a hand-wave from an apartment window and a haunting visit to Locke’s would-be grave. But this Wednesday, Michael’s son will get a bit more screen time as “The Life and Death of Jeremy Bentham” details Locke’s odyssey from donkey wheel to casket. Malcolm David Kelley — who as Walt was one of Lost’s original cast members — shared a glimpse at his character’s latest appearance.

TVGuide.com: I have to tell you, a reader emailed me saying she was skeptical about your Lost future because of that Tyson chicken commercial you’re in.
Kelley: Oh yeah, my manager told me about that! A lot of people are bugging out about that commercial — “What are you doing?!”

TVGuide.com: But sure enough, Walt returns this week. In what capacity?
Kelley: Let’s see…. I don’t want to give anything away…  but there’s a situation where he knows something is going on, but nobody told him. It’s that sort of thing.

TVGuide.com: What, does he get wind that Jack, Kate and the others are returning to the island?
Kelley: I’m just going to be talking to somebody, and…. Let’s just say I know a little bit about what’s going on, but nobody wants to tell me.

TVGuide.com: Now that the show is time-jumping around, do you get to play closer to your real age of 16? No more waving from windows or skewed camera angles?
Kelley: I do, and that’s a very cool thing. I don’t have to play this young boy anymore. I don’t have to change my voice or have them dub in someone else’s voice. There were a lot of things we had to do to try to make me sound younger.

TVGuide.com: When you first started the show, did you worry, “If I start to sprout, I’m going to lose my job”?
Kelley: I really didn’t expect me to grow that fast! It was just over a year period that I started sprouting up and my voice got deeper. I wasn’t really thinking about it. I didn’t know how long the show was going to go, but then they started saying “2010″….

TVGuide.com: Does Walt know that his father is dead?
Kelley: [Pauses] I… don’t think so. I’m not sure.

TVGuide.com: There’s talk that Walt actually was on the flight back to the island in spirit, because Hurley took some of his comic books with him.
Kelley: [Laughs] That’d be pretty cool. But I hope I get to go back to the island myself at some point.

TVGuide.com: But maybe since Walt has his telekinesis-like powers, somebody doesn’t want him back on the island. He could prove too useful to … someone.
Kelley: Right, that’s true. So maybe they’re doing a smart thing!

Get more from Malcolm David Kelley later this week in the new “Getting Lost” video.

source : http://www.tvguide.com

I’ve known since June of ‘08, because that’s when we negotiate contracts between seasons. Originally when I started on the show in August 2007, I was only supposed to do eight episodes. I ended up doing 20. I was on the show a lot longer than I thought I was going to be. A lot of it has to do with the writers strike. Less episodes in Season 4 meant back stories were compromised for the new people. I think that’s why my character carried into Season 5.

And how did you take it?

I was disappointed when I found out. When I got to the end of Season 4 and found out Charlotte had been born on the island, that was huge. So when I found out I was leaving, I was disappointed. Like all things, it’s for the best.

How much did they tell you about Charlotte initially?

When I first got the job, I was told nothing about my character. She’s an anthropologist and she’s tough; she’s a female Indiana Jones. That’s what I went into the show knowing. That’s all I knew all of Season 4, until the very end, when I learned I was originally from the island. I was on a break reading my script, and I said, “Bloody hell!”

It seems like the actors spend a lot of time just walking across the island. True?

[Lots of laughter] Traipsing. It’s a lot of traipsing. You have to do it a lot of times. First you walk up the hill, then you go down the hill, then you go back up the hill. By the end of the day, you don’t want to be on the hill anymore.

So many people who “die” on the show keep showing up. What’s your sense of how likely you are to return?

I may end up coming back in Season 6. Some people say, “You’ll be back!” If I’m not, never mind. If they turn around and ask me to come back, I’d be happy to do it.

Fans spend so much time obsessing over the clues on this show. How much time do the actors who make the show spend thinking over the creation of those clues?

[Laughter] I have to be careful how I answer this. I think they’re more concerned by what’s for lunch.

source : http://www.latimes.com