Lost’s resident golf course guru and Lotto millionaire Hurley finally managed to escape that mysterious island–or at least the actor who plays him has. Hollywood.com caught up with Jorge Garcia on a quick trip to the mainland.
Hollywood.com: We’ll get right to it. Give us all the Lost scoop you can.
Jorge Garcia: I just found out there will be a second Hurley flashback this season. It’s going to touch on more of the time he was in the mental institution, which is really the unanswered question that I had myself about the character, so that’s nice. As far as what’s aired, it will be a while away. We’re shooting Episode 16 and that will be around 18.
HW: How have you liked the addition of the new castmembers this season? Have they been fully integrated into the original gang, or is it a little more like two separate groups, as it is on the show?
JG: There was a part of that, because they were working different days than we were during the moments they were crawling across the island to join our group. Now the group is together, and there have been scenes I have with Cynthia [Watros], because there might be something blossoming there. It seems to be going in that direction–we’ll see. Who doesn’t like that? Yeah, she’s great, very funny. It’s cool because we both came from doing half hour sitcom things. We talk about that, how different one is from the other, and what we miss and what we like.
HW: What do you miss about working in sitcoms?
JG: You kind of miss–it was in front of an audience, and you’re really on your toes. They can rewrite in an instant and give you new lines. That stuff you really miss. There’s something really exciting about that, but I wouldn’t trade it. What we’re doing now is like making little movies every week. I’m really proud of it. Everyone’s working hard. We’re not doing construction, but we’re working hard in our own way.
HW: Do you constantly get stopped by on the street by Lost fans and ask about the plotlines?
JG: Yeah. I don’t know how anyone could have expected the level of impact that this show has had. The amount of the theories–they’re so in depth. People freeze-frame things and play them backward. It’s crazy. I’m very honored and very happy that they’re into it that much.
HW: Has the success of Lost led to a lot of offers for other projects, like movies, coming your way?
JG: There have been some things coming down the pike, we’re still looking around. Nothing yet. We’ll see.
HW: Would you be leaning toward doing some kind of big-screen comedy?
JG: Comedy is where I naturally go, even if I do something serious. Even if it’s dramatic, I’ll probably work some humor in anyway—that’s just where I come from and how I behave. It’s tough because overall it’s hard to write a good comedy, but if one came across, absolutely I’d jump all over it.
HW: What would you like to do with your next time off.
JG: We’ll see, depending on how much time we have. There’s a possibility of maybe going to South Africa with a friend. My girlfriend and I, and a friend and his wife. If I can do it, it would be a great trip
HW: Have you made any cool Hurley-esque purchases with your Lost payday?
JG: A new car, A Lexus R400H, in flint mica—a shiny dark gray.
HW: But yoy still haven’t picked up a house in Hawaii?
JG: No–still renting. Holding off on the house until I find the one I really want. I got out of my L.A. apartment. I’ve got nothing there right now. They put me up in a hotel, or I’ve crashed with old friends.
HW: A big-shot TV star like you, crashing on your friends’ couch?
JG: I don’t have a problem with it.
