Lost stars Sonya Walger and Henry Ian Cusick have opened up about the enduring legacy created by their characters Penny and Desmond – with the actors revealing people have even named their kids after them.
The beloved sci-fi series ran from 2004 to 2010, with fans gripped by the story of the mystery island, what secrets it held, and the plane crash survivors of Oceanic Flight 815 who were forced to turn it into a home.
Among the stories told were that of Desmond “Des” Hume, who defied the odds to reunite with his love for Penelope “Penny” Widmore – after Penny’s powerful father Charles (Alan Dale) tried to doom their relationship.
Their love story quickly became a fan favourite, and while it’s been 16 years since Lost reached its finale, both actors are continuing to hear the real-life results of their on-screen depiction.
Speaking to The Guardian, Walger said: [I’ve seen] a full leg tattoo of our faces! I get ‘Not Penny’s boat’ held up to me at airports a lot. It’s like a fan’s secret way of saying: ‘I see you, but I will respect you.’”
“People have named their children after us – that’s odd,” added Cusick, with Walger adding she’s “100 per cent had some Pennys”.
In a story inspired by Homer’s The Odyssey, with Penny even taking her name from one of the central characters of the Greek tale, Des heads on a sailing competition around the world in a bid to impress Penny’s dad Charles.
But instead of proving his worth, he winds up shipwrecked on the island, with Penny waiting patiently at home for him to return for eight years.
Despite the dire conditions, Des is motivated to find a way off the island thanks to a photo he keeps of him and Penny in happier times – while Penny uses all the resources at her disposal, including her dad’s money, in order to track him down.
When they finally do find a way back to each other, they get married and have a son – and later become key to the finale and the mystic elements at play.
“It never ceases to surprise and truly gratify me that we did some work that has endured like this,” says Walger. “It’s amazing.”
Cusick added: “I always thought we had a cool storyline. But we didn’t know the legacy it would have.
“It’s been 20 years and there’s been so much great TV since – and we’re still talking about that relationship.”
Lost is available to watch in full now on Disney+. You can sign up to Disney Plus from £5.99 a month now.
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