Santoro finds 'Lost'

The Brazilian waxes poetic when he talks about his new role in "Lost." "I have to make a tiny confession. I wasn't exactly and completely following the show before I got the role. I was busy. So, I was lost when I got 'Lost!' " cries Rodrigo Santoro, the superstar from Rio de Janeiro, Brazil.

Santoro is already steely when it comes to divulging plot secrets from his hit ABC series (9 p.m. Wednesday, WLS-Channel 7). "What I can say to you is the audience is about to know a lot more about my character," he says at an interview at the Beverly Hilton.

Santoro, 31, has a plum role as Paulo on "Lost," plus he plays Persian ruler Xerxes in the new battle epic film "300" about the Spartan war that united Greece. Santoro is also known to American audiences as one of People's 50 Most Beautiful and for playing the man who romances Nicole Kidman in the Chanel commercials.

Yes, he is single.

Q: You look a lot different from your role as ruler Xerxes in "300." You have hair!
A: Yes. ... and eyebrows. I shaved my whole body and not just my brows for the role. We just started waxing and waxing. It was actually a freeing experience.

Q: The film is based on a Frank Miller graphic novel where many of the characters are naked. Would you have gone nude in a film?
A: "I would do nudity if there is a reason as an actor to do it. It's all about the why. Brazilians are known to be very free about nudity, but we're also very traditional. But I think as long as you have a reason and the piece talks about life and human beings and if it's genuine, then there is a reason for the nudity.

Q: You lost 35 to 40 pounds for this role? How fun!
A: I was a sad figure. To put it back on, I ate a lot of protein but not a lot of carbs. It was just eating the right stuff at the right time, getting good rest and a lot of working out. I didn't want to be muscled up because the Spartans were really strong. They had to look bigger than the Persians. But I had to have an ample body to find the right body language.

Q: What do you make of the phenomenon of "Lost"?
A: I knew about "Lost" in Brazil. It was big, not just in the states but all around the world. Everywhere I go, people know me and then they ask me about what will happen on the next episodes. I tell them that they really don't want to know because it would spoil it.

Q: Are you being careful while living in Hawaii filming "Lost"? There seems to be a curse in that many "Lost" actors have found themselves caught up by the law.
A: I'm very easy and I have the healthiest lifestyle. I surf, do yoga and then work. That's basically my entire day.

Q: How long are you committed to "Lost"?
A: Ha ha. You know I can't say. I don't know how long I will be there, but you can't control things. You can just build a character. I don't prepare too much because who knows what will happen with this show.

Q: Describe your life these days.
A: I'm back and forth between Hawaii and Brazil. It's just such a good time for my career. It's not about being huge. It's about working with the actors and directors I've always admired. It's been a long journey and, thank God, a very gratifying one.

Source: Chicago Sun-Times