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What happens after you leave the island?

On September 22, 2004, Lost premiered on ABC. The science fiction drama followed a group of survivors who became marooned on an island after a plane crash. However, the Ocean Flight 815 passengers soon learn that there’s more to this mysterious island than meets the eye. Week after week, viewers tuned into the series as relationships progressed, mysteries deepened, and the true nature of the island was revealed.

On May 23, 2010, Lost ended after six seasons. What has become of the Lost cast since the television drama ended? Let’s check in with the Oceanic 815 survivors…
 

Matthew Fox (Jack Shephard)

Matthew Fox played Dr. Jack Shephard, a spinal surgeon who served as a leader for the Oceanic 815 survivors. Jack was originally written to die in the pilot, but the showrunners changed course, making him the main character. Jack considers himself a man of science, which caused him to clash with John Locke, who took a more spiritual approach. By the end of the series, Jack had changed his worldview, accepting the existence of the supernatural.

After Lost finished its run, Fox took a few film roles before taking an extended break from acting. At one point, the actor declared he was done with television. Fox appeared in World War Z, Extinction, and Bone Tomahawk before taking some time off to reconnect with his family.

Fox got into some legal trouble after an altercation with a bus driver, but the matter was dropped, and no formal charges were filed. Fox has returned to acting and recently appeared in the 2023 Australian comedy Caught. Fox also has a role in the upcoming Yellowstone spinoff, Madison.
 

Jorge Garcia (Huge 'Hurley' Reyes)

Jorge Garcia played Hugo Reyes, aka Hurley. The character largely served as comic relief but had a few serious storylines. Prior to crashing on the island, Hurley had won the lottery. However, he came to believe that the lottery numbers he had chosen were cursed due to a series of tragic incidents. The cursed numbers seemed to follow him to the island, where more misfortune followed. The series ends with Hurley becoming the new protector of the island.

Since Lost ended, Garcia has appeared in a variety of television and film projects, including the 2014 zombie-comedy Cooties. Garcia was one of the leads on J.J. Abrams’ 2012 series Alcatraz, and portrayed Jerry Ortega on Hawaii Five-0. Garcia also co-hosted Kaiju Podcast, a show that took a look at classic Japanese monster films. Like many of his former castmates, Garcia participated in the 2024 documentary Getting Lost.
 

Josh Holloway (James Ford aka Sawyer)

Josh Holloway portrayed James Ford, a character who goes by the alias Sawyer. When Ford was a child, his father killed himself and his mother after being conned by a criminal named Sawyer. Ford took the name Sawyer and began running a series of schemes, hoping to track down the man who destroyed his family. On the island, Sawyer served as the bad boy of the group, regularly clashing with Jack.

Shortly after Lost ended, Holloway took a role in the 2011 film Mission: Impossible – Ghost Protocol. He’s had numerous lead roles on television, including the series Intelligence, the sci-fi drama Colony, and a recurring role as Roarke Morris on Yellowstone. Holloway is currently starring in the J.J. Abrams Max thriller Duster.
 

Evangeline Lilly (Kate Austen)

Evangeline Lilly portrayed Kate Austen, a convicted murderer who was being extradited back to the United States when the plane crashed. Kate had killed her abusive father. Kate was one of the most resourceful of all the survivors. She also found herself the object of Jack and Sawyer’s affections, giving the series a spicy love triangle.

Lost was Lilly’s last major television role, but the actress has kept herself busy with film projects. Lily appeared as Tauriel in the 2013 fantasy film The Hobbit: The Desolation of Smaug and the 2014 sequel The Hobbit: The Battle of the Five Armies. Lily is perhaps best known for her role as Hope van Dyne, aka the Wasp in the Marvel Cinematic Universe.

Lilly first played the role in the 2015 film Ant-Man before suiting up as a superhero herself in the 2018 sequel Ant-Man and the Wasp. She reprised her role again in Avengers: Endgame and Ant-Man and the Wasp: Quantumania.
 

Terry O’Quinn (John Locke and The Man in Black)

Terry O’Quinn portrayed John Locke, a man of faith who believed that the island served a greater purpose. Prior to the plane crash, Locke had been paralyzed from the waist down. However, Locke found that he was able to walk while he was on the island. Locke’s faith approach regularly contrasted with Jack’s ‘man of science’ viewpoints. Towards the end of the series, Locke was killed off, and O’Quinn began portraying The Man in Black, a dark force trying to control the island.

After Lost ended, O’Quinn starred on the ABC series 666 Park Avenue and the Amazon Prime Video comedy Patriot. O’Quinn has also had guest appearances on The Blacklist and Resident Alien. Recently, he played the corrupt General Beale on the Walking Dead spinoff The Walking Dead: The Ones Who Live.
 

Elizabeth Mitchell (Juliet Burke)

Elizabeth Mitchell portrayed Dr. Juliet Burke, a fertility specialist who was recruited by the Others. Juliet was initially sent to spy on the Oceanic survivors, but she switched sides, helping the group defend themselves against the Others. Initially, there were some sparks between Juliet and Jack, but she formed a stronger romantic connection with Sawyer.

Mitchell has kept herself busy since Lost ended. The actress starred in the 2011 drama Answers to Nothing and was one of the lead characters in the 2016 film The Purge: Election Year. Mitchell has had numerous guest roles on television, including The Expanse, Blindspot, and FBI: International. She recently reprised her role as Mrs. Claus (which she had previously played in The Santa Clause 2 and 3) in the Disney+ series The Santa Clauses.
 

Michael Emerson (Ben Linus)

Michael Emerson portrayed Ben Linus, one of the leaders of the mysterious group known as the Others. Ben served as an antagonist to the survivors for some time, but as the series progressed, they began working together. When the series ends, Ben remains on the island with Hurley, who had just become the island’s new protector. Overwhelmed by his new role, Hurley asked Ben to be his special advisor.

After Lost, Emerson took on a variety of television and film roles. Comic book fans may recognize him as the voice of the Joker in the 2012 animated film Batman: The Dark Knight Returns, Part 1 and its 2013 sequel Batman: The Dark Knight Returns, Part 2. Emerson also voiced the villainous Brainiac in for the Max series My Adventures with Superman.

Emerson’s biggest post-Lost success was playing Leland Townsend on the Paramount+ supernatural drama Evil. The role earned him numerous award nominations, including the Critics’ Choice Super Award for Best Actor in a Horror Series.

Naveen Andrews (Sayid Jarrah)

Naveen Andrews played Sayid Jarrah, a former member of the Iraqi Republican Guard who is haunted by his dark past. Sayid had unique skills as a torturer, which he was reluctant to use on the island. His military training meant he was skilled with technology; a talent he used to help the survivors adapt to life on the island. Throughout the series, Sayid comes to terms with his dark past, forgiving himself for the actions he took with the military prior to the crash.

After Lost, Andrews took on a series of television roles, including a stint as Jafar in ABC’s Once Upon a Time in Wonderland. Andrews played Julian Cousins on CBS’s Instinct and had an extended role on the science fiction drama Sense8. Andrews is set to play the title role in the upcoming audio drama Star Trek: Khan.

Daniel Dae Kim (Jin-Soo Kwon)

Daniel Dae Kim portrayed Jin-Soo Kwon, a Korean businessman who worked as a shady enforcer for his criminal father-in-law. At the time of the crash, Jin and his wife Sun had grown distant, but their time on the island brought them closer together, fixing their marriage. Sun even gave birth to a baby girl, which came as a shock because the couple had been experiencing fertility problems.

Since Lost ended, Kim has been one of the busiest actors of the main cast. In addition to starring in multiple projects, he’s also become a producer. Kim played Chin Ho Kelly on Hawaii Five-0. The series also gave him an opportunity to try out directing. Kim founded the production company 3AD, which is responsible for the ABC series The Good Doctor.

Kim has starred in numerous theater productions, and recently became the first Asian American actor to be nominated for a Tony Award for Best Actor in a Play for his performance in Yellow Face.  

Yunjin Kim (Sun-Hwa Kwon)

Yunjin Kim played Sun-Hwa Kwon, the daughter of a Korean mobster. Prior to the crash, Sun had been planning to leave her husband Jin, who had become entangled in her father’s criminal activities. However, their time on the island brought them closer together, and the two were able to work through their marital difficulties. The two would go on to have a daughter, Ji Yeon.

After Lost, Kim has starred in a series of South Korean films, including Ode to My Father and The Neighbors. Kim also had a leading role as Dr. Karen Kim on the ABC drama Mistresses. Kim has also had guest appearances on televisions shows such as XO, Kitty and Station 19.

Did anyone from Lost date in real life?

When you throw a bunch of actors together on long location shoots, it’s inevitable that sparks will fly. Dominic Monaghan, who played Charlie, had a romantic relationship with Evangeline Lilly, who played Kate. The two dated from 2004 to 2007. To this date, Monaghan calls the breakup one of the biggest heartbreaks of his life.

Ian Somerhalder and Maggie Grace, who played step-siblings (and sometimes lovers) Shannon and Boone dated in real life. The two dated from 2006 to 2007, after Somerhalder had left the show. The two parted on good terms, and according to Grace they remain good friends.

Did the Lost cast get along?

For the most part it appears the Lost cast got along. There were some reports of cast members like Evangeline Lilly criticizing the producers and showrunners for creative reasons, but there are no major rumors or stories about cast members beefing, which is amazing considering how long the series ran and how large the cast was.

The exception would be Matthew Fox and Dominic Monaghan. After Lost ended, Fox was involved in an altercation with a female bus driver where he was accused of physical assault. No charges were filed, and the bus driver later dropped the civil suit. In 2012 Monaghan reacted to the news by tweeting "He beats women. Not isolated incidents. Often." Speaking to Men’s Fitness, Fox called the claims “a pile of bullshit.”

Who was the highest-paid actor in Lost?

According to an article from Forbes, Matthew Fox was the highest paid actor on Lost. By the end of the series Fox was getting $250,000 per episode to play series lead Jack Shephard. In contrast, Evangeline Lilly was getting $150,000 per episode to play Kate Austen. This was quite a bump from their initial salaries, which were estimated to be around $20,000-$40,000 per episode.

Here's how to watch Lost in order.