Fox is on the prowl

Matthew Fox is best known for playing the role of Jack Shephard in the hit TV series Lost, currently showing on Dubai One. In this interview, he speaks of his continuous success, living in Hawaii, and the mysterious creatures in Lost ... Question: You have been in successful shows before. Personally, how do you compare your previous successes with the success you are enjoying now?

Matthew Fox: I have been really lucky, but I have also been very picky. My first success was with Party of Five, and the experience was amazing; it did a lot for me as an actor.

But I felt a bit uncomfortable with all the fame and the attention I had while doing that show, to the point where I didn't know how to deal with it.

So after Party of Five, I had to sit down and figure out how I was to approach this business, and how I was going to deal with being a celebrity. And now, the success I am enjoying in Lost, is much sweeter, now that it is the second time around, and I am happy that I was able to do a different role.

Question: So that time in between you have been receiving offers but were rejecting them?

Matthew Fox: Yeah. I was getting a lot of offers after my success in Party of Five, and a lot of people have advised me jump on the wave and accept those offers now that I am considered hot property.

But honestly, I didn't feel that I was ready for that; I felt that there was a lot left for me to learn, so I had to take my time, till I felt I was ready.

Question: Are you comfortable with the level of fame you have after being on Lost? It is in fact one of the biggest hits on TV.

Matthew Fox: Yeah, I am completely enjoying it. I am enjoying myself now more than I ever have. It is incredible how the show have become so big so soon.

I remember that when Party of Five was at its peak, 10 million viewers would be watching it every week; Lost is watched by 22 million viewers every week. So it is amazing.

Question: You are shooting Lost in Hawaii; did you have to change your life?

Matthew Fox: Life in Hawaii is simply fantastic. I am married with kids, and life there is great.

Question: So you all moved to Hawaii now?

Matthew Fox: Yeah, we had to. I spend so much time there that I had to relocate with my family in Hawaii.

Question: If you were to act in a movie, would you like your character to be similar to your character in Lost?

Matthew Fox: Well, that's the way the industry works anyway. And I am happy that I am playing a role in which I am considered a leading man, some kind of a hero.

Question: Do you have any theories regarding the creatures in the island?

Matthew Fox: I have no idea. It is really interesting that we are all kept in the dark.

Question: Haven't you theorised?

Matthew Fox: Never! When I was a child, my parents would tell me that my Christmas presents were inside their closet and that I wasn't allowed to ever think of taking a look, and I actually obliged!

So in Lost, the writers said that we don't have to think about what those creatures are, and the whole idea was gone from my head. All I can tell you is that it's not a dinosaur!

Catch the cast of Lost on Dubai One at 1.30pm and 8pm, from Sunday to Thursday.