Lost Guest Star Was Cast Because Of A Joke

Lost guest star Carrie Preston reveals that she was cast because of a joke. The show, which followed the survivors of a devastating plane crash as they’re stranded on a mysterious island, is regarded as one of the most memorable dramas of all time. Equally remembered for its plot twists and quieter episodes, Lost is viewed as one of the precursors of the peak TV era, in which the offerings on the small screen began to rival and often surpassed many mainstream movies.

A big element of Lost’s success, as it ran from 2004 to 2010, was its focus on new and interesting characters. Ben Linus, played by Michael Emerson, left a huge impression when he joined the series in Lost season 2. Beginning as an antagonist and shifting gradually to a more morally ambiguous individual over the course of his appearance, Emerson earned plaudits for his memorable portrayal. Notably, Emerson’s Lost role topped Rolling Stones’ list of the 40 Greatest TV Villains of All Time. Naturally, given his significance, there was a lot of Lost fan curiosity around what shaped Ben into the eventual leader of the Others.

Speaking with EW to look back on her diverse television roles, Preston spoke about being cast as Ben’s mother for a Lost season 3 episode. Preston is married to Emerson and, as she tells it, she was looking for a way to spend more time with her husband. So, she jokingly came up with the idea of playing Ben’s mom in a flashback. Emerson, though, mentioned the joke to producers and they were fully on board with it. Preston got a call about the job just a week later. You can read Preston’s quote below.

“It was supposed to be just a couple of episodes — but then he turned into the main villain … So I thought of Hawaii as the place that stole my husband. Of course, nobody can stay mad at Hawaii, so I thought, ‘I’ve got to figure out how I can spend more time out there.’ I used to joke, ‘Wouldn’t it be hilarious if I played your mom in a flashback?’ Michael shared that joke [with] the producers, and the next week, there was a phone call to my agents: ‘Can Carrie play Michael’s mother in a flashback [on a season 3 episode]?’ We were howling. We thought, ‘This is insane and a little freaky, but the fans are gonna love it.’ Sure enough, I’ve gotten many Oedipal jokes, jokes [like], ‘I’ve always mothered him, but now I get to really do it on television.’ I got to go out in the jungle and simulate giving birth to my husband. Not many people get to say that.”

Preston, who has also had roles on True Blood, The Good Wife, and Sex and the City, among other series, appeared in just one episode of Lost as Emily Linus. Her story unfolded in the season 3 episode “The Man Behind the Curtain,” showing how Emily died giving birth to Ben and how a young Ben would have visions of his dead mother on the island. The show lingers on how Emily’s death caused a wedge between Ben and his father, as the latter blames Ben for her demise. Needless to say, it’s heavy stuff, and likely not what Preston imagined as far as a relaxing Hawaiian vacation goes.

Preston and Emerson would appear on the same show again, years later, as the actress recurred on Person of Interest and played the fiancée of Emerson’s character. It was certainly a more fitting story for the two performers. But, as Preston reveals, for all of its confounding twists and emotional depths, Lost was also not afraid to proceed with the occasional wink and a nudge to viewers that are deeply invested in the show. It’s one of the many factors that fans have come to appreciate in subsequent rewatches.

Source: EW

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Abdullah Al-Ghamdi
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Abdullah Al-Ghamdi joined Screen Rant in August 2019, focusing on movie and television news. In January of the same year, he wrote a 3500+ word piece on why Primo Colón is underrated. He considers it his finest work. When he’s not arguing for the merits of his favorite wrestler, he can be reached at: [email protected].

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