My favorite Lost actor is Michael Emerson. In his acceptance speech for winning the Outstanding Supporting Actor in a Drama Series last year, he said he was eternally grateful what was supposed to be a short stint as Ben Linus turned into the role of a lifetime. I am eternally grateful myself.
Ben had a way of yanking your emotions from hating him to sympathizing, then back again, often within a span of a few minutes. It is a testament to Emerson’s skill as an actor he could pull that off convincingly for four seasons.
Like Ralph Fiennes, who has not been able to play any other character as far as I am concerned after portraying the evil Nazi commandant in Schindler’s List, Emerson may never be able to play anyone else but Ben. But I am eager to give him every chance.
