Lost star Rebecca Mader reveals how she was convinced to return a year after her character, Charlotte Lewis, was killed off in the series. Mader made his debut on the series at the beginning of season 4 as part of the scientific team that came to the island aboard the Kahana freighter. Unlike the other members of the scientific team, whose roles expanded as part of the LostIn the Season 5 cast, Charlotte was killed off in Season 5 Episode 5, ‘This Place is Death’, and Mader believed at the time that this was the end of her career on the hit series.
On The Sackhoff Show podcast, Mader explained that she returned in season 6 when producers Carlton Cuse and Damon Lindelof said she would end up with James “Sawyer” Ford (Josh Holloway). At this point, Mader went from Lost and made two independent films. Despite being disappointed with how her character was written out of the series, the opportunity to have a romantic storyline with Holloway in one episode was enough to convince her to return. Check out Mader’s comments below:
A lot of time passes and I was doing some independent films, one with Antonio Banderas in New Mexico and then another film 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 said, “Hey, Rebecca, I have Carlton Cuse and Damon Lindelof here.” And I’m like, “What?” That’s a long time later.” I’m in bed and I’m like, “All right, guys,” and they’re like, “Hey, Mader, congratulations on your two movies. Do you want to come back and do another episode?” And I just said, “What, for more nosebleeds?” And they went, “No, no, no, you’re staying with Sawyer.” And I’m like, “When am I leaving?”
What this meant for Lost
The Flash Sideways created new opportunities
Due to Lostblinks sideways, Charlotte and many other deceased characters managed to return in Season 6 without detracting from their previous arcs. Charlotte’s return wasn’t as much about her as it was about Sawyer, who was the main focus of the present day and side stories in Season 6, Episode 8, “Recon.” However, it provided Mader with the opportunity to briefly return to the Lost and show parts of Charlotte that she was previously unable to explore, including being flirtatious and physically intimate with Sawyer.
In addition to “Recon”, Charlotte also appeared in LostThe ending of, where she crossed paths with former science team member and island love interest Daniel Faraday (Jeremy Davies). Mader’s appearances in Season 6 didn’t negate Charlotte’s possibly premature exit of the series in Season 5, but it was gratifying 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 sideways flash.
She came back for the right reasons
When discussing his 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’s not hard to see why a romantic story featuring him would be appealing. She was given the opportunity to further cement her legacy on the series, which did not hinder the continued development of 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