Losing himself on Lost

An actor is only good as his last performance. Thus, he pulls all the stops to deliver a sterling one. If he gets lucky, his last performance could lead to another first.

That’s how one will describe Ken Leung’s entry to AXN Beyond’s Lost Season Four which airs its finale tonight at 10.

Lost executive producers Carlton Cuse and Damon Lindelof were impressed with Ken’s performance as the violent mental protégé named Carter Chong on the Mafia-inspired The Sopranos and decided to create the character of Miles Straume, a quick-tempered, psychic/Freighter member, for the Asian-American actor.

Miles is one of those five new characters who join the other castaways in discovering the secrets of their habitat, finding their inner strength and coming up with solutions to survive.

The former castaways were the survivors on board the Oceanic Air flight 815. That unfortunate event led them to an island with residents called The Others, plus Jacob, a strange man. During their stay, they also chanced upon remnants like bunkers and the ship of those who lived in the island.  

“I was nervous,” recalls the New York-based actor when he first learned that the think tanks behind the Emmy and Globe award-winning drama series wanted to get him. “I wanted to know what was it all about. Working on the show was a huge honor and a unique experience.”

Ken, the new Asian face on Lost, and the producers met up. They presented to him the character and provided the background on how Miles will fit in the TV series’ storyline and blend with existing characters. The producers eventually won his heart.

Although he has been acting on TV (New York Undercover, Law & Order) and film (Rush Hour, Inside Man, Shanghai Kiss, Saw, X-Men: The Last Stand), Ken says he has had a difficult time for the whole Lost Season Four. The work could be physically demanding given the hours of shooting and all types of terrain in the location.

But what challenged him was creating the reason and reality for his character. He felt he was invited to a place but had no idea there was a party going on.

In the end, Ken was able to pull it through.

Aside from TV acting, Ken also acted in plays like Corpus Christi and the Tony Award-winning musical Thoroughly Modern Millie. He says he also prefers the stage because it allows him to study the material more.

Ken has also appeared in independent films which, according to him, give an actor the freedom to portray his character.

With his performance on Lost Season Four as someone who has faith in the dead than the living, are we going to see Ken again in the next season? That’s what we have to look forward to when Season Five hits the small screen. Meantime, let’s find out how the castaways will write the season finale.