After a stint on Becker and a memorable appearance on Curb Your Enthusiasm, Jorge Garcia is now best known as the Lost actor most likely to say “Dude.†For four seasons now, he’s been adding much-needed comic relief to the show’s mix of tragedy and sci-fi mystery as Hugo “Hurley†Reyes, a role that was created specifically for him. But as Lost has turned darker, his character has had to deal with his own hard times, from struggling with insanity to an unrivaled spate of bad luck, thanks to some very dangerous lottery numbers. We discussed Hurley’s seeing dead people and his falling-out with Jack while Garcia was hanging out in his Honolulu home.
Do you think Hurley is actually crazy?
You mean the fact that he sees dead people?
Well, that and the fact that he was in an institution before and after he went to the island.
He struggles with it. I think the person who thinks he might be going crazy is the one who is sane, because with crazy people, it doesn’t ever really cross their mind.
What about the ghosts?
I don’t think they are solely coming from his brain.
How long will it take for the Oceanic Six to return to the island? The entire season?
Time may jump, as far as how they tell the story. The logistics of getting there may not be as important as certain things that happen once they’re there, so they might jump ahead and go back and fill in the blanks that need to be filled in.
What’s the worst theory about the show that you’ve ever heard?
There’s a theory that the whole thing was going on inside the dog’s head, that it was his imagination. I’m pretty sure that one’s wrong.
What’s your favorite Hurley-centric episode from the first four seasons?
“Dave,†I think, was the first one where I really got to show a lot of different sides. I felt like that was one of the biggest steps in playing the part of Hurley for me.
Is Hurley an innocent character or just as guilty as everyone else?
He definitely feels guilty about things, like leaving people on the island, and being the cause of his grandfather’s death. But when you see what other people have done in their past, I guess you could say he’s a lot more innocent than most.
Are there ever cast parties?
Yeah, every now and again Josh [Holloway] has a barbeque, and I have parties at my house. I had a pumpkin-carving party right before Halloween.
Why did Hurley apologize to Jack for going with Locke instead of him?
There is definitely a falling-out somehow between Jack and Hurley, and Matt [Fox] and I have discussed it every now and again — how did this happen? Early on, from like season one and the start of the show, Hurley was the one guy Jack could always trust was going to back him, no matter what. We’re curious how that’s going to pan out.
Do you miss having a love interest on the show?
That was cool, and it was fun to do. I mean, if that was something that got revisited later, I’d be fine with that!
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