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Matthew Fox is returning to television — and the former “Lost” star says it took the right script to bring him back.
Fox stars in “The Madison,” a new drama from “Yellowstone” creator Taylor Sheridan that blends a sweeping love story with an emotional family drama set between Montana and New York City.
After skyrocketing to fame on “Lost,” he explained what drew him to the series.
“Just the material, you know,” Fox told Fox News Digital when asked what made “The Madison” the right project to step back into the spotlight.
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Matthew Fox as Paul Clyburn in episode 1, season 1 of the Paramount+ series “The Madison.” (Emerson Miller/Paramount+)
The actor said early conversations with Sheridan about the show’s themes and his character initially piqued his interest.
“I had a couple of conversations with Taylor about the series and … the themes in it. And then we spoke specifically about Paul,” Fox said. “Those conversations were great, and I was very intrigued.”
But he said the moment he read the scripts, he knew the project was something special.
“It wasn’t until I really read the scripts that I was like, ‘Oh, this is absolutely incredible,’” Fox said. “He’s an amazing writer. I’m a big fan of his work.”
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The role also marks a rare return to the spotlight for Fox, who largely walked away from Hollywood after “Lost” wrapped.
Fox reflected on life after the final chapter of the hit series — and the personal decision that led him to step away from the spotlight.
“I felt like it was time to engage really intensely with my family,” Fox admitted in an interview with Variety.
The actor said years of filming and working on major projects meant missing key moments while his children, Kyle and Byron, were growing up.
Matthew Fox pictured in character as Paul Clyburn and Kurt Russell as Preston Clyburn in season 1, episode 1 of the Paramount+ series “The Madison.” (Emerson Miller/Paramount+)
“I had missed some of their childhood because I was on set all the time with ‘Lost’ and doing films … promoting everything,” Fox said. “It was the right moment for me to step back and take a moment … engage with the people that I love and care about the most in the world.”
During his time away from Hollywood, Fox said he eventually felt the urge to return to acting.
“I kind of missed storytelling,” he added. When the opportunity to join Sheridan’s latest series surfaced, he knew it was the right move.
“I was like, ‘Yeah, I’m in,’” Fox said. “I have a balance definitely.”
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Fox portrays Paul Clyburn — the brother of Kurt Russell’s character, Preston Clyburn, and Stacy Clyburn’s brother-in-law — in “The Madison.”
Paul is portrayed as a self-reliant outdoorsman who feels most at home in nature and becomes one of the key figures in the story centered on the Clyburn family’s life in rural Montana.
Fox added that “The Madison” also struck a personal chord.
“The series itself and the way that he executed them in the scripts just felt special and moving to me,” he said. “Created imagery in my mind that is really important to me because I grew up in a very similar environment … on the Madison River.”
Beau Garrett in character as Abigail Reese in episode 1, season 1 of the Paramount+ series “The Madison.” (Emerson Miller/Paramount+)
“It just felt like me,” he added. “Sometimes … for me, when I read material, there’s a point where … it just feels like I have to do it, like it’s inevitable. And I certainly felt like that on this one.”
“The Madison” centers on the Clyburn family, a New York City clan navigating grief and transformation after relocating to the Madison River Valley in Montana. The series explores themes of resilience, love and human connection as the family adjusts to life in a dramatically different world.
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The show features a high-profile cast including Russell, Michelle Pfeiffer, Patrick J. Adams, Beau Garrett and more.
Garrett told Fox News Digital the show’s themes of reinvention resonated with her personally, particularly after major life changes in recent years.
“I’m not newly a mom — she’s three now — but that reinvented me,” Garrett said.
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The actress said becoming a mother and leaving Los Angeles for a small town on Vancouver Island reshaped her priorities.
“Meeting my husband and marrying him reinvented me,” Garrett said. “I think we’re always reinventing ourselves and this show felt like the first time in a long time that I got to step back into my creativity after having a baby and that felt … incredibly terrifying and empowering.”
Garrett also recalled feeling starstruck when she first met Pfeiffer ahead of filming.
“I was incredibly nervous to meet Michelle,” she admitted.
Their first on-screen scene together helped break the tension quickly. Garrett said Pfeiffer quickly proved to be both approachable and supportive.
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“The Madison” Season 1, featuring Michelle Pfeiffer as Stacy Clyburn, Kurt Russell as Preston Clyburn and Matthew Fox as Paul Clyburn, streaming on Paramount+ 2026. (Paramount+)
“She shows up every moment. She’s incredibly kind and gracious and also just really easy to talk to,” Garrett said. “We would sit in the green room and just chat … I was like, ‘OK, this feels like someone I really admire … and respect, but a friend.’”
Meanwhile, Fox also reflected on how dramatically the Hollywood industry has changed since he first broke out on network television.
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“The transition from commercial advertising-based television like ‘Lost’ … with the commercial breaks … having to wait a week for episodes, to the streaming model … has been a huge transition for the business,” he said.
Despite the industry still adjusting to the shift, Fox believes streaming has helped elevate long-form storytelling.
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“I do believe that it’s been an incredibly positive thing for storytelling because it’s opened up an entire world of premises that can be told in as many chapters as they need to be told,” he said.
“The Madison” premieres March 14 on Paramount+.