Submit Your Questions for Michael Emerson!
Monday, I will be sitting down for a chat with the sultan of sinister, Michael "Benry" Emerson! Again I’m looking for question submissions, but this time there is a twist I think everybody will like. Submit your questions through the comment system. When either we have 100 distinct questions, or it is Sunday morning the 11th, I will place all the questions into a big honking poll. The top three questions will be asked, regardless of what they are. (Obviously, if they are disrespectful or profane, they won’t be asked.) This should work out a lot better than the last time around, I hope.
For the record, if you didn’t listen to the audio portion of the Carlton / Damon interview you don’t know that they are in a major crunch right now, finishing the writing for season three and preparing three crews to work simultaneously on the final episodes. So we were in a tight spot for time and I was limited to choosing questions I thought were going to get the more detailed answers.
Again, you can’t subvert the system by putting off-color or disrespectful questions into the poll, so just get that idea out of your head troll-boy. Submit your questions!
Enough with the “Benry” already…please.
Comment by Rain — March 9, 2007 @ 4:03 pm
Is that a question, Rain?
Comment by docarzt — March 9, 2007 @ 4:05 pm
Ben seems like so much more of a gentleman now than the sinister leader we saw at the outset of the season. Would you attribute this more to his being largely at Jack’s mercy, or is there some other motivation we’ll be privy to shortly?
Comment by Richard Lennox — March 9, 2007 @ 4:06 pm
And yup doc, that’s my question.
Comment by Richard Lennox — March 9, 2007 @ 4:06 pm
Oh, and I guess the “essential crowd-pleaser” should be there too: A
Is there any truth to the rumors about the viewers getting a Ben flashback this season?
Comment by Richard Lennox — March 9, 2007 @ 4:31 pm
Lennox, we might as well call the winner right there.
Comment by docarzt — March 9, 2007 @ 4:53 pm
My question is a bit spoiler-ish in nature, so please take it with a grain of salt. However, I don’t want to ruin anything with details; just a yes or no would be cool.
1) Did Ben and Danielle know each other before they crossed paths in the jungle? (When the Losties found them.)
Comment by Dak — March 9, 2007 @ 4:58 pm
Did Benry push the Hatch button? I am not sure if this would be considered the type of question you don’t want the answer to yet, but it is a fan fave.
Comment by Michelle — March 9, 2007 @ 5:21 pm
Last season, there was a scene where your character said “If I told you about them, you have no idea what he’ll do!” and “He’ll kill me!”
At this point, did you or the writers already know that Ben would be the leader of the Others? Do those two lines have a different meaning now than they did before? Wouldn’t Ben have the power to protect himself, like he protected Juliet?
Comment by Neil Pomerleau — March 9, 2007 @ 5:29 pm
Should we believe every flashback as being the truth, or is it possible that one or more of the flashbacks represent an unreliable narrator?
Comment by joopiter — March 9, 2007 @ 6:02 pm
Will Ben die in the season finale?
Comment by pj — March 9, 2007 @ 6:08 pm
Is there one thing you can tell us about your character, that you wish the viewers knew.
Comment by MJ — March 9, 2007 @ 6:09 pm
hey doc, i aggree, a ben flash back would be the one we all want to see right now! its the one thing that keeps getting me, why does everyone follow/fear him so much? and now we know that some of the others were recruited from the real world what IS it that they have discovered about him? mmmmmm.
Comment by r — March 9, 2007 @ 6:11 pm
How will Ben influence the fate of the characters (Survivor and Other) in the future?
Also, does he find that working in Hawaii is such a blast? What’s life like for Michael Emerson on and off the set of Lost in Hawaii?
Who the heck is Jacob? Any hints on Others higher in the pecking order than Ben? (if any)
grr! i thought Patchy’d at least be a recurring character like Rousseau what with all the fanfare he got online
(scratch this last one haha)
Comment by JP Ortega — March 9, 2007 @ 7:10 pm
Will he be back for Season 4?
Comment by Sarah — March 9, 2007 @ 7:53 pm
Wow, mostly great questions! I’m glad that they were well thought out! Bravo! My question is Are you and Carrie planning on having children? Michael has been cast as a father on both LOST and other shows, he has a niece and I think he’d be a great dad! Of course, I know they are both professionals and as such may not have time for children…my question about the show though would be Is Ben ever gonna get to see Locke again? They had chemistry! Great friends as they are both intelligent and leaders!
Comment by Sailor Nova — March 9, 2007 @ 7:57 pm
Did Ben and the Others know what would happen if the button wasn’t pushed? Or did they think it was just part of a Dharma experiment?
Comment by Nocturne — March 9, 2007 @ 8:17 pm
I have 3 questions:
(1) After LOST is over, will you go back to your roots, namely, live theater or will you try to find a good comedic movie to star in?
(2) You have loads of fans all over the world. Are you considering the possibility of performing on stage in one or maybe a few countries? From my understanding, you have numerous adoring fans who live in the countries that once composed the Soviet Union who would love to see you perform your magic on live theater.
(3) Would you want to do another TV show once LOST is over?
Comment by Edith S Baker — March 9, 2007 @ 8:51 pm
Question: When Ben promised to let Jack off the island if he performed the surgery, was he telling the truth?
Comment by rich — March 9, 2007 @ 9:22 pm
Edith, your first question is hysterical! Of course, I’m sure you mean something dry and truly witty deserving of Michael’s talents, but I can’t help thinking of Michael getting stranded in some awful “buddy comedy” type of flick with barely any plot and some generic situation that’s supposed to be a zany and wacky framing…say, going camping or some such thing.
Let’s all hope such as this never comes to pass, the man surely deserves better, though I think it would be fantastic to see him in something deserving his talents but never the less completely unexpected.
Comment by Richard Lennox — March 9, 2007 @ 10:20 pm
some great questions guys..i have two
as an actor the bigest trick is honestly portraying emotions in your eyes through your soul, you are by far one of the best i have ever seen, what do you use as your motivation to get you where you need to be, the intense anger, sometimes emptiness, its always so intense what is your motivation if you could speak to that.
second question.
in all your interviews, what is one question you have never been asked, but wish it to be asked, and what is the answer.
Comment by Brandon Mallard — March 9, 2007 @ 11:01 pm
(1) As the story unfolds, do you hope the Others end up being “Good People”?
(2) Are you a fan of the show, and do you get excited to receive the script for each episode so you can learn how the story progresses?
Comment by Airk — March 9, 2007 @ 11:20 pm
1. Could we expect some big “Others” action in the upcoming episodes?
2. And is there a Ben-centric eppy coming up?
Comment by jvince — March 10, 2007 @ 1:18 am
If Ben was around 20 or even in his teens during the “purge”, is it possible that he is the only ‘Hostile’ still living that has lived on the Island his whole life? It would make the most sense as to why he is the leader (if indeed he is)and why he is regarded by the Others the way he is.
I also would love to know when Ben is getting a flashback and when we’ll see more about his ‘history’ with Juliet.
Comment by Chelsy — March 10, 2007 @ 1:23 am
I have 3 questions…
(1) How did you feel about your character getting an action figure?
(2) Do you know if your character will be in the LOST video game? That would be
Comment by Josh — March 10, 2007 @ 2:00 am
Hello Mr Emerson.
Henry Gale/Ben Linus are wonderful characters, both highly camp and theatrical. (And I’ll probably get mobbed for this, be he’s the character I enjoy most in Lost.)
My question is:
Do you enjoy playing with the underlying but very apparent camp elements and black comedy in Lost with your character(s), specifically in relation to how you perceive Ben’s relationship with Jack?
Season 3 is utterly terrifying…when you see it from the other’s side of the story!
Stunning, wonderful and brilliant work Mr Emerson! Bravo from London, UK.
Best wishes,
Anthony
Comment by Anthony — March 10, 2007 @ 2:01 am
Question: How do you continue being the “Iowa-boy” yet handle all your newfound celebrity?
PS– WE LOVE YOU MICHAEL!
Comment by Iowalost — March 10, 2007 @ 4:26 am
Hello, Mr. Emerson!
I have three questions for you.
1. My question concerning your future as actor. You have already specific proposals of new roles? Especially I am interested with prospects of your arrival to the “big” cinema of a drama or epic genre. Or even a love drama.. Your tremendous deep talent is capable of all! You should play good characters, because you the good person.
2. Whether you plan when or to arrive to Russia? Russian fans adore of you.
3. And if anything in your life will not change after Lost that will allow you force to continue to do your difficult and remarkable job?
From Russia with love
Comment by greenleaf — March 10, 2007 @ 5:13 am
As we saw on the episode “Enter 77″, Miss Klugh would rather die than to let the survivors know the truth about the “Others’” purpose. Ben also would rather die than let Kate and Sawyer escape from the island.
What do you think could cause on Ben and the “Others” such a strong feeling about the island and their purpose of being there?
Comment by Lost_in_Brazil — March 10, 2007 @ 5:35 am
For Mr. Emerson:
For those of us that first saw and loved you on “The Practice” you’ve shown yourself to be adept at projecting no clear archetype. The audience simply doesn’t know how to interpret your chracters and that ability clearly fit really well with Lost. The question is: How do you do it? Do you have some inspiration in mind to maintain this tabula rasa of a on-screen persona?
Comment by Jim — March 10, 2007 @ 7:13 am
Who did he use as an inspiration when he plays Ben?
Comment by BlackrockBob — March 10, 2007 @ 7:52 am
I read on some spoiler site that Ben had some special talent/power that made him a great candidate for traveling across the island, allowing himself to be captured, getting tortured by the losties, etc. Been clued in at all as to what that talent may be? Will you be shooting lasers out of your eyes at any point?
Comment by Ted Dancin' Machine — March 10, 2007 @ 9:19 am
In “Enter 77″ we find out about the purge. Can we assume that Ben is an island native who has rid his home of the DHARMA scientists, or is there something more to Ben telling Locke, “We’re scientists,” while he was captured.
Comment by cap10tripps — March 10, 2007 @ 9:24 am
In “Tricia Tanaka is Dead,” the Three Dog Night song “Shambala” is prominently featured. There are obvious comparisons to the Tibetan Budhist version of what and where Shambala is and the islands. There are also comparisons to an ancient race of people who live in Shambala and Ben’s group of “others.” Should we be looking more into this?
Comment by cap10tripps — March 10, 2007 @ 9:39 am
QUESTIONS:
1)Can Ben, and the Others in general, influence the actions of the island and things on it, eg, its healing capabilities, for instance?
2) Has Ben ever left the island?
3) Do the Others have any involvement in the whispers, heard by Sayid and Sawyer as well as other people?
Comment by cerberus — March 10, 2007 @ 10:07 am
When ben promised that juliet andjack could go home did he mean the outside world “home”, or othersville “home”??
Comment by rob — March 10, 2007 @ 10:32 am
Yo Cerberus, I was recently on a website that has the whispers deciphered. It would seem that they are from souls/spirits/energy, as one of the whispers during Shannon’s death was telling her to meet with them on the other side (they knew she was going to die). So it would seem the island has to do with the whispers.
Comment by cap10tripps — March 10, 2007 @ 10:34 am
yeah, caps, i saw that on the fuselage. very weird, but still, possibly manipulation from the others. however, i would lean towards your idea.
Comment by cerberus — March 10, 2007 @ 10:39 am
First, let me say what a great addition to the show Ben/Henry has been so far. The first episode we see him is one of my favorites. Onto the questions!
Why did Ben travel near the survivor’s camp? Did he really get caught on purpose? Was he really there to get John Locke? If so, why?
Did Ben enter the numbers and push the button when Locke was trapped under the blast door? Did he input a different series of numbers (thus making the black light turn on because he knew Locke would see the island map?)
Does Ben know anything about any of the hatches on the island? Did he know what was happening when the sky turned purple in the Season 2 Finale?
Has he ever had any relations with Danielle? Did he adopt Alex? If so, why?
Did Ben really make the mistake of letting Jack take charge for a while, or is that all part of his plan?
Has Ben ever left the island? If so, why and when?
Does Ben have The Shine?
Did Ben have anything to do with the Purge?
Are the Others left over Dharma scientists, or are they a race of people that have lived on the Island for generations? Or perhaps both?
Does Ben know what the smoke monster is, and its purpose?
Does Ben use Vincent to spy on the survivor’s camp?
WILL THERE EVER BE A BEN-CENTRIC EPISODE????
Comment by verinon — March 10, 2007 @ 10:41 am
If Ben has lived on the island all of his life, is it possible that he is a descendent of the four-toed statue?
Comment by elephantpoop — March 10, 2007 @ 10:55 am
gotta give it to verinon here, he’s been really thinking!
Comment by cerberus — March 10, 2007 @ 10:57 am
Tell us three things your fans would be surprised to know about Michael Emerson and three things they would be surprised to know about Ben.
Comment by Lobby — March 10, 2007 @ 11:22 am
You come from a background in Theatre acting. How does this help or hinder your performance as Ben?
Comment by Garrett — March 10, 2007 @ 11:48 am
“Is that a question, Rain?”
No, just a request.
I can’t think of a good question.
Comment by Rain — March 10, 2007 @ 11:51 am
If You could choose, who would be Your favorite/ most challenging book character that You would like to play in a movie adaptation?
If You could choose from all the theatres ever build, on scene of which theatre would You like to play most, even if only once ?
or (this one is from my friend, LOTR fan LOL!)
what character from LOTR would You to play? ^_^
Comment by twisk — March 10, 2007 @ 11:58 am
seeing as ben looked so calm when flight 815 crashed, is it fair to believe ben has witnessed something like this before?
Comment by miss l.o.s.t fanatic — March 10, 2007 @ 12:42 pm
When you were cast for ‘Lost’, where you told that you were to be playing the character Henry Gale, or Benjamin Linus pretending to be Henry?
Also, in terms of Ben’s background, what details were you given? We know that Ben has a prominantly literary background, and is quite the intellectual — do share reading tastes with Ben, or did you find yourself reading more what Ben would read as you found out more about the character?
Comment by Bauer — March 10, 2007 @ 1:13 pm
About BEN:
1) What scenes are you most proud of, acting-wise?
2) What do you think “the good ones” means?
3) How intense do you think the romance between Ben and Juliet was? Will we see their romance in a flashback?
4) Ben is an unlikely leader. Do you consider yourself a leader?
5) Which do you prefer: Dostoevsky or Stephen King?
About MICHAEL: (sorry, this is long…)
1) Is there a way we might see your artwork and illustrations?
2) Describe the lowest point of your career.
3) What are your favorite books and movies?
4) What are your spiritual beliefs?
5) Do you consider yourself an introvert or an extrovert?
6) How did you adjust from living in Iowa to living in New York? Do you miss the country?
7) Did you always know you’d be an actor?
What did “fame” mean to you as you dreamed about acting? What did “making it” constitute to you? Would you have been satisfied with total anonymity for the whole of your career?
9) How do you approach crying scenes? Do you find you can cry on cue?
10) Have you performed in any musicals? What do you think of your singing voice?
11) How would your friends describe you?
12) Do you have any moral boundaries regarding sex, violence, language or nudity in the work you do?
Comment by rb — March 10, 2007 @ 2:31 pm
I have a few more:
I saw you in Jumping Off Bridges. I was utterly surprised to see you as a nice and vulnerable person.
I loved your characterization of this devastated man, who not only lost his daughter and his wife, but was on the verge of losing his son. How did you prepare for that role? Was the bathroom scene where so much of your emotions had to be displayed difficult to play? Do you ever feel drained of your emotions once your plays or scenes are over?
Very few of us, if any, are privy to your earlier works (the ones you did before your MFA), do you attribute the quality of your work to be enhanced by going through the masters’ program?
Lastly, did you always feel that you wanted to be an actor? Or did you have another career in mind? If so, what was it?
Comment by Edith S Baker — March 10, 2007 @ 8:46 pm
I read that you were originally supposed to be on for a few episodes, what was the original arc for your character?
When did you know your charater was an Other?
When did you know that you would be a leader of the Others?
Do you know or believe there to be someone higher in rank than Ben amongst the Others?
Comment by downthehatch — March 10, 2007 @ 9:21 pm
(Your questions are very interesting, the things I would like to know about Michael very much indeed! I hope he will answer if only for one Your question ^_^)
Comment by twisk — March 11, 2007 @ 12:11 am
One more question to Mr. Emerson. Who loves striped shirts you or your wife more?
Comment by greenleaf — March 11, 2007 @ 7:00 am
That I want to know the main thing - as far as much from myself you, Mr. Emerson, have enclosed at image Ben?
Comment by greenleaf — March 11, 2007 @ 7:13 am
One of the great things about the Ben character is that he can seem achingly sincere and sypathetic at one moment, and calculatingly cutting and cruel the next … sometimes both at the same time. As an actor, what techniques do you use to achieve this effect?
Comment by Mike B — March 11, 2007 @ 7:17 am