Hot on the heels of a jaw-dropping character death and mere weeks away from its three-hour, two-part finale, Lost fans, cast and crew gathered in Los Angeles on April 16 for Destination: L.A. The event was a fundraiser for the Children’s Defense Fund of L.A., a charity near and dear to co-creator J.J. Abrams’ heart. Auctioning off such items as cast-signed scripts and lunch with Supervising Producer/Writer Javier Grillo-Marxuach, Destination: L.A. raised $5,000 for the charity.
PopGurls chatted up several cast members and J.J. Abrams, asking them our traditionally random questions — some of which turned out to be far more difficult to answer than we had anticipated.
J.J. Abrams
Role in Lostverse: Co-Creator/Executive Producer
POPGURLS: If you were on a deserted island, which character from Lost would you want to be stranded with and why?
That’s a good one — in terms of companionship, and this is only in the interest of perpetuating the human race of course, all of the women on the show are phenomenally talented and beautiful. But my knee-jerk reaction was Hurley. ‘Cause Hurley is the guy who, to me, hands down is going to be consistently the most entertaining.
POPGURLS: What one album would you want with you?
One of my favorite albums is Roxy Music — Avalon.
POPGURLS: Someone has walked up to you and handed over your most beloved childhood toy. What is it?
One of those big yellow Tonka Trucks or almost any of those Aurora models, like Frankenstein. I used to love those.
Harold Perrineau Jr.
Role in Lostverse: Michael
POPGURLS: If you were on a deserted island, which character from Lost would you want to be stranded with and why?
Hurley. Neither of us could really do too much — you just kind of sit around, laughing the whole time. “Isn’t this CRAZY? We’re stuck on an island! What the hell – WHAT THE HELL? Let’s go try to find something to eat.”
POPGURLS: What one album would you want with you?
The album I’ve been digging lately is the Damien Rice CD [O]. But there is a Stevie Wonder album with “I Wish” and “Sunshine of My Life,” [Original Musiquarium I. It’s got four or five songs that I could listen to for the rest of my life. I could listen to it forever. I’d be trapped on an island with Stevie Wonder — me, Stevie and Hurley. We’d laugh and cry a little bit and laugh some more.
POPGURLS: Someone has walked up to you and handed over your most beloved childhood toy. What is it?
One of my first [slot car] racing sets –this is when I realized there was no Santa, it all happened at the same time. I had been asking for this racing set — “Santa, please get me the racing set! Please get me the racing set!” I got the racing set and there were two racing cars — they were the first of those electric racing cars with the handles, not necessarily the Hot Wheels, but the other kind that you can really race. I woke up [Christmas] morning and I was like “Whaaa! Santa brought me the racing set!” But my mom, who had set it up with my uncle, was so pissed off because my uncle broke it. She said, “Yeah, but your uncle broke the other car.” I was like, “What? How could he break the car? Santa –” it was done. There’s no Santa and I only have one car. It was a bummer of a Christmas, but if I can have that again, I would have it all.
Daniel Dae Kim
Role in Lostverse: Jin
POPGURLS: If you were on a deserted island, which character from Lost would you want to be stranded with and why?
Maybe Locke – he knows what it takes to survive.
POPGURLS: What one album would you want with you?
Wow, that’s a huge one. That’s a HUGE question. Lloyd Cole and the Commotions – Mainstream.
POPGURLS: Someone has walked up to you and handed over your most beloved childhood toy. What is it?
The VertiBird. [It] was a helicopter that would fly up and it was attached to a cable and it would fly around in a circle and you would control the speed and height. It had a little hook that you could pick up little toys with.
Greg Grunberg
Role in Lostverse: Doomed Pilot of Oceanic Airlines Flight 815
POPGURLS: If you were on a deserted island, which character from Lost would you want to be stranded with and why?
It would have to be the bear. Because, if you think about it, the bear’s gonna survive no matter what. Locke doesn’t shower, Jack’s hair doesn’t seem to grow and that’s a problem.
POPGURLS: What one album would you want with you?
It would definitely have to be Sinatra. Either Sinatra Reprise: The Very Good Years or Sinatra the Capitol years.
POPGURLS: Someone has walked up to you and handed over your most beloved childhood toy. What is it?
Atari Handheld football. That was my game. That, and Mousetrap.
William Mapother
Role in Lostverse: Ethan
POPGURLS: If you were on a deserted island, which character from Lost would you want to be stranded with and why?
The French Lady — she’s found a way to survive on the island.
POPGURLS: What one album would you want with you?
Oh my god (walks away and sits down, pressing his forehead into his palms). That’s the most difficult question I’ve ever been asked. Are you allowing people mixed CDs, or does it have to be an album as published? A regular CD? Sometimes albums have multiple CDs, like a boxed set. I gotta tell you – Louis Armstrong, Portrait of the Artist as a Young Man — four-CD boxed set.
Andrea Gabriel
Role in Lostverse: Nadia, Sayid’s childhood friend
POPGURLS: If you were on a deserted island, which character from Lost would you want to be stranded with and why?
That’s not fair! I have to say Sayid. He’s my guy. He’s the one who’s in prison with me and shot himself in the leg. I should probably spend some time with him, it’s only proper. At least a beer.
POPGURLS: What one album would you want with you?
Well, right now – I’m going to sound like such a geek: Kelly Clarkson[‘s CD Breakaway]. I’m really, really addicted to that right now. I play it over and over – I’m glad no one can hear me because I sound like such a 14-year-old, but I love that CD. [My favorite song is] “Since U Been Gone.” I dance out everywhere to it, especially when I’m in my apartment by myself.
POPGURLS: Someone has walked up to you and handed over your most beloved childhood toy. What is it?
Lite Brite. Even though you kept finding those little bulbs all over the floor for years, I loved it, that you could make up your designs. The clown freaked me out, though. I also loved the Snoopy Sno-Cone maker and Holly Hobby Oven.
Zack Ward
Role in Lostverse: Marc, Jack’s best man
POPGURLS: If you were on a deserted island, which character from Lost would you want to be stranded with and why?
I guess I’d say Jack, because I know Matt Fox really well and also because Jack’s a doctor and I’m really clumsy.
POPGURLS: What three items do you bring with you on all plane rides?
My laptop, cell phone and comfy shoes.
POPGURLS: What one album would you want with you if you were stuck on a deserted island?
Iggy Pop and the Stooges. [When] you’re surrounded by water and ocean, everything is calm and relaxing and beautiful and serene — you kind of need to get a little violent and angry and let off some steam. Outside of looking for things to eat or to sleep, you’d be passed out like a monkey because of the calming sounds of the ocean — so you’d need to have some Iggy Pop.