TV Guide Interviews Harold Perrineau
Aside from the red shirts, there were fewer casualties than I expected on last night’s season finale of Lost. Desmond made it out alive, Jin (probably) made it to safety, Sawyer proved to be a great swimmer, and even Lapidus escaped with only a few scratches. However, there was one especially big casualty: Michael. After completing his mission on the freighter, the island finally released Michael and allowed him to sacrifice himself for the greater good.
Today, TVGuide.com has posted an exclusive interview with Harold Perrineau regarding his exit, which he certainly isn’t very happy about. Check it out below:
TV Guide: Did you know Michael was being killed off when you returned?
Harold Perrineau: I had no idea. It’s like, what the hell? I came back for that?
TV Guide: You’re laughing as you say that, but you don’t sound particularly pleased.
Perrineau: I’m disappointed, mostly because I wanted Michael and Walt to have a happy ending. I was hoping Michael would get it together and actually want to be a father to his kid and try to figure out a way to get back [home]. But this is [the producers'] story. If I were writing it, I would write it differently.
TV Guide: So when did you get the news?
Perrineau: [Lindelof and fellow executive producer Carlton Cuse] called before the finale scripts were out. They said they weren’t going to continue with Michael.
TV Guide: And what did you say to that?
Perrineau: At this point, I’ve been on the island, off the island, back on the island — so I just went, "Oh, ok." [Laughs] This is their show and they know what they can or cannot write. I thought it was disappointing and a waste to come back, only to get beat up a few times and then killed. I felt like it was sort of pandering to some fans who wanted to see Michael punished because he betrayed people.
TV Guide: Are you referring to when he shot and killed Ana Lucia and Libby in Season 2?
Perrineau: Exactly. I honestly feel like Michael’s death served a really weird bloodlust for the fans.
TV Guide: Were you disappointed Michael and Walt didn’t reconnect before your character died?
Perrineau: Listen, if I’m being really candid, there are all these questions about how they respond to black people on the show. Sayid gets to meet Nadia again, and Desmond and Penny hook up again, but a little black boy and his father hooking up, that wasn’t interesting? Instead, Walt just winds up being another fatherless child. It plays into a really big, weird stereotype and, being a black person myself, that wasn’t so interesting. [Responds Cuse: "We pride ourselves on having a very racially diverse cast. It's painful when any actor's storyline ends on the show. Harold is a fantastic actor whose presence added enormously to Lost."]
TV Guide: Take me back to your last day of shooting.
Perrineau: My last day was kind of hectic. [Production] was trying to get me out because, at the time, my wife was a centimeter dilated.
TV Guide: Was she in labor at the hospital when you got back to L.A.?
Perrineau: No, I got home and then for another week, the baby would not come! We were like, "Seriously, dude, I was in Hawaii rushing like a madman!” I was talking to the baby, my wife was walking around, practically hiking, but the baby just would not come out! [Laughs] So we went to the hospital a week later and induced. A beautiful little girl came on May 7. Wynter Aria — I thought it was a nice name. It’s poetic, and she’s a little poetry in our life.
TV Guide: Let’s talk highlights. Surely, you had some positive experiences on Lost.
Perrineau: Doing the job in Hawaii was cool. Getting to meet and work with [co-creator] JJ Abrams was very cool. The day we found out the show [premiered] so well [in 2004] was an amazing day. We were all so hopeful and excited. The first season was one of my best years as a working actor. Not to say there weren’t tough times, but I loved the first season. And that one of my best friends, Dan [Dae Kim, who plays Jin], and I got to do pretty much the whole finale together.
TV Guide: Dead characters have a way of returning to the show. Would you be open to that?
Perrineau: I’d love to go back and work with people I really like working with, but I would have to know what was happening [story-wise] before I showed up again. Because this [last] storyline, I full-on feel, "No, that’s not cool.’"
TV Guide: What’s next for you?
Perrineau: This movie I did with Stephen Dorff called Felon is probably coming out at the end of the summer. And I’m in talks for a couple different films.
TV Guide: Any final thoughts?
Perrineau: Just that I hope the show continues to thrill people. I’m sorry to have to go, but I’ll see you in another incarnation. I’ll re-create myself because that’s what I do. That part of leaving is pretty cool.
He sounds really bitter.
Comment by Eric — May 30, 2008 @ 10:18 am
Guess I’m vey surprised that Michael clearly seems to be formally out of our LOST mystery adventure cast.
My LOST-y sense was that he actually fathered Sun’s BAY-bah with his “Special” Walt genes, particularly after seeing his awkward meeting with Sun on the Freighter including her awkward blurting: “I’m pregnant”. Thought two major storylines were evolving: 1) Special Walt via Michael’s gene pool, perhaps including a Black Rock connection, and 2) Sun’s new Paik & Widmore power role while raising her “Special” BAY-bah via Michael’s gene pool.
Seems I’m clearly very much off-track! Fortunately, least favourite character.
Would have been interesting, perhaps even mind blowing - RichPundit
Comment by RichPundit — May 30, 2008 @ 11:05 am
I feel terrible saying it, but Michael’s death might have been the highlight of all 4 seasons. What a relief that we no longer have to hear “WAAAAAAAAAAAAAAALT!”
Comment by priscilla — May 30, 2008 @ 12:13 pm
Of course he’s bitter. How many people get kicked off a show twice. I’m kinda a bitter too. Micheal was one of my favorite characters. Of all of the poor examples of Father figures we have seen on this show. Here was someone who wanted to be a good father, and never really got a chance. Then there was the murdering two people. But he tried to make up for that too. And true to form for Lost as soon as you get over your issues you die. So I wasn’t really surprised.
“You can go now”
Comment by bh — May 30, 2008 @ 3:37 pm
I have to agree with Harold on one aspect of what he said. I think that his death in season 4 was a TOTAL grab at the viewer’s bloodlust after the deaths of Ana Lucia and Libby (mostly Libby) and the betrayal of the Losties.
I mean, they creators of the show have already shown that they are willing to do that, in the case of Nikki and Paulo, realizing that the fans hated that character.
So they (kinda) disrespected Harold by bringing him back and totally screwing over his character by basically giving him nothing to do while being smacked around and then killed.
Sure, you can say he “redeemed” himself, but you know what, they could have had anyone do that little bit that he did.
What did he do, really? He came up with the freezing thing, which I suppose is good, but why didn’t Michael take off with Jin after they emptied the can? Why did he stick around? he didn’t DO anything after Jin left. There was nothing that he could possibly do, so for them to totally f*ck his character over by killing him off like that without even letting him have a reunion with his son or SOMETHING, I think that’s kinda cheap.
And I totally believe that the only reason his character was brought back and killed was to satisfy the viewers who hated the character of Michael for what he had done.
Which I think is kinda sh*tty.
*shrugs* but what can ya do?
Comment by Gary — May 30, 2008 @ 3:39 pm
I completely disagree, Gary.
I can only base my comments on how my friends and I felt, but we all pretty much hated Michael during season 2. Not simply because of the murders, but the whole “WAAAAAAAAAALT!” and “My BOY!” repetitiveness. We weren’t sad to get rid of him on that raft.
However, all of us felt differently this year. Michael had a chance to come back, redeem himself, and erase all of those bad memories we had of his character. I’d say that’s successful writing, as I believe that was the point. I think both Harold and some of the fans are misinterpreting things.
Comment by Don — May 30, 2008 @ 6:01 pm
I agree that he’s had the chance to redeem himself, and I suppose he did that, but I still feel that the main reason to bring him back and kill him off is because a lot of fans A. HATED him with a passion (for the waaaaaaaaaaaalt thing, and the murders and the betrayal), but also B. felt he got off easy by getting away and not having to pay/atone for what he did.
And so they brought him back and he had very little to do, but they fumbled the ball with his role here. I don’t understand why they brought him back just to do what little bit he did. Anyone coulda done that stuff on there, Ben coulda had another man on the boat, although I admit it was cool to see Michael back.
I never had the hatred for him that a lot of people did. Personally I’ve gotten more tired of Claire than anyone else, but that’s just me. lol
I just think that the MAIN focus in bringing him back was because the fans felt he got away with murder and betrayal and wanted revenge.
Well, the shylocks got what they wanted, and then some.
*shrugs*
Just my views anyway.
Comment by Gary — May 30, 2008 @ 7:03 pm
I basically agree in one way or another with Gary’s comments, but I believe that Harold had a point that shouldn’t be trivialized.
The Black men on the show do seem to have a negative slant. Mr. Echo, drug dealing killing machine, redeemed himself sorta and then died. Michael, annoying jack*** murder, died for no reason other than to satisfy my craving for annoying jack***s to die :). Walt is a bird killer. And, now we have creepy bald man. He doesn’t seem to be a gentle fluffy rabbit.
Out of the 5 Black women, one was dying of cancer and she is a cookie cutter type as well, but I love that the island healed her. The second, was an other and had a hand in kidnapping a child and most likely others. The third was majorly shifty taking orders from creepy guy. The fourth had a drug dealing grandson and a bit part. And, the fifth is your chubby grandma looking out for her grandson, but don’t forget she raised a killer(also cookie cutter). Maybe we’ll find out that the former cancer lady killed someone too. So now I must ask the creators, what is up with that?
I do love the show. I think any show that keeps me guessing and racking my brain is a good show. Also, I am aware that this isn’t the only show out there that may stereotype one group or another. A person gets used to it over time. But, the fact that this show is so smart and creative, I would think that they would be above it. I expected more, but I guess I should have known better.
Comment by I grok — May 30, 2008 @ 8:23 pm
I agree with I grok whole-heartedly
Comment by James Feline — May 30, 2008 @ 11:39 pm
I bet anyone disagreeing w/ him is white, no offense intended, just different points of view due to different experiences
Comment by James Feline — May 30, 2008 @ 11:42 pm
Grok that is completely rediculous. Michael was an annoying character, but that has nothing to do with how race is portrayed on Lost. Almost every single character on the show has done something shady in their past. Kate was a murderer, Sayid was a torturer, Charlie was a drug addict, Jin was a mobster, Sun was a cheater, etc. I honestly can’t even believe someone is trying to portray the show as unfair to a certain race, because the cast is made up of quite a lot of ethnicities and most of them have done something wrong over the course of the show. Almost all of the main cast has killed at least one person, even HURLEY. Also, there is a reason why Mr. Eko and Rose are fan favorites. And… really? “Walt is a bird killer?” I hope that was a joke.
Also, the others are supposed to be creepy. It doesn’t matter what race the actors that play the characters are, because the characters themselves are creepy.
Comment by lucky pierre — May 31, 2008 @ 12:37 pm
I agree with lucky pierre. EVERY character on the show has issues, no matter what their race.
Comment by I heart Darlton — June 2, 2008 @ 4:30 pm
Get over it people, it is a TV show. Quit playing the race card. Walt was an annoying character and I am glad he is dead and off the show. Now we don’t have to hear MY BOY or WALLLLLLTTTTTT…I am not a raciest person but when I hear that they are stereo typing the characters on the show, that makes me sick. Come on give me a break.
Comment by eaglefan — June 3, 2008 @ 4:20 pm