In his first acting role in seven years, “Lost” star Matthew Fox plays Andy Yates, a petrochemical scientist who discovers that the world’s oil supply has been deliberately sabotaged, causing a worldwide crisis. Where planes fall from the sky and the standard of civilization is spoiled. On the verge of collapse in Peacock’s five-part series “Last Light.”
Fox, who previously worked with director/producer Denny Gordon on the ’90s series “Party of Five,” also took on the role of executive producer for the first time for the series.
Ahead of its Thursday premiere, TheWrap spoke with Fox and Gordon, as well as “Downton Abbey” alum Joan Froggot, who plays Fox’s wife, and Amber Rose Revva of “Marvels the Punisher,” who plays Fox’s wife. Play the role of a British agent who may or may not be an ally. Yeats’ enemy.
TheWrap: The series is very timely with the extreme climate change we are seeing at the moment.
Gordon: It was so broken by the headlines, we couldn’t believe it. We have a petrochemical war in Ukraine. We have this refugee crisis. We couldn’t believe how it was so current. It’s like, “This is happening all over the world right now.” It was exciting as well as worrying. That made it even more important that we get the story.
frog: yes of course. I remember emailing Matthews news articles from the UK because we were filming in Prague, and there were queues around the block for petrol and all that kind of stuff. It was quite appropriate, and still is.
rewahi: There was a real petrol crisis in London at the time and everyone was going to the garage and you couldn’t find petrol. It was a little crazy filming this show and then experiencing it, and what the world would be like and how things stop so quickly, without humans being so original.
Matthew, what was it like to return to acting after such a long absence?
fox: After seven years away from the business and thinking I was done with acting and then coming back, I really wasn’t sure. It could have happened that I would have come on the set and it would have taken two weeks. [decided], “Oh, that’s a terrible mistake. I’m not having any fun.” But it was the opposite. It was more fun than I can remember as an actor. And I was the executive producer too, so it was that and “Oh my god, how do I do this?” I was really excited how much I enjoyed it.
The series begins with your character crashing into the desert and being completely disoriented, Matthew. Have you had a bit of “lost” deja vu?
fox: I think maybe a little. Yes. Maybe I’m subconsciously attracted to that sort of thing.
What was your biggest challenge in making it?
Gordon: We were in three different countries and we were very limited financially. But I had a great producer and a great crew that I picked from all over the world. Patrick Chicken, Who was my DP on “Tom Clancy’s Jack Ryan” I was able to get him in. We had a great team, but we also had a tremendous amount to do in three different cities, Prague, Paris, in a very short amount of time. and the whole country of the United Arab Republic. It was kind of miraculous how it all came together, in the open.
rewahi: It’s another level of filming in the desert because it’s so hot there that you lose your mind after about six hours. But it also gives you a real chance to be in those characters because the location plays such a role in the show and it really helps you connect with what’s happening.
frog: The biggest challenge was learning a few lines in French, but I got there in the end.
Matthew, I guess you didn’t speak Arabic before?
fox: (laughs) Actually, I am fluent in Arabic language. No, not at all. And yes, I was quite nervous about it too. But I had this wonderful coach and she was excellent. The lucky thing for me was that Andy didn’t speak fluently and even with his accent, he messed things up. And so I had a lot of freedom in how well I could speak and get away with it.
“Last Light” Now Streaming on Peacock
