Hawaii Five-O star Jorge Garcia gives big-hearted performance in The Healer

Jorge Garcia has led what many actors might consider a charmed life. The versatile star who conveys a definite presence on screen, as much for his affable personality as his look, became beloved to fans on ABC's groundbreaking series, “Lost” from 2004 to 2010. His character of Hugo “Hurley” Reyes soon carved a niche as a fan favorite, and when the drama departed from the network lineup in 2010, it didn't take long for Jorge Garcia to find another steady role in the Fox series, “Alcatraz.” The star continued to define what it is to be a working actor, appearing in numerous guest-starring roles on television and taking film roles until 2013 when he joined the elite crime-fighting force on CBS’ “Hawaii Five-O” as Jerry Ortega.

The police drama is now in its ninth season.

It is more than good fortune to become part of two long-running dramas that devoted fans consider as “appointment TV” even in this digital streaming age, and the 45-year-old Omaha native, raised in California, doesn’t dismiss that fate, friendship, and a higher purpose have all been part of his steady career.

Jorge Garcia elaborates on the experience of one impactful role in the film by writer-director, Paco Arango, “The Healer” in an October 18 interview with Patheos.com, and the themes of kindness and faith clearly transfer from the story in more ways than simply lines in a script.

Good buddies giving back

Every creative project involving Jorge Garcia conveys a kind of camaraderie that runs deep.

On “Hawaii Five-O,” the rest of his team may scoff at several of Jerry Ortega's well-researched conspiracy concepts, but no one doubts that he is willing to give his all for anyone of his “ohana” brothers or sister on the team. In last week's episode, he mediated what might have been a life-ending conflict to bring aid and comfort to a pregnant mother, and when push comes to shove, Jerry's heart always proves to be the biggest part of him.

Jorge Garcia and Paco Arango are longtime friends, and even before the film project began, it was determined that funds from “The Healer,” released now on DVD and digital demand, would be designated for the Paul Newman Newman’s Own Foundation and the Serious Fun Children's Network. The giving back didn't stop with the dollars.

The actor made a full-size dummy of himself, and the cast remains as a remembrance for the kids.

Jorge Garcia portrays Father Malloy in the film, a priest who comes to his own crisis point over confessing something in his past. The inner conflict helps him to find purpose in leading the lead character, Alec (Oliver Jackson-Cohen) into his true calling over the one advertised in an ad. Garcia relates that his character has “a jerk-ish quality,” and initial mistrust of non-churchgoers. He ultimately comes around to see the divine in all people.

A possible blast from the past

With the recent success of NBC's new sci-fi series, “Manifest,” Jorge Garcia was asked about a possible return of “Lost,” which, in its time, piqued the interest of millions of fans like no series before.

The star described how his original series was something of “an anomaly” among all the reality TV then filling screens, but many shows like the current NBC hit and “Invasion” seemed completely inspired by it.

“I can't imagine why they wouldn't,” Jorge Garcia responds when asked if “Lost” reboot might come in the future. It's just a matter of waiting for the right time and place. The star may not have time to portray his former character full-time, with all his current commitments, but he does regard Hurley as being most like himself, since he was able to build the character from scratch, so to speak. He also sees his own fun side in Diego Soto from “Alcatraz.”

Last week, on October 13, it was announced that Garcia had been cast as Memo in the latest Spanish-language film from Fabula, “Killing Will Willys.” The darker role is likely significant for Garcia in two respects.

His father was Chilean, as is the character, and with the character’s history of dreaming to be a pop star, movie fans might see the singing side of Jorge Garcia that “Hawaii Five-O” fans get a glimpse of from time to time.

Regardless of whether fans see Jorge Garcia in the lush Hawaiian paradise, or on another plane that takes a mysterious detour, this star will be having a good time, on screen and in real life.