Lost very quickly became a huge cultural phenomenon after it premiered on September 22, 2004. The J.J. Abrams co-created series threw curious viewers straight into the deep end in the pilot episode by confronting them — and the show’s dazzled protagonist Jack (played by Matthew Fox), who wakes up in his suit in the middle of the jungle — with the immediate aftermath of Oceanic Flight 815’s devastating crash on an unidentified Pacific island. Said marooned island, it quickly transpired, became the intensely mysterious setting for the majority of the show’s 121-episode run, which spanned six years and multiple in-show timelines as the Lost enigma became one of the mid-00s most memorable TV creations.
And even though the show’s viewing figures, plot and common sense had all eventually deteriorated by the time the final season rolled around in February 2010, there’s no denying that, for a short time at least, Lost was one of the most talked-about TV shows on the air. After all, who could forget the Dharma Initiative? The morphing Smoke Monster? The fucking polar bear?!
The primary cast of Lost will always be tied to their involvement in the show — Jorge Garcia’s Hurley was the inspiration for an actual Weezer album! — but, 15 years on from the premiere, what have the stars of the show been up to?
1Matthew Fox, who played Jack Shephard
After notching a slew of Golden Globe and Emmy nominations for his role as the intrepid island leader Jack, Fox declared that he was “done” with TV after Lost ended in 2010. And he’s stuck to his word: the Oregon-based actor has steered well clear of the small screen in the years since, with scant few film appearances – the last in 2015 with Bone Tomahawk – being added to his résumé.
2Jorge Garcia, who played Hurley
The much-loved Hurley was of course the inspiration for the title of Weezer’s 2010 album, which featured Garcia’s smiling face on the cover. The Nebraska actor, who also performs stand-up comedy, has since gone to star in Hawaii Five-0 and the widely-panned Netflix movie The Ridiculous 6.
3Evangeline Lilly, who played Kate Austen
Lilly’s star turn as Kate in Lost has led to some pretty big roles, most notably as Marvel superhero Hope van Dyne / Wasp in the two Ant-Man films, Tauriel in The Hobbit film series and a part in the Oscar-winning The Hurt Locker. Next year, she’ll star opposite Armie Hammer and Gary Oldman in the thriller Dreamland.
4Terry O’Quinn, who played John Locke
O’Quinn landed plenty more TV jobs after playing Locke (or The Man In Black) on the show, including Perpetual Grace, LTD, Patriot and Secret and Lies. He also enjoyed a reunion with his former Lost co-stars Daniel Dae Kim and Garcia on Hawaii Five-0, on which O’Quinn played the recurring character Joe White until last year.
5Daniel Dae Kim, who played Jin-Soo Kwon
Kim’s portrayal of island hero Jin has prompted many a job offer in the nine years since the end of Lost. Roles in Hawaii Five-0, The Good Doctor and, most notably, this year’s Hellboy adaptation have all been taken on by the South Korean-born actor.
6Elizabeth Mitchell, who played Juliet Burke
Lauded for her work on Lost as Juliet, Mitchell has since starred in the likes of V, Revolution and The Expanse. She’s also set to appear in a trio of movies over the next year — all of which are currently all in post-production.
7Michael Emerson, who played Benjamin Linus
Slippery Ben – who initially led The Others – was played to villainous perfection by Emerson, and the actor has subsequently enjoyed success in Arrow, The Name of the Rose and the long-running Person of Interest. He’ll star in the new show Evil very soon, too.
8Michelle Rodriguez, who played Ana Lucia Cortez
Rodriguez’s take-no-shit Lost character Ana Lucia only appeared in 26 episodes, but the ex-cop often stole every scene she was in during her relatively short stint on the show. Renowned for her work in the Fast & Furious franchise (the ninth [!] film in the series is due next year), Rodriguez has also had memorable parts in such movies as Widows, Battle: Los Angeles and Avatar – and she’ll star alongside Evangeline Lilly in the aforementioned Dreamland next year.
9Josh Holloway, who played Sawyer
Holloway’s long-locked Sawyer was one of the Lost ever-presents, but he hasn’t exactly torn up Hollywood since the show ended. His career highlights include the short-lived 2014 show Intelligence and a main role on Colony, which concluded last year. He’s just signed up to star in the upcoming third season of Yellowstone, though.
10Naveen Andrews, who played Sayid Jarrah
The English Patient actor has continued on the TV trail since the conclusion of Lost, starring in series such as Sinbad, Once Upon a Time in Wonderland and Sense8. Most recently, he starred in the Alan Cumming-led Instinct – the second season of which is currently airing in the US.