Lost: Jorge Garcia
May 6, 2010
We all know who the “best actors” are on Lost. We see Terry O’Quinn and Michael Emerson nominated for, and winning, Emmy awards. But I think one actor on the show has been lost in the shuffle.
Jorge Garcia has played Hurley since Day 1, and he’s done it well. Hurley, Hugo Reyes, has been the show’s face, the show’s voice, the character who asks the questions fans ask. “Are you a Terminator?” That sort of thing. Hurley is comic relief, goofy commentary on the out-of-this-world exploration of science fiction that’s Lost.
He brings us into what’s going on. He makes us laugh. He makes us feel. And sometimes, that involves other emotions than humour.
Without spoiling for you non-fans, and the Admiral, I will say that Jorge’s scene early in season 4, that moment when he had to break some bad news, was the most powerful performance of the season. And he did it again Tuesday, when his emotional response to a bad situation allowed all of us to share his grief. He made me cry. That’s amazing acting.
I worry that Jorge will become typecast because of his appearance. If that happens, that’s a shame. He is a far more talented actor than people expect, and to me, he has emerged as the finest actor on the show. He can be a goofy comic for episode after episode, but then he can whip out the talent when required.
