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Elizabeth Mitchell, Lost
Cast of LOST to help the arts in Honolulu
Feb. 21st, 2007 08:56 am
Danny Pickett is a role that could easily have been forgettable and boring. Michael Bowen, however, admirably goes for the gusto, putting his heart and soul into giving an intense, fiery performance, doing his very best to add depth to an otherwise one-dimensional character.
I cannot say enough about MC Gainey, our longest running Other and a great character actor. Tom appeared in season 1, season 2 and has become a major player in season 3. He has lost much of the power we used to associate with him, seeing that he is ordered around by Ben and Juliet. He remains somewhat sympathetic, and is perhaps the most humanly likable Other. It's clear he doesn't like being violent and a brute, and he has shown compassion and empathy for Kate. He was also a lot of fun in 'Not in Portland' and should he die, it'd be a loss of a great and modest actor in MC Gainey. You don't know the name, but the unforgettable face is from Con Air, Dukes of Hazzard, Beerfest, Tripping Forward and other films.
William Mapother certainly has the problem of both being Tom Cruise's cousin and playing Ethan Rom...either way, he's going to be associated with a psycho. He's one of the most under-rated actors of our time, his chilling, frightening and ultimately sympathetic performance in, 'In the Bedroom' proving that beneath the scary stares and boy-next-door creepiness, he's a real actor.
Paula Malcolmson is an actress I was sad to see go so fast. Best known for her role as Trixie the Deadwood whore, she didn't deserve such a quick death and did the best she could with the role she was given. As a side note, she's very, very beautiful.
Brett Cullen who plays Goodwin is a true gentleman, always taking the time to read every e-mail and letter sent to him by a fan. He made Goodwin accessible and towards the end, absolutely terrifying with his cold stare and monotone, icy voice as he explained the truth of it to Ana-Lucia.
I've left out Ben, Juliet and Alex. Alex, because I don't know about her yet, and the same goes for Karl. If I were to talk about Ben and Juliet, I would be here all day talking about how much I love these people.
So, thank you to the actors and actresses who play our resident good guys. Unappreciated and exceptionally good.
What I love about the Others is how normal they look. I would stop and notice Nikki in the street, or Kate or Sawyer or whoever. But Tom? He looks like the guy who serves me drinks. Danny fixed my car up, I passed Ethan in the corridor at the hospital, where I was examined by Ben. Alex rented out my videos and Karl bagged my groceries. They all look normal, they're not outstanding beauties who are in make-up for eight hours before hand, and I certainly appreciate them.
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I was so moved by this entry. I am glad to hear that I am not the only who appreciates these actors. Here's my reply:
Zep that was a beautiful tribute to the Others. I was very upset that they killed Danny Pickett. Juliet could have tazered him and have gotten the same results. Michael Bowen is an underappreciated actor, as all the Others are.
I am sure that it is Michael Emerson's amazing acting ability that keeps him alive for so long. He was right in taking the MFA and studying Shakespeare. Those skills he acquired made him a tremendous actor. He is able to make an insignificant scene so exciting. Let's face it, when he woke up from surgery, that scene could have been played out as a dud. I think that he stole the scene.
I hope that Tom, Ben, Juliet, Alex, and Karl will stay on. I'm sick and tired of being fed studs and sexy startlets.
What are your thoughts?
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‘Lost’ actress feels at home
The role of Juliet lets Elizabeth Mitchell balance her TV career with her family life
Elizabeth Mitchell, who plays Juliet on "Lost," phones at the appointed time to apologize. She will have to call back a few minutes later because her 17-month-old son, C.J., is having "a problem."
As promised, she makes sure he's OK and calls back five minutes later to chat jovially about her apprehension. It's Wednesday night, after all, a couple of hours before the seventh episode of "Lost" will air. Fellow cast members had invited Mitchell to join them for a gathering to watch the premiere, of sorts (it's the first episode after a long broadcast break). But she politely declined in favor of staying home with her husband and son, and preparing for an early morning start on the set.
"Besides, I'm a little nervous," she said. "They're going to be footloose and fancy-free, and it's my episode!" She'll see the script play out for the first time along with the rest of the world, watching flashback scenes shot at the John A. Burns School of Medicine.
To make matters worse, reports will filter in from family and friends on the mainland, who will see Juliet's history unfold before Mitchell does. She didn't expect all of the assessments to be glowing. "I have a 'pull no punches' family," she said. Furthermore, her mother gets upset when Juliet is cruel to the nice characters. And a few scenes were likely to strain her mother's sensibilities.
"Get them back; if you have to, kill them," Juliet says of Kate (Evangeline Lilly) and Sawyer (Josh Holloway) when they escape their zoological station cages. Yet after a conversation with Ben Linus (Michael Emerson), she comes to the rescue with a gun and a walkie-talkie, and everything begins to look different.
So is Juliet good or evil? "It's really hard to figure out," Mitchell said. "She definitely has something on her mind and is trying to get something accomplished. She's the way most of us would be if we were pursuing a specific objective."
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"I don't think I'm a big old star person," said the 36-year-old, making light of her increasing fame. "I've always been a character actor. I don't see things taking an enormous leap. I just love the day-to-day work."
Some things have changed, though. Fans recognize her, but are often too shy to say anything, so they try to snap cell phone pictures -- without her knowing. One day she accidentally bumped into a woman who was hovering behind Mitchell while a friend took a clandestine picture of them at Ala Moana Shopping Center. Fortunately, the exchanges are always pleasant. "They save their love or hatred for Juliet for the Internet," Mitchell said.
"Lost" makes it possible for Mitchell and her husband, improv acting teacher Chris Soldevilla, to juggle their work and parenting schedules without assistance from a baby sitter or nanny. "I go weeks without working," she said. "And if I'm not working, I say, 'This is a C.J. week.' "
If the script calls for Juliet when Soldevilla is out of town, C.J.'s grandmothers fly in to help, or Mitchell takes C.J. to work, where the crew watches over him.
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Before Mitchell joined "Lost" this season, her most acclaimed roles occurred when she guest starred in several episodes of "ER" during its seventh season. Aside from that, kids love her as Mrs. Claus to Tim Allen's Santa in "Santa Clause 2" and "Santa Clause 3." She also received recognition for stints on "Boston Legal," "Law & Order," "Spin City" and in the HBO movie "Gia," opposite Angelina Jolie.
She had not visited the islands before arriving to work here. "I never knew how exceptionally beautiful it was. I've always enjoyed colder climates," said Mitchell, who also has a home in Washington state. "But I'm pretty much in love with Hawaii. I'm captivated by the place and the people. It's an incredibly wonderful place to raise kids."
So what's ahead for Mitchell? Even she isn't sure. "I don't know if I'm going to die this season!" she said, adding that she hopes to continue playing "complicated women" like Juliet. And the obsessive reader also will keep her eye out for a compelling book to option into a movie. But right now, she confirmed, "this is exactly what I want."
