Ian Somerhalder was on vacation when he found out he was going to die. It was supposed to be a relaxing weekend of wine tasting on the California coast — a well-earned respite during a breakout month for the 26-year-old model-turned-actor. Just days earlier, Somerhalder's showcase episode of Lost had aired, revealing that his character, Boone, had once knocked boots with stepsister Shannon (Maggie Grace). At long last, fans had an idea of who Boone was — and, by extension, the actor who played him. A hit show, career heat — yes, life was sweet for the young star. Slightly creepy, but sweet. Now he wanted to savor it, along with some very fine wine.
Then came the call.
''Pretty devastating,'' says Somerhalder, of getting the bad news from Lost producers. ''Thank God I already had four glasses of really good pinot in me.'' It's two months later on a gray March day in Hollywood. A cold and a night of clubbing have left Somerhalder wiped. A patch of skin across one of his perfect cheekbones looks red-meat rare — a chemical burn from the prosthetic he wore during his final moments as Boone. ''The week [before] I got the call, I started looking for a house in Hawaii. Now I'm looking for a house in Venice Beach,'' says Somerhalder, an unlit cigarette wagging from his lip. After bumming a light from a passerby, he takes a stab at perspective: ''I guess this is TV history, huh? The first main character to be killed on Lost.''
It's a little early in the life of Lost for grandiose contextualization, but what can be said is that Boone's death on April 6 made for riveting and poignant TV. Brief obit: Boone Carlisle, 28, son of a bridal-shop magnate; died from injuries sustained while investigating a small plane stuck in a big tree (said plane fell out of said tree while Boone was inside); took to his grave the possible revelation that there might be other survivors on the island (voices on the radio in said plane suggested as much). For the actor, playing the death scene really hurt. Like, really hurt: ''I was spacey and nauseous and a little pissed. It's hard walking a fine line between lucid and not lucid while Matthew Fox is ramming a needle into my chest.''
From the very beginning, Lost cocreators J.J. Abrams and Damon Lindelof have said the threat of death hangs over the crash survivors. As the writers mapped out the season's final episodes, they followed through on that threat, deciding to kill a character whose story line had run its course. Another reason: Boone's death would especially affect his father figure, Locke (Terry O'Quinn), and the island's doctor and resident hero, Jack (Fox). ''It was a narrative imperative that we kill Boone,'' says executive producer Carlton Cuse. ''It sets in motion a chain of events leading to the season finale.'' Adds Lindelof: ''The show is about the conflict between Jack and Locke. Boone's death will be a divisive point between them.''
Although Somerhalder understands the creative reasons for his alter ego's demise, he feels Abrams and Lindelof ''boxed themselves into a corner'' by telling the press someone was going to die — statements which left the cast anxious. ''We didn't really appreciate that,'' he says. ''They already fooled the audience twice,'' with the apparent deaths of Shannon (a dream) and Charlie (Dominic Monaghan, revived after much CPR). ''It's like, 'Fool me once, shame on you. Fool me twice, shame on me. Fool me three times, I'm going to stop watching your show.''' Lindelof doesn't disagree: ''That's completely fair. In our defense, if we don't kill someone off, the stakes just aren't real.'' (That same reasoning helped sell ABC, which initially had an ''if it ain't broke, why kill somebody?'' attitude.)
Talking about his brief life on Lost, Somerhalder yo-yos between criticism and resignation, cynicism and gratitude. ''It's been emotional hell. That's why I started smoking again,'' says Somerhalder, whose previous acting credits include The Rules of Attraction and Life as a House. He takes a puff. ''This is the last cigarette I'm smoking. Can't smoke anymore.'' Now he wants movie roles, quality projects — more Ian McKellen than Ian Ziering. Nothing is lined up yet; while he works on that, the biz-savvy Somerhalder will be tending to his real estate venture and production company — that is, when he's not hanging in Hawaii with the Lostmates who have become dear friends: Fox, Grace, O'Quinn, Josh Holloway.
Like the actor, Boone fans don't have to say goodbye just yet: He'll appear in the two-hour season finale May 25, during a flashback to the flight that brought everyone to the island. ''I'll always have a place in Hawaii,'' says Somerhalder. ''Trust me — life is great. It's f---ing great. And you know what? This show has made it that much better.'' A little more time, and he may actually believe that.
