20 years later: Cast of Lost -- Where are they now?

The mysterious Mr. Eko spent just one season on the show — and the island for that matter. He went from being a Nigerian gang leader who assumed the priest identity of his dead brother to a rather sympathetic figure on the island and popular with viewers. Even before Lost, Akinnuoye-Agbaje made a name for himself as prisoner Simon Adebisi in HBO's Oz. The years after Lost have remained busy for Adewale Akinnuoye-Agbaje, who appeared in popular films such as Thor: The Dark World, Suıcide Squad and season 5 of Game of Thrones. Akinnuoye-Agbaje made his directorial debut with 2018's Farming, based on his own childhood in London.

Viewers had sort of a like/loathe relationship with Penny. She came from privilege as the daughter of smarmy British business tycoon Charles Widmore, and didn't seem good enough for Desmond Hume (more on him, soon), who was simply infatuated with her. Meanwhile, the character remains the high point of Walger's acting career. Since playing Penny, Walger had some notable guest-starring television roles on HBO's In Treatment, plus Parenthood and Scandal. Walger starred as astronaut Molly Cobb in Apple TV+'s For All Mankind (2019-present).

Rodriguez earned praise for her debut performance in 2000 indie film Girlfight, about a troubled teen who turns to boxing. Unlike some others on this list, Lost wasn't a defining moment in Rodriguez's acting career. Ana Lucia's appearance was essentially relegated to season 2, and her feisty, former cop nature came in handy as leader of the tail-section plane survivors. Ana Lucia wasn't the easiest character to like, but she was certainly entertaining. Rodriguez, however, might be best known for her run as Letty Ortiz in the Fast & Furious franchise of films. In addition, she has provided regular voice roles for video games, such as Call of Duty: Black Ops II (2012).

Kim's "Sun" was a well-off housewife prior to the crash, but eventually found her true self on the island. She went from a quiet, innocent figure to a more confident, dependable castaway. Yunjin Kim will forever be known for portraying "Sun." However, she's done pretty well for herself during her post-Lost career, most notably in 2013 starring in Mistresses, another ABC drama series. Then in 2023, she earned raves as Principal Jina Lim in the Netflix comedy-drama XO, Kitty.

"Sun's" husband, "Jin" proved resourceful over time on the island, though he often tried to escape. He and "Jin" became two of the more popular characters on the show, and many fans were devastated with their deaths. Daniel Dae Kim was a solid actor before Lost, but the show certainly opened up more doors going forward. He starred as Detective Lieutenant Chin Ho Kelly in the CBS modern-day reboot of Hawaii Five-0. Kim continues to act on a regular basis, as well as lend his voice to video games and podcasts.

One of the more conflicted characters within the Lost universe, especially while on the island. Perhaps that's why Michael is one character who fans can't quite make up their minds about in terms of how they feel. Chalk it up to a good performance from Perrineau, who had already earned raves for his work in the 1995 indie project Smoke, as well as playing Link in The Matrix Reloaded and The Matrix Revolutions. Most recently, Perrineau currently stars as Sheriff Boyd Stevens in the sci-fi horror series From, which can be found on MGM+

Maggie Grace was one of several Lost actors and actresses who earned sex symbol status during the run of the series. Shannon wasn't known for much more than those memorable moments while tanning on the beach. However, that shallowness subsided shortly before her accidental, but nonetheless tragic shooting death at the hand of Ana Lucia. Grace earned a Teen Choice Award nomination for the character. Post-Lost, Grace starred opposite Liam Neeson in the Taken film series and continues to find film work.

Mitchell's Dr. Juliet Burke didn't appear until the third season, but was a major presence the rest of the way. Initially a member of "The Others," whose leader essentially held her hostage on the island after coming to study its mysterious effects on fertility, Burke eventually shuns that group and gets close to two of the more visible male crash survivors. Also receiving a Primetime Emmy Award nomination for the role, Mitchell has continued to work on a regular basis. She's been part of the Santa Clause franchise of films and a guest star staple on various network television dramas. Since 2021, Mitchell starred in the Netflix teen drama Outer Banks.  

Boone was Shannon's stepbrother, and there seemed to be a sort of incestuous vibe between the two. As a character, there was a certain sense of maturity that Boone achieved, much to joy of fans. Meanwhile, Somerhalder was heralded for his work on the show and his good looks. Then in 2009, Somerhalder's career truly took off when he was cast as Damon Salvatore in the CW hit drama series The Vampire Diaries, which ran until 2017. Somerhalder continues to work, looking for his next big role.

Michael Dawson's 10-year-old son, Walt is known for hanging out with dog Vincent, being kidnapped by "The Others" and for his difficult relationship with his once-estranged father, However, the dynamic of that relationship drives Walt, played by Malcolm David Kelley. While Kelley kept relatively busy as an actor in the years following Lost, he enjoyed success in music as one half of the pop/hip-hop duo MKTO. The group's 2014 self-titled album featured the hit "Classic," which reached No. 14 on the Billboard Hot 100.

Claire had a lot going on: giving birth to baby Aaron on the island, her challenging relationship with Charlie (more on that), and her blood relation to one of the more prominent members of the island. Oh yeah, she also lost her memory and her baby was kidnapped. Meanwhile, Emilie de Ravin pulled it all off without a hitch. De Ravin had already enjoyed some modest television success as a cast member on the WB/UPN vehicle Roswell. Then, after Lost, she had a solid run on another ABC drama, Once Upon a Time, which ran from 2012-18.

The leader of "The Others," Ben was smarmy, creepy and antagonistic upon his introduction. However, as the series went on, Ben settled down and became more trusted, and even respected, by some of the crash survivors, though he could still be manipulative. Though Emerson was a serviceable character actor prior to Lost, the show took his talents to new heights. Following the end of that series, Emerson joined on with another popular show in Person of Interest (2011-16). A role in Arrow (2017-18) followed, and since 2019, he's starred as Leland Townsend in the supernatural drama Evil through its conclusion in August 2024. Emerson has been married to Elsbeth star Carrie Preston since 1998.

One of the great network television characters of the 2000s. A member of the rock band Drive Shaft, Charlie struggled with addiction prior before the crash, but is one of the more sympathetic figures on the island. He's smitten with Claire, and became an unlikely father figure to baby Aaron. Though Monaghan's stock rose with Lost, he was already an acclaimed actor to fans of The Lord of the Rings trilogy, playing "Merry" Brandybuck. Monaghan remains a visible acting presence, most recently starring in X-Men Origins: Wolverine (2009) and the J.J. Abrams-directed Star Wars: The Rise of Skywalker (2019).

Another highly popular Lost character. Desmond was not part of the Oceanic crash;l rather he was stranded on the island from a shipwreck and essentially became a pawn of Charles Widmore and Jacob. However, it was Desmond's good-hearted quirkiness, devotion to the island, and love for Penny that endeared him to Lost fans. Cusick, meanwhile, was nominated for a Primetime Emmy Award, and continues to enjoy a steady working career, which has included roles on such popular series as The Mentalist, The 100, MacGyver, and NCIS: Hawaiʻi.

Prior to his breakout role as Sayid, the heroic figure who usually seemed to be the most centered and focused survivor from the Oceanic crash (even though he was a military torturer prior to the accident), Andrews was in renowned Academy Award-winning picture The English Patient (1996). He might have been best known, though, for his May-December-type relationship with celebrated actress Barbara Hershey. Andrews was nominated for both a Golden Globe and Primetime Emmy for Sayid, but has since never been able to come close to that level of professional success. However, he was solid in the CBS police drama Instinct and Hulu's 2022 limited series The Dropout, which starred Amanda Seyfried.

Prior to enjoying his most notable professional success as John Locke — who embraces the island and its mystical nature after he's able to regain the use of his legs after the plane crash — O'Quinn was a veteran actor, starring in the likes of The Stepfather (1987) and The Rocketeer (1991), while part of casts including Young Guns (1988),Tombstone (1993), and Primal Fear (1996). However, the quizzical and stoic Locke earned O'Quinn a Primetime Emmy Award. Since, then O'Quinn has remained active in the business, starring in Patriot (on Amazon Prime Video), FBI: Most Wanted and Netflix's Pieces of Her, plus 2024's The Walking Dead: The Ones Who Live.

The bad boy of the island, "Sawyer," with his southern accent and quirky nicknames for his fellow islanders, is perhaps the most enigmatic character on the show — confrontational, yet compassionate, especially with the ladies (notably Juliet, in the end). Sawyer was branded the anti-hero throughout the show, and Holloway earned instant star status as Lost became massively popular with fans from the start. While this was a defining character for Holloway, he's also delivered quality performances in the USA Network sci-fi drama Colony (2016-18) and via a recurring role in the third season of Yellowstone.

"Hurley" blossomed into a cult hero, and remains, arguably, the most popular character on the show. The overweight "Hurley" was responsible for the show's funnier, lighter moments, as the easily likable young man whose real life was made worse by winning the lottery actually found solace on the island. The role turned Garcia into a star. In the years following Lost, Garcia starred in another J.J. Abrams television project, Alcatraz, and also played Jerry Ortega on the aforementioned Hawaii Five-0. As of 2023, Garcia could be seen on the Max comedy series Bookie. Rock band Weezer named its 2010 album Hurley after the character.

Perhaps no actor from Lost benefited the most, at least professionally in terms of landing more big-time roles, than Lilly. Kate, the seemingly normal, dependable good girl on the island (and caught amid a love triangle at times), but actually a fugitive with a shockingly disturbing past, was Lilly's first lead role. And, of course, it was her undisputed breakthrough. Since then, Lilly has appeared in marquee titles such as The Hurt Locker (2008), The Hobbit film franchise, and most recently, as Hope van Dyne from the Ant-Man series of films and also within the Marvel Cinematic Universe. 

The popular Fox was already a household name before Lost, starring as eldest sibling Charlie Salinger on the Fox Network hit Party of Five. However, Lost took Fox's popularity to new heights. Playing protagonist and essential island leader Jack Shephard, complete with an intricate, multi-dimensional backstory and complex relationships with Kate and Juliet, Fox earned both Golden Globe Award and Primetime Emmy Award nominations for the role. Since then, Fox has seen a decent amount of work, though nothing on par with Lost, which he continues to make a living from.