DVD
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DECEMBER 15 2008
“Inever feltLondonwasmyhome, for various reasons, and Ido feel, if I’mnotbe-
ing toodramatic about it, that I didget a second chance inAmerica, inparticular
in L.A.,” Andrews explains. “That’s partly to do with my proclivities. In England
and the British Isles, it’s very easy to be an alcoholic. And to move to a place
where you stick out like a sore thumb if you’re drinking in themorning is good if
youwant to stop.”
Indeed Andrews, who has been nominated for an Emmy and a Golden Globe
for his role on
Lost
, received a strongwake-up call uponmeeting legendary Sex
Pistols guitarist and reformed alcoholic Steve Jones at a dinner party several
years ago. “Up to that point, I’d heard about sobriety, but it just seemed like
another planet, really, because when you’re in that state, you can’t imagine life
without drinkor drugs,” he says. “It’s yourwhole identity. And tomeet somebody
who hadbeen such an influence on your character and to see that he’s sober had
a huge effect. It mademe think, ‘If he’s done it, thenmaybe I’ve got a chance.’”
Andrews has nowbeen clean formore thanfive years.
The star’s tumultuous 20swere rooted in his childhood. He says that his par-
ents, whohe once toldBritishnewspaper
TheGuardian
were violent anddivisive,
“taught [him] what not to do.” But being a good parent to his own child has
brought him some resolution. “Maybe the healing starts there,” he says.
Though his conservative parents showed trepidation at their son’s interest in
actingwhen hewas a youngster in themid-1970s— Indian actors did not have
choice TV roles at the time— Andrews attended London’s Guildhall School of
Music and Drama, alongside classmates like Ewan McGregor. Since then, An-
drews has appeared in films such as
The English Patient
and
Grindhouse
, and he
now costars inoneof themost talked-about television shows of thedecade,
Lost
,
the fifth season ofwhich premieres in January.
Andrews’sportrayal of
Lost
’sSayid, an Iraqi, hasdrawnacclaim from theArab
League. “From the beginning, what intriguedmewas that thiswas a prime-time
network TV show in Hollywood [with] an Iraqi in [the cast],” Andrews says. “I
felt a sense of responsibility for the entireArabworld— not just to Iraqis— to
make sure thatwhat people sawwasahumanbeing inall his complexity. He’snot
necessarily positive or negative; he’s just a human, somebodywho’s fallible.”
Against numerous odds, Andrews has achieved both contentment in his per-
sonal life and a successful career. And as part of a groundbreaking multiracial
cast, he’s been able to break down some barriers at the same time—which, for
Andrews, is reward in itself. “When I startedout,myambitionwas that Iwanted
anybodywhowasn’twhite tobe able towatch the screen and say, ‘I cando that.
Iwant to do that, and now I can,’” he says. “And if I achieve that, it’s great.”
NAVEENANDREWS
hasdisarmedand thencharmed televisionaudiencesby
playing torturer-turned-peaceful-warrior SayidJarrahon the hit series
Lost
,
which sees its complete fourth season released on DVD this month (Buena
Vista, $60). Andrews’s intense transformation on-screen reflects how his
own lifehas changed sincehedepartedEngland forHollywood10yearsago.
