The Tail Section

Don’t bother asking Matthew Fox for any inside secrets about “Lost,” the television thriller on which he plays Dr. Jack Shephard. He doesn’t have them.

“I just tell [fans] that I have no idea what happens next [on LOST] which is partially true,” he said Friday. “I know a little bit ahead of where they are, because I’ve gotten the script and worked on the material, but over the long term, I certainly don’t know where the story is headed.”

Fox broke this news to reporters at a media conference at Marshall University’s Edwards Stadium on Friday. He had the day off from filming “We Are Marshall,” where he will star as assistant coach Red Dawson alongside Matthew McConaughey.

“Chad Pennington — that was about the extent of my Marshall knowledge at that point,” he said with a laugh, adding that he often is drawn to real-life roles and enjoys working on such projects because they allow him to learn about new things.

As part of his character, Fox is sporting a look different from his TV persona while he’s in town. His regularly dark hair has been dyed red.

“Both [director] McG and I felt it was really important to give some justification of the name Red,” he said. “Changing the hair color was something that we both had talked about and felt we wanted to do.”

“I’ve had a couple of people come up to me and say, ‘I didn’t even recognize you,’” he added.

The look isn’t permanent, of course. It will come out by next week, when he’s back in Hawaii filming “Lost.” His short stay in West Virginia — slightly more than a week — hasn’t given Fox much time to explore the state, but it’s still left him with a positive impression.

“I love it. It just feels very real to me. I love the big old steel bridges and the trains,” the Wyoming native said. “It has a grounded work ethic and a solid soul to it.”