Harold Perrineau was at the heart of the most brutal moment in Lost history – and he has claimed one of his co-stars no longer speaks to him because of it.
The actor played Michael Dawson in the hit ABC series, which follows survivors of Oceanic Flight 815 who crash on a mysterious island, and in the season two episode “Two for the Road”, the character shockingly killed two fellow survivors in cold blood.
The scene in question effectively cut short Michelle Rodriguez (Ana-Lucia) and Libby actor Cynthia Watros’ time on the show, with the pair having just joined as season regulars earlier that season. In a new interview with The Independent, Perrineau alleged that one of the actors was so upset by the development, they blocked him from their lives.
“This is really weird to say, but one of the actresses to this day still doesn’t talk to me,” the actor claimed. "I’m like, 'I didn’t write this! I’m doing what you’re doing – I’m doing my job!’ Perrineau, who now stars in mystery horror series From, added that the unnamed actor felt "wildly betrayed” by his character’s actions.
The Independent has contacted Rodriguez and Watros for comment.
Perrineau was part of the original ensemble when the show launched in 2004 and found himself at the centre of the most dramatic storyline when his young son, Walt (Malcom David Kelley), was abducted by The Others, a group of people already living on the island.
In season two, his character was temporarily written off the show shortly after killing Ana-Lucia and Libby. He returned for a brief stint in season four, which led to his death, and a one-episode cameo in the sixth and final season in 2010.
Michael found redemption after sacrificing himself in the season four finale, which aired in 2008, but this scene played out away from his fellow survivors. At the time of his departure from the show, Perrineau expressed disappointment that this was how his story ended up – and now, 18 years on, he said he feels like Michael “didn’t get a fair shake”.
“I just think it could have been more interesting. It was like, ‘Ah, OK.’ because there were so many brilliant moments in there.”
However, the actor said he "wouldn’t change” being in Lost "for a second”.
“When there’s a problem, it gets amplified, but [ Michael’s death scene] is not now or ever gonna be the biggest part of Lost for me. Lost showed up and changed the landscape of TV. We were doing s*** that nobody was doing on TV before. So however it wound up, that doesn’t really matter,” he continued.
“But, to this day, I just think the character didn't get a fair shake. But was I glad I was there? Yeah! And we get to talk about it now.”
He also said he appreciated the show’s divisive ending, written by co-showrunners Damon Lindelof and Carlton Cuse, but thinks it “maybe could have been better”.
"I did see the end and I didn’t disagree with Damon and Carlton's reasoning. It’s the journey, and however it ends, it ends. That’s how I feel about From too. People want all the answers and it’s like, ‘But there’ll be no show!’ Could it have been a better ending? I mean, maybe yeah. But six years of such fun.”
In From, Perrineau plays the makeshift sheriff in a town that traps its unwilling residents, who are plagued by nocturnal creatures that emerge from the forest nightly. The series is available to stream on NOW – and season four is coming soon to the UK.
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