When Brittany Perrineau saw the devastation that Hurricane Katrina wreaked on Louisiana and Mississippi, she recalled not just the destruction of her old Manhattan neighborhood in the 9/11 attacks but the response that immediately followed.

"The Red Cross was the first on the scene," says Perrineau, wife of "Lost" cast member Harold Perrineau (Michael). "They were there before FEMA. They were the ones on hand who assessed the damage and helped people get to safety."

Brittany Perrineau, a model and actress, was the driving force behind tomorrow's special appearance by "Lost" cast members to raise funds for the American Red Cross.

Actors Matthew Fox, Evangeline Lilly, Dominic Monaghan, Jorge Garcia, Maggie Grace, Daniel Dae Kim, Yunjin Kim, Terry O'Quinn, Michelle Rodriguez, Adewale Akinnuoye-Agbaje and Harold Perrineau will be on hand to sign autographs and take photos at the Tapa Bar area of the Hilton Hawaiian Village Beach Resort & Spa from noon to 2 p.m. (Line forms at 11 a.m.)

Cast photos will be available for the first 1,000 people.

The American Red Cross will be on hand to accept cash, check and credit card donations. (Food and clothing donations cannot be accepted because it is too costly to transport them to the hurricane victims.)

The top donor will receive a basket with designer gifts. The top 10 donors will also receive a copy of Dr. Seuss' "Oh, the Places You'll Go!" signed by the "Lost" cast.

"I really wanted to go and do something, but none of us had any real skills," said Harold Perrineau, whose grandparents were originally from Louisiana. "What we could do was bring as much attention as possible to the people who need it and to support an organization that could actually be of help."

The Perrineaus' former home in New York was located in the "red zone" near Ground Zero. The school their daughter, Aurora, attended became a staging ground for the Red Cross.

"We are a 9/11 family," Brittany Perrineau said. "And I remember what the Red Cross did for us."

Action!

Former Hawai'i resident The Rock (Dwayne Johnson) is filming the futuristic thriller "Southland Tales" in Los Angeles.

Rock plays an action star stricken with amnesia as L.A. teeters on the brink of social, economic and environmental collapse on Independence Day 2008. The film is directed by Richard Kelley ("Donnie Darko") and also features Sarah Michelle Gellar ("Buffy the Vampire Slayer") and Rock's co-star from "The Rundown," Seann William Scott.

Former University of Hawai'i football player Tanoai Reed (Rock's longtime stunt double) is serving as stunt coordinator. Local performers Darin Fujimori and Boni Yanagisawa also contribute stunt work.

After finishing up with "Southland Tales," Fujimori rushed off to Iceland to work on the new Clint Eastwood project, "Flags of Our Fathers."

THUMBS UP FOR 'DOWN'

Threatening skies weren't enough to dampen enthusiasm for Hawaii Film Partners' new TV series, "Flight 29 Down," at last weekend's world premiere at Sunset on the Beach.

Starting Oct. 1, the series airs Saturdays on the Discovery Kids block on NBC, but Hawai'i residents were treated to a sneak preview of the first two half-hour episodes at Saturday's event, which also featured musical performances by Hapa and "Flight 29 Down" cast member Tani Lynn Fujimoto.

"I was surprised," said Diamond Head resident Ann Larson, who nearly left when she was drenched by a short downpour just before the screening. "Even though it was a low-budget production, it came out really, really well. I'm really proud that this came from Hawai'i."

Kapahulu resident David Sua, who came with his daughters Lia, Jaycelle and Laycie, was also impressed.

"My girls never say nothing during the whole thing," he said, laughing. "Must be good, right?"

Producers are awaiting confirmation from Discovery Kids about a second season. Meanwhile, the show's international distributor is preparing to market the first season overseas.

Hawaii Film Partners co-founder Gina Watumull said British and French markets are already interested.

WILD ABOUT HARRY

Producer Harry Bring was back in town last weekend to take in the USC-UH football massacre at Aloha Stadium.

Bring, one of the producers on last season's ill-fated "North Shore," is producing the new Fox drama "Head Cases."

On Sunday, Bring hosted an informal "North Shore" reunion at Gordon Biersch at the Aloha Tower Marketplace, where his old Hawai'i pals and crew were given an exclusive peek at the new red-and-yellow "SC" tattoo on his right calf.

"When I die," Bring said, "I want an open casket and I want to be wearing shorts so everyone can see this."

Local director Matt Locey chatted about a new screenplay he's working on, based on his real-life compatriots at the South Seas Cinema Society. Locey has many more details to share with interested investors.

Reach Michael Tsai at mtsai@honoluluadvertiser.com.