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At the pinnacle of his Hollywood career, Matthew Fox made the surprising decision to step away from the spotlight. Best known for his role as Dr. Jack Shepard on the hit TV series “Lost,” Fox chose to retreat from acting despite being part of one of television’s most successful shows.
Now 59, Fox is making a much-anticipated return with a role in “The Madison,” a spinoff of “Yellowstone.” At the New York premiere of this new venture, he candidly discussed his reasons for taking a prolonged hiatus from acting.
“I felt like it was time to engage really intensely with my family,” Fox explained in an interview with Variety. His demanding schedule during the peak years of “Lost” had meant missing out on significant moments in his children’s early lives, a sacrifice he was no longer willing to make.
“I felt like it was time to engage really intensely with my family,” he told Variety.
Fox admitted his demanding schedule during the height of “Lost” meant he missed parts of his children’s younger years.
“I had missed some of their childhood because I was on set all the time with “Lost” and doing films and promoting everything,” he said. “It was the right moment for me to step back and take a moment and engage with the people that I love and care about the most in the world.”
After more than a decade away from regular TV work, Fox said he eventually began to miss the craft.
Fox returned to television in 2022 with the series “Last Light,” marking his first TV role since “Lost” ended in 2010. He later appeared in the comedy series “C*A*U*G*H*T” before landing his latest role.
“I kind of missed storytelling,” he explained, adding that he quickly said yes when producer Taylor Sheridan approached him about joining “The Madison.”
In “The Madison,” Fox plays Paul, a rugged bachelor who thrives outdoors.
The series centers on a New York City family who relocates to Montana’s Madison River Valley after a devastating plane crash kills two relatives. Michelle Pfeiffer stars as wealthy matriarch Stacy Clyburn, who uproots her family from Manhattan following the tragedy.
Though his career has long been tied to Hollywood, Fox has previously spoken about his desire to live somewhere quieter.
In 2008, the actor said he and his family had considered moving to Oregon, where his relatives lived and outdoor life was plentiful.
“I enjoy fishing, hiking and skiing,” Fox told People. “The mountains and fresh air and all these things are available pretty easily in Oregon without having to drive a long distance.”
Fox first rose to fame playing Charlie Salinger on the hit drama “Party of Five,” which ran from 1994 to 2000.
He later became a household name as Jack Shephard on “Lost,” the ABC sci-fi phenomenon that aired for six seasons from 2004 to 2010.
Along the way, he also appeared in films including “Smokin’ Aces,” “We Are Marshall,” “Vantage Point,” “Speed Racer,” “World War Z” and the 2015 Western “Bone Tomahawk.”
Fox largely stepped away from acting between 2014 and 2021. In a 2022 interview, he said that after “Bone Tomahawk,” he felt he had checked off many of the career goals he had set for himself.
“’I kind of had a bucket list in my mind of things that I wanted to accomplish in the business,” he told Variety. “I wanted to do a Western. It’s a very odd Western, but it’s a Western. And so that sort of completed the bucket list.”
At the same time, his two sons — Kyle, now 28, and Byron, 25 — were growing up.
“I felt like it was time to be home,” Fox said, adding that his wife of more than 30 years, Margherita Ronchi, had been “beautifully” holding down the fort while he worked.
“I really felt like I was retiring from the business, and working on other creative elements that are really personal to me – some music and writing.”
For now, though, the actor appears ready to step back into the public eye.