Lost ended its run in 2010 and all these years later, it still has legions of passionate fans eager to revisit and dissect the ground-breaking show. The series followed a group of survivors from a plane crash who find themselves stranded on a strange island filled with mysteries.
The series had a large cast of lovable and memorable characters, but with the series being off the air for almost a decade, there are some people who popped up on the show that even the biggest fans many have forgotten about. Whether its big-name actors still looking for their big break or famous faces popping up in small roles, these are some of the actors you forgot were in Lost.
Julie Bowen
Julie Bowen has been an active character actor in film and television for years. She played memorable roles in Happy Gilmore and ER but is now known to most people as Claire Dunphy on Modern Family.
Before she had her own hit series, Bowen had a supporting role on Lost. Bowen first appeared in Season 1 as Sarah Wagner, a paralyzed patient of Jack Shepard who eventually becomes his wife until they divorce. It’s interesting to see Bowen in such a serious role as is given considering how funny she is on Modern Family.
Cheech Marin
Cheech Marin is a comedy icon as he came to fame as one half of the stoner comedy duo Cheech and Chong, along with Tommy Chong. Marin has remained a regular presence in films for decades now. He has appeared in films such as From Dusk Till Dawn, Spy Kids, and Desperado. He has also been a prolific voice actor in animated projects.
Marin appeared in three episodes of Lost as Hurley’s father who ran out on his family only to return years later and try to reconnect with his son. This is another case of an actor largely known for comedy getting to show a more dramatic side in this more series show.
William Atherton
William Atherton’s name might not be familiar to everyone, but he is a face that is instantly recognizable to many film fans. Atherton is one of the great movie antagonists from the 80s having appeared as the nosy reporter in Die Hard as well as the pompous environmental agent in Ghostbusters.
Atherton continued his trend of playing unlikable character when he appeared as Donald Reynolds in a Season 6 episode of Lost. Reynolds was the principal of a high school Ben Linus worked at with whom he had a contentious relationship.
Bill Duke
Bill Duke is another actor largely known for his work in high-profile films from the 80s. Duke is a large and intimidating presence which made him an obvious choice for playing the heavy in action films. He appeared as a green beret in Commando before reteaming with Schwarzenegger in Predator. Duke continues to work prolifically as an actor and director.
In Lost, Duke was once again effective as a tough-as-nails character playing a prison warden who Sawyer came across in his life as a criminal.
Billy Dee Williams
Billy Dee Williams is one of the few actors on this list who was hugely famous before appearing on Lost. Williams became iconic and a part of cinematic history when he joined the original Star Wars trilogy as Lando Calrissian. Amazingly, Williams will be reprising that legendary role in The Rise of Skywalker.
Given his level of stardom, it makes sense that Williams appeared as himself in a small cameo on Lost. Williams is shown as the lead actor of the show-within-the-show called “Exposé.” Sadly, he appeared in the much-maligned episode focusing on Nikki and Paulo.
Zoë Bell
Zoë Bell has had a pretty fascinating film career. While she works regularly as a stuntwoman on very big projects like Thor: Ragnarok and Iron Man 3, she has also started an acting career thanks to her work with Quentin Tarantino. The two worked on the Kill Bill film together and Bell has since had roles in Death Proof and Once Upon a Time in Hollywood.
Bell proved that her acting career can go beyond Tarantino roles as she appeared in a small role as Regina, a crew member of the freighter dispatched by Charles Whitmore.
John Hawkes
John Hawkes is one of the greatest character actors working today and one of those actors who has popped up in so many stellar films over the years. While it would take forever to name all the memorable projects he’s been in, some highlights include Winter’s Bone, Three Billboards Outside Ebbing, Missouri, and Deadwood.
Hawkes appeared in three episodes as a man named Lennon who is one of the others who lives in the Temple. Though he didn’t last too long, his character did manage to inspire a few fan theories.
Patrick J. Adams
Patrick J. Adams is not a huge star but has gained a considerable amount of attention and fame for his starring role in the popular legal drama Suits. That show finds Adams starring as a clever but directionless man who cons his way into a job with a top law firm.
Suits ended its nine-season run this year so it’s cool to show how far Adams has come since a small guest role on Season 3 of Lost. Adams plays a young man who seeks help from John Locke when he suspects his mother is being targeted by John’s con-man father.
Allison Janney
Allison Janney is another brilliant character actor who has been a part of some truly amazing projects over the years. Her talents with both dramatic and comedic roles make her an easy fit in any genre. She gained fame with her role as CJ Cregg in The West Wing and won an Oscar for her scene-stealing role in I, Tonya.
Cregg had already wrapped up her award-winning role on The West Wing when she joined Lost in a fairly high-profile role. She played the unnamed mother of Jacob and the Man in Black for a three-episode run. The role helped answer some of the many mysteries of the island.
Rob McElhenney
Rob McElhenney is yet another actor from a beloved television series who got the chance to join Lost for a few episodes. McElhenney is, of course, one of the creators of It’s Always Sunny in Philadelphia in which he also stars as Mac, one of the obnoxious and selfish members of the gang at Paddy’s Pub.
McElhenney was apparently friendly with the showrunners of Lost and was able to score a cameo in the third season as Aldo, a member of the Others who is duped by Kate and Sawyer. Aldo returns in Season 6 with a major grudge against Kate.
