As actor Matthew Fox grew up together with 'reckless' pals that mostly lost their lives before they were 16, his father made him study in Deerfield in order that he didn't follow them to die young.
- February 2, 2010
AceShowbiz - Matthew Fox was shipped off to a boarding school by his father in a bid to save his life - after 10 of his "reckless" friends died before they reached the age of 16. The "Lost" hunk grew up on an isolated ranch in Wyoming, and admits his pals' boredom pushed them to take risks - including drink driving.
As he reached the age of 16, Fox had lost 10 friends following a string of tragic accidents and suicides - and his father took the desperate step of sending him to the other side of America to ensure he didn't follow them to an early grave. He tells Britain's Live magazine, "By the time I was 16, 10 of my close friends had died. Some were suicides, some were accidents, some were just recklessness."
He adds, "There's a flip side to having so much space and freedom. I had friends who started to feel trapped by life there, and friends who were just plain crazy. Most of the deaths were caused by accidents. You'd go into town and get smashed on drinks and then drive 60 miles home down a deserted road in the pitch dark at 2am. That was a common thing to do."
He continues, "My dad saved my life. He pulled me out of Wyoming when I was 16 and sent me to a boarding school in Massachusetts called Deerfield. I think he could see I was heading in the wrong direction in life. I was this absolute rebel who smoked and drank and put my boots on the desk. I hated it but looking back it was the best thing that could have happened to me."
