Lost: Meet the New Girl

Now that the new kids have reached the Island, it's time to meet the actors behind the parts. Jen Godwin, my cohort in Lost lovin', took the first round, chatting up the hilarious, supersmart and so very cool Ms. Rebecca Mader during a Lost screening bash at Whiskey Blue bar at the W Hotel in Westwood. Read on for Rebecca's dish on the life of a teenage redhead, freshman year at Lost University and what's up with those mysterious boat people... (WARNING: MILD SPOILERS INSIDE!)

Okay, my first question is totally rude: Is that your real hair color?
Yes, I haven't done anything to it.

Excellent, because the show's totally been waiting for a redhead.
Get out of my head! That's what I've been saying this whole time. That's really funny actually, because when me, Evie and Liz are all together in makeup, it's like, "We're the witches of Eastwick!" If my hair's a good thing, that's nice, because I'm telling you, growing up with red hair is not fun. I guess it all came together in the end, but it took a while!

Were you a fan of the show before you were cast? How did you get hooked up with the show?
I saw the pilot, but then I got busy and I was traveling, and I just never got to the DVDs like I'd intended. Then when I got the audition last summer, I just had this feeling. I went in to read, and I decided I'm just not leaving until Carlton Cuse and Damon Lindelof are in love with me—this part is mine, but they just don't know it yet. Originally, the character was American, but I suggested, "What if she's English?" and they were like, "Sure, we could try that." And after the audition, I didn't get the offer for a while, and I thought, what can I do to get myself this part? I had just seen The Secret, so I actually went to the Barnes & Noble at the Grove and bought the DVDs. I thought, if I put this out into the universe, it will come back to me. And I was actually watching episode four when they called and told me I got the part, and I just fell to my knees and burst into tears.

Are you in all of the next six episodes?
I'm in the next five, consecutively, through episode seven. And I'm still around after that, as far as I know!

What does Charlotte's specialty, anthropology, have to do with the Island?
Well, the team that I'm in, we have all these different qualities and specialties that makes us this freaky group of intelligent, scary people. The character of Charlotte is interesting because not only is she fiercely intelligent but very tough and very physical.

She's sort of an adventurer-archaeologist type like Indiana Jones.
Yes, exactly! In fact, that's what they said when I went in, that she's like a female Indiana Jones, so I made sure to flex my muscles during the audition scene, so they knew I could do it! I work out!

Does Charlotte know what she's getting into by crashing on that Island?
I don't think so. Well, I think she understands it academically, in a serious way, but there's that moment when she falls in the water and then comes back up, and she's like, "Wow, I made it. It's gorgeous. This is paradise!" That's such an exhilarating high for her, and then, boom—there's Locke.

Miles is a ghostbuster who seems to have powers. Does Charlotte have any special abilities like that?
I don't know yet, but my mom Googled me the other day, and she said, "I think you might have powers." And I'm like, really?! There's rumors going around, but I truly don't know yet.

You're going to be held hostage for a while—Charlotte has become a piece in the chess game. What was that like? Did you have fun working with the existing cast?
I have never had so much fun in my life. The strike has been a real bummer, because I was having so much fun. It was like going to the best university, and I didn't get to go to university, and I just get to hang out with all these wickedly funny, hilarious, intelligent, creative, awesome people. Not only the actors, but the crew are just so sweet, and the producers, and it's such a huge family that is so welcoming. Funnest. Job. Ever. I can't wait to go back.