Lost A quick chat with Lost star Rebecca Mader

Rebbeca Mader talks about her surprise return as Charlotte in Sky1's Lost...

When Lost’s Charlotte Lewis succumbed to the effects of time-travelling and died in the arms of her love interest Daniel Faraday in the last series, it seemed like that was the last we had seen of the gung-ho British anthropologist.

Then again, as we should all know by now, anything is possible in Lost, and the episode screening on Sky1 on Friday, March 19 sees Charlotte, played by Rebecca Mader, join the list of characters to return from the dead as the sixth and final series of the show continues to twist and turn...

So, can you tell us how Charlotte comes back?
"She is not on the island, I can tell you that, but I can’t tell you who she will be interacting with, because that would really spoil it. She is in a better state than she was when she left, that’s for sure – but then that’s not hard. I’m really excited because it’s very different to what people have seen before and I think they’ll love seeing her in a new capacity and not covered in mud or blood or in those jeans and T-shirt that I wore for a year and a half."

How did you feel when Charlotte died originally?
"At the time I was disappointed because I felt there was so much more to learn about her and that my work really wasn’t done. Then I ended up doing a bunch of films and had a blast, and so it turned out to be a bit of a blessing in disguise. It all really worked out for the best in the end."

What do you like about Charlotte?
"Well, it is always nice to play someone incredibly strong and clever who jumps out of helicopters and carries guns. It’s a dream job to play a real Indiana Jones tomboy like that."

As a Brit was it good to play her with your own accent?
"Oh yes, definitely. The character was originally meant to be American, but I begged Damon Lindelhof and Carlton Cuse to let her be English."

Is there a different feeling on set now that everyone knows it’s the last series?
"I think everyone is sitting there figuring out what their next move is. A lot of people are happy, but it’s bittersweet. They are ready to move on, but it’s also going to be difficult because they’ve been together for six years. That is a long time to work together, so it is going to be really sad to say goodbye."

Did you take any mementoes from the set?
"I asked the wardrobe department if I could take Charlotte’s jeans, but only the ones without the blood and the mud all over them. I also took the little green bomber jacket she had at the beginning when she jumped out of a helicopter. I loved that, it was cool."

How would you like the show to end?
"I’m a sucker for happy endings, so that is what I want in my ideal world. I’m hoping they will come up with a genius way of making a happy ending that isn’t really cheesy and saccharine. The worst ending would be that it was all a dream. There would be uproar."

How good are you at keeping the secrets?
"They don’t make you sign a confidentially agreement or tell you what you can and can’t say. I just have to use my common sense so that I don’t get myself into trouble. Also, I don’t want to ruin it for fans. They pretend they want to know, but then they say you ruined it if you say anything. It’s better just to shut up most of the time."

Are there any downsides to working in Hawaii?
"Hawaii is gorgeous. To someone who lives in California, it is just a little bit warmer with more hills. But for an English person, it is paradise and the antithesis of Cambridge where I grew up. I felt a little homesick at times, but I coped!"

What do you miss most about England?
"The people, obviously, and the telly. My mum emails me all the performances from The X Factor so that I can feel involved and then we discuss who’s my favourite and I make her vote for me."

What’s next for you?
"I’ve just done a really funny comedy called Mother’s Little Helpers with Kathryn Morris from Cold Case and Denise Richards. It is about these women who are married and miserable, and these teenage boys set up an escort service for them. It is really silly and so funny."