Being a big fan of the intriguing TV series Lost, it was a special treat to sit in on a conversation with J.J. Abrams at the San José Repertory Theatre.

The presentation began with black and white clips from Felicity, Alias, Lost, and Mission Impossible III. Though I had seen these scenes before, I felt the want to stand and cheer. But after each clip, the Theatre was as quiet as a church after the choir sang.

Mr. Abrams then shared with us the surprising way in which Lost came about. His love for his craft was apparent, as was his genius. ABC had called on J.J. to take the premise of a plane going down, stranding the passengers on an island. He was unbelievably asked to come back in just a couple of days to present his scenario for a two-hour pilot. In twelve weeks he was able to pull the story, the characters, the crew together–Lost was a two-hour pilot.

Tom Cruise on a Mission:
Mr. Abrams became animated when he spoke of Tom Cruise. He told of being in a room with Steven Spielberg and then how overwhelmed he became when he was in the same room with both Steven Spielberg and Tom Cruise. After J.J. and Tom had met a few times and Tom Cruise appeared at J.J.’s birthday party only then did Tom bring up the idea of their working on Mission Impossible III together.

Star Trek XI:
When asked about Star Trek XI, Abrams said that the others working on the film “knew where he lived” and he couldn’t talk.

My impression of J.J. Abrams:
As a youngster J.J. would enjoy visiting his father on the sets of TV shows like Happy Days and Laverne & Shirley. From the age of eight he began preparing for his life “playing” with a Super 8 Camera. I didn’t see a big overblown ego, only a man now still playing, but now doing it with the big boys of the movie business.