5:42PM, Oct 28, 2009
Ambiguous and sinister, Lost's Ben Linus has got to be one of TV's best bad guys ever.
Here, actor Michael Emmerson talks about what's in store for his character as we prepare for the series to come to it's exciting end.
What do you think of Ben Linus?
I think Ben is a complicated character. He's capable of murder and all kinds of seemingly heinous behavior, but we're not quite sure what his larger game is.
I think the jury is still out and I'm happy about that. Maybe at the end of the show we might never know whether he's the good guy or the bad guy. It would be fine with me if the ending was completely ambiguous in that regard.
What reaction do you get when people meet you on the street?
People seem thrilled. They seem very exited about Lost and they greet me as an ally in this exciting journey of the show. They are excited that I have been able to challenge them or confuse them and thwart their expectations.
Occasionally people are a little bit worried or nervous. People don't hug me. They keep their distance and they reach out to shake my hand. They keep their eye on me because they're not quite sure what my next move might be.
Do you have a favorite episode?
I have favorite moments. I like the sweaty, confined, dangerous scenes where two people are playing a battle of wills and waiting to see who wins. I love that kind of thing. I have a couple of those scenes every season and they're always interesting to film.
Why does Ben get beaten up so much?
I think he might be the most beaten-up character in the history of television. If that's the case, you have to think that it can't be accidental. I think Ben Linus enjoys his beatings on some level.
How is he so resilient?
Because the beatings are strategically useful. Ben takes a beating, but in the course of the beating, he gets information that he would otherwise not find out. He always wins the intelligence game.
How physically demanding is your work on Lost?
Every day on set is physically demanding because of repetition. Even if you're just sitting in a chair and playing a scene, you are holding poses and you've got tension to deal with.
The action days with the running, fighting, tackling and shooting are really challenging. You feel beat up at the end of the day no matter how careful you are. During the 20 takes of a tackle or a fall, you are inevitably going to get bumped. It's nothing major. It comes with the territory.
How did you become involved with the show?
The producers found me. I played a might-be serial killer called William Hinks on The Practice and it was well received – and it made people nervous. I think the producers of Lost saw that and they liked the ambiguous nature of the character. It was someone you weren't quite certain about, someone whose exterior belied their interior. Those were the qualities they were looking for and they thought I was right for this part.
When did you find out you were going to be a series regular?
I found out very gradually. I began to get an idea that something was up because they would never let me go home. I would wrap and they'd say, "Actually, you can't go yet. There's something for you in the next episode."
I remember shooting a scene where Sayid was torturing me and demanding answers when I started talking to him about my leader, who was a fearful man and could not be crossed. The director walked over to me between takes and said, "Listen. This leader that you answer to is the scariest guy in the world. He's really scary." And I said, "Well, okay. I can play that, but what if the leader was me?" And he looked at me and he said, "I can't talk about that." That's when I thought, 'I see what's going on. They're going to need me around for a little longer.'
Do you discuss your character's storylines with the producers?
No, not really.
Aren't you curious to know more about your character?
All in good time. It will come. I trust the writers and the producers. They're clever fellows.
Is it difficult to play Ben without knowing your end plan?
No. I thought it would be at first because I come from a theater background and this is very different. When you work in the theater, you spend a lot of time creating a back-story to your character. You find out motives and interior monologues. It's a relief to just show up and play the scenes in the moment on the day.
Do you know what happens at the very end of Lost?
No. The producers and the writers have a master outline, but I don't know what happens.
Would you like to know the outcome or do you prefer to be kept in the dark?
I'm happy to be in the dark. I prefer it that way so that I am not responsible for big secrets.
How would you like to see it end?
Well, I can't say specifically what the end might be – but I want it to spectacular. I want it be the kind of ending where everybody goes, "Oh my God… It was right there before my very eyes for six years and I never realized."
Lost on Lost? Catch up on the story so far with Season 5 on DVD, available from Mon 26 Oct.
