Sunday Mail (June 2006)

NICE GUY JACK HAS LOST HIS WILD SIDE

LOST star Matthew Fox yesterday revealed that he’s given up wild parties and skinny-dipping on set - for the sake of his kids.

The hunky actor - goodygoody doctor Jack Shephard in the desert island drama - is famous for his love of latenight high-jinks.

But he insists his hard partying lifestyle is over so he can spend more time with his wife Margherita and children Kyle, eight, and Byron, five.

The Fox family now all live in Hawaii where the show is filmed.

Matthew said: “My ultimate responsibility is being a good father and I think anyone who has a career and is ambitious is constantly weighing where to put their time and energy.

“I wake every day trying to find a better way to negotiate all this.

“Hanging out and goofing around were things I realised I didn’t have time to do anymore.”

Matthew and his fellow castaways are back in a third series when Lost switches to Sky next week after a big-money transfer from Channel 4.

Matthew, who has just turned 40, admits his milestone birthday has made him think about his career and his priorities.

But while he’s given up naked swims and beach parties, the daredevil actor still insists on doing his own stunts.

He said: “It’s a lot of fun even though it’s demanding as hell. It can be really rough when I get beat up and I’m always covered in nicks and scratches from running through the jungle.

“I love that aspect of playing Jack. He is a fairly intellectual guy but he has this switch that snaps when it’s do or die and he becomes a guy that acts upon his instincts.”

After criticism about the twists and turns of the complex storylines last season, Lost’s writers have promised more straightforward adventures this time round.

But Matthew says playing a tough guy hero has already changed his image in the industry. He spent his summer break filming sports movie We Are Marshall and Vantage Point, the story of a presidential assassination attempt.

And other film and TV offers are flooding in.

He said: “This is a very significant time in my career and it’s all thanks to Lost.

“I wasn’t ready for it before but I amnow. I’ve started to take up the offers and the opportunities.”

The third series starts off with Jack, Kate (Evangeline Lilly) and Sawyer (Josh Holloway) held captive by The Others - the mysterious baby-snatching group who control part of the island.

One of the big surprises promised is Kate finally choosing between Jack and bad boy Sawyer in their on-going love triangle.

With Sky coughing up pounds 1million an episode, they will be hoping those plot twists keep coming.

Matthew claims he’s not much wiser than confused fans of the series.

He said: “They give me a broad picture of what happens to Jack at the start of each season but I don’t want to know much more.

“It makes it more exciting for me when the scripts arrive.”

But his hero character and the red-hot love triangle has turned Matthew into a big hit with the ladies.

He said: “My wife teases me about the sex symbol stuff. It’s very flattering but I can’t take it seriously at all.”

The third series of Lost starts on Sky One next Sunday at 10pm with a double episode.