Remember Sawyer from 'Lost'? What happened to Josh Holloway?
Josh Holloway was 35 years old when he began filming the series that would make him a superstar. He became a television icon thanks to the legendary series 'Lost.'
He wasn't meant to be the main character of the series (or, was he?), but his portrayal of Sawyer ended up taking over Matthew Fox's portrayal of Jack. Although many loved Fox's persona, he never quite managed to compete with the fans' number-one character, Sawyer.
The same could be said for Kate (Evangeline Lilly) who became part of a fascinating love quadrangle involving Kate, Sawyer, Juliet, and Jack. Despite Sawyer ending up with Juliet and Kate with Jack, the on-screen chemistry between Evangeline Lilly and Josh Holloway was spectacular.
But of course, this Californian hunk had that little something extra to make the whole world fall in love with him. A knockout body, some lovely lush long locks, standing at 190 centimetres, blue eyes and a dazzling personality both on and off screen.
Weirdly enough, all that fame and high praise he received between 2004 and 2010, disappeared in one fell swoop.
Josh Holloway's star stopped shining as soon as 'Lost' closed it curtains.
Although he has not stopped working, his roles have not generated even 10% of the success that Sawyer had.
But, before we find out what has become of good old Josh Holloway, it doesn't hurt to know where he came from.
Before getting on that fateful Oceanic Airlines flight 815, the Californian had already been in the industry for more than 10 years.
In fact, his on-camera debut was in another historic event entirely, this time in music. You can see his face in the legendary music video for the Aerosmith hit, 'Cryin'.'
Yes, that was him! Josh Holloway, in 1993, at the age of 24, played the handsome thief who stole Alicia Silverstone's purse in the video.
Over the next 10 years, Holloway alternated work as a model (Versace, Armani, and Calvin Klein, among others), with appearances in some episodes of the best series at the time: 'Angel' (1999), 'Walker, Texas Ranger' (2001), 'C.S.I.' (2003) and 'NCIS' (2004), as well as a few small films.
But it was 2004 when James Ford came into his life. From then on, Josh Holloway would be recognized as Sawyer for the rest of his life.
Personally as well as professionally it was a happy time because Josh proposed to his girlfriend Yessica while shooting the pilot episode of 'Lost' in Hawaii.
Although filming 'Lost' required long periods of shooting in Hawaii (eight to nine months a year), the actor was able to combine the series with some side projects.
For example, in 2007 he joined the team of 'Whisper', sharing the spotlight with Sarah Wayne Callies who we better know as the reviled Dr. Tancredi in 'Prison Break' and the hated Lory in 'The Walking Dead.'
Interestingly, his most remembered work whilst he was filming 'Lost' was the advert he shot for Davidoff and their best-known fragrance 'Cool Water.'
2010 was a very sad year for 'Lost' fans. Sawyer, Jack, Kate, and co. left the island for good. Now that the series was a wrap, Josh Holloway aimed to be 'The Next Big Thing' in Hollywood.
He didn't have to wait long for his first big project. He landed the role of Hanaway in 'Mission: Impossible – Ghost Protocol' (2011).
But he was standing in Tom Cruise's shadow and that of one of his most iconic characters, Ethan Hunt. It all proved too overbearing to allow Josh Holloway to really shine.
More opportunities were lining themselves up. 'Paranoia' (2013) with Harrison Ford and Gary Oldman; and 'Sabotage' (2014), alongside Arnold Schwarzenegger, Terrence Howard, and Joe Manganiello. Too many cooks?
Now, the worst role for the actor came with his first starring role, also back in 2013. 'Battle of the Year' saw him as Jason Blake, a basketball coach who turned into a break dance coach in preparation for the Olympics. Need we say more?
The film, which was too niche, did not go down well with either audiences or critics. In fact, it had a budget of 20 million and grossed just over 16 million dollars worldwide. A resonating flop.
Not only did he not get the roles right, but he also didn't get a few of the best roles either. Josh Holloway was considered to be Gambit in 'X-Men: Origins' and Crossbones in 'Captain America: The Winter Soldier,' a role that eventually went to Frank Grillo.
He also turned down a role in 'Person of Interest,' where he would have shared the screen with Michael Emerson. He made this decision because he did not want to move his family to the other side of the US.
Faced with the cruelty of the big screen, Josh Holloway opted to return to his natural habitat, television. In 2014, he starred in 'Intelligence' on CBS, where he played Gabriel Vaughn, an intelligence service agent who had a chip implanted in his brain that could turn him into the perfect agent.
The series was canceled after just one season, despite the good reviews it received. It received a 6.9 on iMDb and saw tremendous chemistry with Meghan Ory. Nobody could understand why it was pulled.
The series did, however, keep Josh Holloway loyal to the small screen, even if it did take two more years for his next role to arrive.
That came in 2016 with 'Colony', an updated version of 'V' (remember that classic 80s sci-fi series?). He played Will Bowman, a former FBI agent who had to collaborate with the invading aliens to put an end to the citizen resistance.
The series, aired on USA Network, ran for three seasons and saw the actor reunite with Sarah Wayne Callies, almost 10 years after 'Whisper.'
With the lapse of the pandemic, Josh Holloway returned to the limelight with Apple TV+ and its revival of Steven Spielberg's 'Amazing Stories.'
His next big break came in 'Yellowstone', one of the big hit series at the moment. He joined in its third season, in the summer of 2021.
Holloway took on the role of Roarke Carter, an ambitious hedge fund manager who caused problems for the Duttons and Kevin Costner. In season 4 of the series, he came back for a little while.
Then, in 2021, another striking reunion happened for Josh Holloway. He returned to work with J.J. Abrams, 11 years after the 'Lost' finale.
In a series that has yet to be scheduled, Holloway plays the getaway driver in a crime syndicate. The series, set in the 1970s, will air on HBO.
As we have said, the actor is not the kind of Hollywood hawk who aspires to dominate the world. His dream is simply to be a good father.
He is a family man and he has found his peace and success with Yessica Kumala. The couple married on 1 October 2004.
They are on their way to reaching two decades of marriage and the couple has two children: Java Kumala (2009) and Hunter Lee (2014).
Undoubtedly, his two children will watch their father shine in all the great projects he had after his Sawyer left the island from 'Lost.'