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Dude, he's a real fan favorite
By Bill Keveney, USA TODAY
It might seem difficult to stand out in a cast of 14 regulars.

Lost fans were surprised last week when Hurley popped up on Korean TV. Wednesday's episode might explain why.
ABC

But not for Jorge Garcia, who plays Hurley, the laid-back dude on the ABC hit Lost.

He's distinctive for his size (6-foot-1 and 300-plus pounds), especially in a prime-time TV world populated by the ultra-thin.

But it's more than that for a character who has quickly become a fan favorite. The wild-haired Hurley provides a welcome respite from the suspenseful, harrowing events of Lost (Wednesday, 8 ET/PT). "He's a regular guy. I think that appeals to people. And he lightens up the intensity of the show," says Garcia, 25. "A lot of times I'll find people telling me I'm their kid's favorite."

What makes him distinctive to fans? "Hmmm ... size, hair, his interest in others and humor," says Courtenay Cross, a moderator of fan Web site lost-tv.com. "He is the needed comic relief for the mysterious events that go on."

So far, on an island of secrets, a few fragments of Hurley's background have been revealed. His real name is Hugo Reyes; he's a bad speller and his salutation of choice is "dude." He built a two-hole golf course for fellow crash survivors who needed a break from battling polar bears; conducted a passenger census that revealed outsider Ethan; and showed up, mysteriously, on Korean TV during a flashback in last week's episode.

Viewers will learn more tonight in an episode that focuses on Hurley, last of the Lost 14 to receive the life-story flashback treatment. On the island, he takes off in search of the French woman, Rousseau, who tortured Sayid (Naveen Andrews). The mystifying cable that led Sayid to Rousseau's lair also returns, Garcia says, speaking by telephone from Hawaii, where Lost is filmed.

In his flashback, "You see what brought him to Australia," where the flight originated, says Garcia, who grew up in Southern California. "It has a Citizen Kane-style ending. There's a Rosebud moment."

Garcia, who performed at open-mike nights while attending UCLA, started building a TV following with a role on CBS' Becker. He sees parallels between himself and Hurley: Both are "easygoing, get-along-with-everybody kind of guys, (but) I'm pretty sure I can spell better."

Similarities shouldn't be a surprise. Lost's writers reworked the Hurley part — originally an older character — to fit Garcia.

J.J. Abrams and Damon Lindelof, two Lost creators, wanted to cast Garcia after seeing him play a drug dealer in HBO's Curb Your Enthusiasm. They saw a comic talent but also an actor with an emotional core, Lindelof says.

"He could read the phone book and make you laugh," says Carlton Cuse, who oversees Lost's writing staff with Lindelof. "When you see his episode, I think people will be surprised by the emotionality."

Fans relate to Hurley. "While we may respect Jack's (Matthew Fox) initiative or Locke's (Terry O'Quinn) survivalist skill, it's refreshing ... to see someone getting squeamish at the sight of blood," says Emily Rawn, 23, of New York.

Although Hurley has flat-out comic moments, others are tinged with sadness. After Charlie (Dominic Monaghan) apologizes for accusing Hurley of hoarding food, he mutters, "Yeah, I'm used to it."

"The best comedy also breaks your heart a little bit," Garcia says.

Garcia, who is single, is happy to be in Hawaii — his parents have visited — and thrilled to be in Lost. He acknowledges being an unlikely candidate for a cop or lawyer role. But Lost does give Garcia some action moments.

"In the pilot, getting to do that run-and-jump explosion scene — I was high-fiving Matty (Fox)."