“Person of Interest” star Michael Emerson likes to capture the wit, lightheartedness of his characters

A: Yeah, you're going to see more of the character of Grace on “Person of Interest” in a highly dramatic way. It'll be a ways off, closer to the end of this season.

Q: Thanks to Reese, Finch has acquired a pet this season. How is working with “Bear” the dog?

A: It's interesting. I really love that development as far as narrative and character goes. It's nice that there's this unlikely soft spot in Mr. Finch's life. At the same time, it's also hard work.

We have a brilliant dog. The dog that plays Bear is a national champion obedience dog and he's going to the world championships this spring, and will likely win there. He's highly trained, highly motivated and has a lot of energy, but he doesn't know acting from acting, he just knows commands.

It takes time to get him to hit the right mark, to hit the mark and to be looking in the right direction, that kind of thing. There's a lot of trickery with the placement of treats, and wherever you want the dog to look, that must be where the trainer is standing because he pays attention to the trainer at all times. There are certain logistical challenges to it, so those scenes are great, but they take time to shoot.

Q: What was your overall experience working on “Lost?”

A: It was a great adventure and it was for me, the actor, a bit like it was for the character, I think. Because there I was uprooted and plopped down in an island in the middle of the vast ocean, and I lived out this kind of fantasy life of like kids running around in the jungle with guns and playing these plots and schemes and dangers and supernatural elements. My experience, I think, was a lot like the castaways' experience, and, then, when it was over, it seemed a bit like a dream, like “Did I do that?” “Was I on that island for all those years?”

Q: How often do you still receive comments about “Lost?”

A: A lot. On the street every day. Every day I run into someone who says, “Excuse me, are you Michael Emerson? I was just wanting to say how much I liked ‘Lost.'”