Jack Shephard

Grew Up... in the shadow of his surgeon father Christian Shephard. The elder Dr. Shephard told a young Jack that he wasn’t built to be a hero after he was beaten up trying to help a classmate. Is it any surprise that Jack went on to finish UCLA Med School a year early, striving to become a better surgeon than his overbearing dad?

Living... on a mysterious island after the horrific crash of Oceanic Flight 815. Jack helped his fellow survivors deal with injuries and became their de facto leader. He’s not always comfortable in that role and he’s certainly not comfortable staying on the island after watching the plane’s pilot ripped from the cockpit by...something. Jack hopes they’re not stranded long enough to find out what.

Profession... before the crash, a spinal surgeon. After the crash, just a guy trying to keep his flock alive. And he’s good at it. He treats their wounds, leads them to fresh water and delivers kick-ass speeches on a regular basis. “If we can’t live together, we’re going to die alone,” he tells the other survivors, leading to goosebumps that aren’t from their beach camp’s ocean breeze.

Interests… booze and fixing people. He fights against becoming an alcoholic and a workaholic like his dad. After the crash, he wonders if he has the free will to make those changes – maybe his fate has already been pre-determined.

Relationship Status... divorced from a woman named Sarah whose spine he miraculously fixed; in fact, that’s how they met. Stress from work broke up their marriage. Now stress from the uncertainty of island life threatens a blossoming relationship with ex-con Kate. That, and the advances of a gun-toting grifter named Sawyer.

Challenge... managing his obsessive desire to fix things – spines, relationships, and his own demons. That was hard enough when Jack was back in civilization. Now that he’s trapped on an deserted island, it’s tougher than ever. He starts experiencing hallucinations of his dead father walking around the jungle. (Those are just hallucinations, right?) Jack’s fervent belief in logic and rationality is usually a great asset, but considering the very strange things transpiring on this island, maybe fellow survivor and “man of faith” John Locke might be right after all that this is a place unlike any other.

Personality... smart, intense, confident, and trustworthy. Still, Jack’s not afraid to deliver tough news with blunt honesty. His father always said his bedside manner could be improved, and like most things his father said, it both infuriated him and motivated him at the same time. Overall, the survivors of Flight 815 are fortunate Jack is among them.