A new book collects testimonials from several workers in the series who were not happy with the environment created by Damon Lindelof and Carlton Cuse.
What is seen in the cinema or on television is the result of a very long production and filming process that, normally, does not reflect everything that happened behind the scenes. Well, having been one of the best-known science fiction television series in the world, such as Lost, it does not exempt you from having had a toxic work environment behind you.
This has been revealed by the new book by Maureen Ryan in which the writer has interviewed several members of the cast and crew of the JJ Abrams series who have recounted the bad experience they lived under the orders of the two showrunners, Damon Lindelof and Carlton Cuse, who showed great contempt for racialized characters.
“All I wanted was to write good episodes for a great show. But it was impossible, especially when they didn’t like their racialized characters. When you have to cry for an hour hiding in your house So your kids don’t see you with all the stress, you know you’re not going to write anything good,” says Owusu-Breen, who worked on the third season of Lost.
Another testimony is that of Harold Perrineau, who played Michael Dawson, who remembers showing his concern to the showrunners that his character did not care about the disappearance of his son. Since both characters are black, Lindelof believed that he was accusing him of racism and fired him after the second season of Lost.
Lindelof and Cuse deny the major
Despite the fact that the writer’s book includes multiple testimonials of racist behavior and bullying by the two showrunners from the Lost series, some with the names and surnames of the witnesses, both Damon Lindelof and Cuse claim not to remember any of the moments that are described.
Nevertheless, Lindelof, does acknowledge in the book his lack of experience when it comes to leading a team like the one from Lost. “My level of inexperience as a leader made my role as someone who was supposed to model a climate of risk-taking creativity but provide safety and comfort within the creative process a failure.”
