Star of hit TV series, Lost, reveals why he stepped away from Hollywood
Hollywood star Matthew Fox has revealed why he walked away from the spotlight at the height of his fame more than a decade ago.
The actor first shot to fame in the hit drama Party of Five before becoming a global star as Dr. Jack Shephard on the smash sci-fi series Lost.
But despite the show’s massive success and plenty of big roles on offer, the 59-year-old stunned fans by stepping back from Hollywood and hitting pause on his booming acting career.
UNITED STATES – NOVEMBER 19: LOST – Walt Disney Television via Getty Images’s “Lost” stars Matthew Fox as Jack. (Photo by Art Streiber/Disney General Entertainment Content via Getty Images)
For over a decade, Fox has been away from the limelight, having nothing at all to do with Hollywood and instead spending all his time with his young family.
Speaking to Variety magazine, the star said, ‘I felt like it was time to engage really intensely with my family.’
‘I had missed some of their childhood because I was on set all the time with Lost, doing films, and promoting everything.
‘It was the right moment for me to step back, take a moment, and engage with the people that I love and care about the most in the world.’
BEVERLY HILLS, CA – JANUARY 21: (L-R) Actor Matthew Fox, actress Paula Devicq, actor Scott Wolf, actress Lacey Chabert and actress Neve Campbell, the cast of “Party Of Five” pose in the press room after winning their Golden Globe Award for Best Television Series – Drama during the 53rd Annual Golden Globe Awards on January 21, 1996 at the Beverly Hilton Hotel in Beverly Hills, California. (Photo by Ron Davis/Getty Images)
Matthew Fox began his career as Charlie Salinger on the hit series ‘Party of Five,’ which ran from 1994 until it ended in 2000.
Then, four years later, he starred as Jack Shephard in the hit series Lost, which followed a group of plane crash survivors stranded on a remote tropical island after their flight went down.
He’s now set to return to screens with a role in a new series from one of TV’s hottest producers, Taylor Sheridan.
Matthew Fox and the cast of the hit series Lost (Photo by Reisig and Taylor/Walt Disney Television via Getty Images)
Fox will play Paul, a rugged, outdoorsy bachelor who prefers his own company and life in the wild.
The drama is billed as a powerful story about grief, family, and human connection, following a New York family who relocate to Montana’s Madison River Valley.
Hollywood star Michelle Pfeiffer leads the cast as wealthy matriarch Stacy Clyburn, who uproots her family from the Big Apple after her husband and brother-in-law are killed in a tragic plane crash.
NEW YORK, NEW YORK – MARCH 09: (L-R) Dana Goldberg, Co-Chair of Paramount Picture and Chair of Paramount Television, David Glasser, Christina Voros, Jane Wiseman, Kevin Zegers, Danielle Vasinova, Elle Chapman, Matthew Fox, Michelle Pfeiffer, Patrick J. Adams, Kurt Russell, Ben Schnetzer, Amiah Miller, Beau Garrett and Cindy Holland attend Paramount+’s “The Madison” New York Premiere at Jazz at Lincoln Center on March 09, 2026 in New York City. (Photo by Michael Loccisano/WireImage)
Fox also revealed he has long dreamed of moving to Oregon, where members of his family live, a place he says helped keep him going during difficult times.
‘We’ve been talking about moving to Oregon for a while, so whenever things get tough, I just keep Oregon in my sights,’ he said.
The actor said the state’s outdoor lifestyle is a huge draw.
‘While the move is still a couple of years away, Fox said he’s happy taking life as it comes for now.
‘I’m really excited about it, but it’s still a little way off, so right now I’m just enjoying life.’
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