Lost - Character Profile - Hugo "Hurley" Reyes

Lost
Character Profile
Hugo “Hurley” Reyes

Actor: Jorge Garcia

On Flight 815: Hurley was heading back to the United States to celebrate his mother’s birthday.

Profession: Lottery winner – multimillion dollar

Prior to the Crash:
Hurley’s dad left his family when Hurley was just a child. His food addiction began at that time.

As an adult, Hurley is in an accident which kills four people. He had walked out onto a deck which collapsed. Hurley blamed his weight and he sinks into a depressive state. His mother is worried about him and sends him to a mental institution. Libby is also a patient there. Hurley meets Leonard, another patient who mumbles the numbers 4 8 15 16 23 42. Hurley also meets and becomes friends with Dave. Hurley later learns that Dave is an imaginary friend. Hurley lets Dave escape from the institution and then closes the window behind him. He is then released, moves back in with his mother, and gets a job at Mr. Clucks.

Hurley plays the lottery with the numbers that Leonard mumbled. He wins! But bad things start to happen. He buys Mr. Clucks but a reporter (Tricia Tanaka) is killed when a meteor hits the restaurant. His grandfather dies while being interviewed, his brother’s girlfriend leaves him for his best friend, and the priest at his grandfather’s funeral is struck by lightning. Hurley buys his mother a new house, but it catches on fire. Hurley’s dad also returns and says that Hurley isn’t cursed, but Hurley doesn’t hear him.

Hurley heads to Australia to find Sam Toomey to find out more about the numbers. He finds the wife of Sam and tells Hurley that Sam committed suicide to escape his constant bad luck. Hurley barely makes it on the plane to fly back home.

After the Crash:
Hurley is the funny, helpful, likeable guy on the island. After moving into the caves he stumbles upon a pack of golf clubs, inspiring the creation of an island golf course. Hurley is the one that discovers that Ethan was never on their flight.

Hurley and Charlie quickly become friends. He also discovers that the numbers are linked to the island when he sees them on a paper after Sayid’s interaction with Rousseau. Hurley heads off into the jungle in search of Rousseau and when he finds her she agrees that the numbers are cursed.

When Hurley learns that the numbers are on the hatch he tries to stop the detonation of dynamite. He fails and is given the task of food inventory, which he is not very fond of. He decides to five out the food freely instead of trying to ration it.

When the tailies arrive at their camp Hurley and Libby begin a relationship. They bond quickly, although Hurley never remembers seeing her at the institution. Libby saves him from jumping off a cliff after Hurley starts seeing Dave again. Hurley plans a picnic but Libby is shot. He leaves with Jack, Kate, Sawyer and Michael in search of the Others (at Michael’s insistence) but they are ambushed. Hurley is the only one who is released and he is told to return to his camp and never to return.

Later Hurley follows Vincent into the jungle and finds an old Dharma Van. He is able to get it started and he, Jin, Charlie, and Sawyer go on a joyride.

When the Others take over the Losties’ camp, Hurley continually offers his assistance but is rebuked. He finally heads off to find his van and then drives it onto the beach, killing one of the three surviving Others. Once the Losties take control, Hurley radios Jack and tells him of their success and safety.

Off the Island:
Hurley is part of the Oceanic 6.

Hurley sees Charlie in a drugstore and tears off in his car. He is stopped by the police and interrogated before they threaten to send him back to the “nuthouse”. Hurley turns and says “thank you.” In the mental institution he has a visitor. It’s Matthew with Oceanic Airlines. Hurley doesn’t want to talk to him. Hurley also has a visit from Charlie. “I am dead,” Charlie says. “But I’m also here. I can prove it,” and he slaps Hurley. Hurley doesn’t want to talk to him and wishes him gone.

Later Hurley plays basketball with Jack. He tells him “I’m sorry I went with Locke. I should have stayed with you … I don’t think we did the right thing, Jack. I think it wants us to come back.” Jack interrupts. “We’re never going back,” and he walks out. “Never say never, dude,” Hurley replies.

Key Character Relations:
Charlie – Hurley commented on a Drive Shaft CD in a music store. He also stayed in the same hotel as Charlie in Sydney.
Henry Gale – Indirectly. His balloon was sponsored by Mr. Cluck’s Chicken Shack and has a Widmore Labs sticker.
Jin – Indirectly. The daughter of the man who Jin is supposed to assassinate is watching the news of Hurley winning the lottery.
Libby – He is in the mental institute with Libby.
Locke – Indirectly. Hurley invested money into a box company in Tustin, California – the same place where Locke worked.
Michael – He stayed in the same hotel as Michael and Walt in Sydney.
Sawyer – Indirectly. The girl who pulls his winning numbers later sleeps with Sawyer.
Walt – He stayed in the same hotel as Michael and Walt in Sydney.

Image used with permission from Newscom