  Nestor Carbonell attends the 'The Dark Knight Rises' New York Premiere at AMC Lincoln Square Theater, July 16, 2012. (WENN.COM)
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Being the mayor of Gotham City must be a tough job, what with the insane supervillain terrorists blowing up bridges, holding citizens hostage and causing untold millions of dollars in property damage while trying to kill some vigilante in a bat suit.
But it seems to have worked out well for Nestor Carbonell, who reprises his role as Gotham City mayor Anthony Garcia in The Dark Knight Rises.
"When I got that call, I was like, 'Yes, I've survived re-election!"
Carbonell, 44, says during a visit to Toronto for the film's premiere.
Multiple re-elections, apparently, since The Dark Knight Rises is set eight years after 2008's The Dark Knight.
What might happen after this final installment in director Christopher Nolan's Batman trilogy has been a subject of intense fan speculation and debate. But Carbonell, probably best known for playing the ageless Richard Alpert on Lost, is used to working with mysteries.
"I hope (Nolan) is still involved if it continues as a franchise, if not as a director then certainly as a producer," he said. "He really investigates characters in a human way, and strips the capes away. So as long as it gets into that kind of territory, I'm thrilled for the next one."
It's that yearning for "now what happens?" answers that secured Carbonell's role on Lost. Richard Alpert was initially supposed to appear in just one episode, but the more questions that were raised about the character's connection to the island, the more the producers needed him.
"The mysteries just kept adding up, so I was like, 'Keep 'em coming. The more mysteries, the longer I'm going to be around!'"
And speaking of mysteries: Yes, his eyelashes are real. And they are spectacular.
But sometimes the whole "does this guy use eyeliner or mascara or what?" speculation gets so distracting, Carbonell will have his dark eyelashes toned down with makeup for a particular role.
"We did it a little bit on Lost when it became such a talking point," he says with a laugh. "But it's all good. It's a distinguishing feature. A blessing and a curse."
