 Rousseau is named after French @-@ Swiss philosopher Jean @-@ Jacques Rousseau . Although Rousseau is French , actress Mira Furlan is Croatian , which led to speculation that Rousseau is not really from France . In one of the official Lost podcasts , producer Carlton Cuse joked , " any French woman who speaks with a Croatian accent and has been living in the woods for sixteen years eating bugs ... has got some issues , and those issues need to be overcome before she can actually go and embrace Alex " . Furlan understood Rousseau 's decision to not meet her daughter , believing that no one can ever be prepared for that moment . Furlan met Raymonde for the first time just minutes before shooting their reunion scene in the season three finale . The actors believed the scene to be a " huge moment " for their characters , which Furlan described as a " basic human moment . " Furlan was glad to have " such a beautiful partner , " and noted their physical resemblance . 
