"Do One More Episode?": Lost Star Reveals How Showrunners Lured Her Back A Year After She Had Been Written Off

Lost star Rebecca Mader reveals how she was convinced to return a year after her character, Charlotte Lewis, had been killed in the series. Mader made her series debut at the beginning of season 4 as part of the science team that came to the island aboard the Kahana freighter. Unlike the other members of the science team, whose roles expanded as part of Lost‘s cast in season 5, Charlotte was killed in season 5, episode 5, “This Place is Death”. Mader believed at the time that this was the end of her run on the hit series.




On The Sackhoff Show podcast, Mader explained that she returned in season 6 when showrunners Carlton Cuse and Damon Lindelof told her she would get to make out with James “Sawyer” Ford (Josh Holloway). At this point, Mader had moved on from Lost and had made two independent movies. Despite being disappointed with the way her character was written out of the series, the opportunity to do a romantic storyline with Holloway for one episode was enough to convince her to return. Check out Mader’s comments below:

Loads of time goes by, and I was doing a couple of independent movies, one with Antonio Banderas in New Mexico and then another movie with Uma Thurman, and I was doing them almost back-to-back. I was in bed in New York in an Airbnb and my phone rang, and they’re like, “Hey, Rebecca, I’ve got Carlton Cuse and Damon Lindelof here.” And I’m like, “What?” This is a long time later.

I’m in bed and like “All right, guys,” and they’re like, “Hey, Mader, congratulations on your two movies. Do you want to come back and do one more episode?” And I just said, “What, for more nosebleeds?” And they went,
“No, no, no, you get to make out with Sawyer.” And I’m like, “When do I leave?”



What This Meant For Lost

The Flash Sideways Created New Opportunities

Due to Lost‘s flash sideways, Charlotte and many other deceased characters were able to return in season 6 without undermining their previous arcs. Charlotte’s return was not about her as much as it was about Sawyer, who was the primary focus of the present day and flash sideways storylines in season 6, episode 8, “Recon.” Nevertheless, it provided Mader with an opportunity to briefly return to Lost and show parts of Charlotte that she did not previously get to explore, including being flirtatious and physically intimate with Sawyer.


Related

Every Lost Character Still On The Island When The Show Ended

Many of Lost’s characters either died on the island or escaped it, but several characters were still there by the end of the show’s present-day story.

In addition to “Recon,” Charlotte also appeared in Lost‘s ending, where she crossed paths with former science team member and island love interest Daniel Faraday (Jeremy Davies). Mader’s season 6 appearances did not negate Charlotte’s arguably premature exit from the series in season 5, but it was satisfying to see her and so many other deceased individuals once again playing an active role. This was one of the many benefits of season 6’s flash sideways.

She Returned For The Right Reasons

Charlotte Lewis (Rebecca Mader) looking concerned in Lost


When discussing her return to Lost, Mader has a wonderful sense of humor and a positive attitude. Holloway had considerable charm in his performance as Sawyer, and it is not difficult to understand why a romantic storyline with him would be enticing. She had the opportunity to further cement her legacy in the series, which did not get in the way of continuing to develop her career, and went on to include her series regular role as Zelena in Once Upon A Time. For Mader and for Lost season 6, Charlotte’s return worked well.

Source: The Sackhoff Show