Matthew Fox. Photo courtesy of ABC.

Dear Mr.  Fox: First off, congratulations to you and the rest of the “Lost” cast and crew for making six seasons of a drama that will leave the TV landscape noticeably poorer when it ends. Not every actor can say he was part of such a revolutionary experience.

Now that we’ve gotten that out of the way, can we talk about this “I’m done with TV” business?

Granted, any person can understand your desire to take a break from the TV industry. The production schedule is  grueling.  The publicity merry-go-round, probably quite draining. We know you appreciate your fans,  but you seem like a guy who dreams of the day he can peacefully enjoy a meal at a diner somewhere in Oregon.  We’d want to pull out of the Hollywood scene too if we were as famous as you are.

But publicly declaring that you’re done with TV and ready to try films? Please. One would think you would have learned from the walking lesson in hubris that is David Caruso.

Here’s the thing, Matt: We get the sense that the movie cameras won’t appreciate you in the same loving way that the small screen does. Your career was born on TV and, provided you want to stay in the entertainment industry after this, you will likely hear the boob tube jungle calling to you once more someday.  When that happens you should turn to your loved ones, tears in your red-rimmed eyes and yell,  “I gotta go baaaack!”

Of course, this all depends on what you mean by trying films.

Are you hoping to become the next George Clooney or Bruce Willis? Nope. Not going to happen overnight. Might not ever happen. Keep reading for a few reasons why:

We have yet to see that certain je ne sais quoi in you. All Hollywood’s children are especially lovely one-of-a-kind snowflakes, but there’s a reason Clooney and his kind sparkle more than others: There’s a bubbly layer of mystery and mischief present in almost everything he does, even his most serious roles. That’s why he can easily transition between playing a haggard CIA operative in “Syriana” and smooth criminal Danny Ocean (“Ocean’s Thirteen”), and throw in a stint in his goofy misfire “Leatherheads” for good measure.  That’s also why women of all ages still swoon at the sight of him.

You haven’t used your TV spotlight to carve out a character territory that is uniquely yours. Before Bruce Willis was an action star,  he was a multifaceted man-of-action – and  a very funny one at that – as David Addison, Jr. on “Moonlighting.”  Willis’s detective could have remained a one-dimensional, wise-cracking meathead, and the actor could have allowed producer Glenn Gordon Caron’s writing to carry him. Instead, Willis made the most out of the dramedy’s soft, serious moments and ran off with the laughs as well.

Contrast that, Mr. Fox, with your two biggest roles: Charlie from “Party of Five,” and “Lost’s” Jack.  They aren’t terribly different (although we have to say, you really nailed conveying Jack’s plight in last night’s “Lost” premiere). Granted, those roles also made you perfect material for  “We Are Marshall,” but a string of films like that won’t set your career on fire.  If they could, you’d be smelling the smoke right now…bringing us to our next point…

If you were huge movie star material, you would have starred in a huge movie by now. Clooney stuck with “ER” until the reviews were in and box office receipts counted for “Out of Sight.”  Mere months after his last episode came “Three Kings”…and he was off. Willis hit the jackpot slightly earlier, snagging the lead in a little flick called “Die Hard” a full year prior to “Moonlighting’s” cancellation. Mind you, it’s certainly possible to transition into a successful film career without having starred in a blockbuster movie.  I mean , look at Mr. Caruso. Oh, wait…

Do not lose hope, Matt, because there’s always a place for you in the indie kingdom.  If we were your managers,  here’s what we’d be telling you to do right now.

Hook up with edgy directors who can create a challenging role tailor-made for you. Try Paul Thomas Anderson, Quentin Tarantino, or Guy Ritchie – somebody who sees shades in you that TV audiences have not.   Even David O. Russell could bring out some unexpected colors. You might end up wanting to punch him, but give him a call!

Go local. Call us biased, but the Northwest has a thriving film scene that could use a well-known face to bring it back to the pop cultural fore. Call up Gus Van Sant! We’ve always thought “Gerry” needed a sequel.

No More Mr. Nice Guy. Impose a ban on doctors, football coaches, or thoughtful big brothers.  Enough with the heroes, already.  You already showed that you can play the part of the burnout with nothing to lose very effectively so…go bad, Matthew.   We mean crazed-killer-cracked-out-soldier-turned-mercenary-abusive-pervert bad.  And try to throw a sense of humor in there along the way.

Play up your strengths.  According to our trivia, you’ve been horseback riding since you were six years old. Why haven’t we seen you on a horse?  Surely there’s a Larry McMurtry story out there what needs updatin’, and heaven knows you have the stubble for it.

Pick up an accent. The All-American guy act will only take you so far.  Want us to take you seriously? Get a coach and master a Slavic accent or a heavy brogue. Then revisit our third suggestion.

Make no mistake, Matt, we’re pulling for you, and we’re sure you’ll make plenty of films. We’re just betting they’ll be for arthouses — or HBO, Showtime, AMC or Lifetime.  Here’s hoping that you embrace those TV opportunities when they present themselves.

Otherwise, see you in CBS’s 2015 fall lineup.

IMDb Editor Michelle Bryant contributed to this report.

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