“Lost” showrunners Damon Lindelof and Carlton Cuse confront several accusations of racism, toxicity and more that allegedly occurred during the making of the ABC hit series in Maureen Ryan’s new book, “Burn It Down,” an excerpt of which has been published on Vanity Fair’s website. In the excerpt, Lindelof admits that he “failed” in regards to providing “safety and comfort” in the show’s writers’ room.
Several writers and actors spoke to Ryan about the alleged toxic work environment on “Lost,” which ran for six seasons on ABC from 2004-2010. Harold Perrineau, who starred as Michael Dawson in the first two seasons of “Lost,” spoke bluntly about his white co-stars getting the show’s major storylines. As he put it, “It became pretty clear that I was the Black guy. Daniel [Dae Kim] was the Asian guy. And then you had Jack and Kate and Sawyer.”
A writer on the show said that the “Lost” writing staff was repeatedly told that white characters Locke (Terry O’Quinn), Jack (Matthew Fox), Kate (Evangeline Lilly) and Sawyer (Josh Holloway) were the “hero characters” and that “nobody cares about these other characters. Just give them a few scenes on another beach.”
Perrineau said he once flagged his concerns to a “Lost” producer about the show’s white cast members being prioritized over cast members of color, be it on screen or during photo shoots. He said he told the producer, “I don’t have to be the first, I don’t have to have the most episodes — but I’d like to be in the mix. But it seems like this is now a story about Jack and Kate and Sawyer.”
According to Perrineau, the producer told him that “this is just how audiences follow stories.” The producer allegedly added that Locke, Jack, Kate and Sawyer were “relatable.”
Perrineau said he later went to Cuse to voice concerns about a script in which his character, Michael, only expressed worry about his missing child once during the episode.
“I…
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