I’m one of those geeks obsessed with Lost. Unfortunately, I’m also one of those snobs who thinks that the “stars” of the show, Matthew Fox and Evangeline Lilly, are the weakest, most boring characters of the show. I adore Naveen Andrews’ character (Sayid) and wish that more screen time was devoted to Josh Holloway’s bare chest and Southern drawl.
Despite her character being a bit boring, Evangeline Lilly has always been an interesting interview. She seems very earnest and thoughtful. She doesn’t own a television, and she has admitted that she’s not interested in pop culture as a rule. She’s a Canadian who comes from a very devout Evangelical family. She’s worked as a missionary in the Philippines, and as a flight attendant before becoming an actress. In a recent interview to promote the upcoming premiere of Lost this Wednesday, Lilly admits that she’s not interested in continuing her acting career after the show is done.
“Lost” star Evangeline Lilly plans to take a break from acting once the show ends so she can finally fulfill her lifelong dream of becoming a charity worker and writer.
The 30-year-old plays Kate Austen in the hit TV drama series, which is due to wrap up in 2010.
And while Lily admits it will be difficult to put her acting career on hold, she is determined to follow up her true passions. She says, “I intend on pursuing a lot of other things in my life. I’d love to have more time to devote to hobbies…”
“Before the show I had intended to be some sort of humanitarian worker. I’ll definitely have more time to pursue more of that. Writing is my first and foremost passion – I can’t stop writing. I write all the time. So I want to try to either publish something I’ve written or sell a script or work on that.”
But the star insists she won’t retire from Hollywood altogether: “The reality is when you open a door, there is no sense in closing it – so I would never say I’ll never act again. But it’s definitely not my priority.”
[From contactmusic.com]
She’s been vocal about her desire to go back to humanitarian work before, and I applaud her. In truth, Evangeline’s not a really talented actress. She’s very pretty and wholesome-looking, and I suppose that’s enough to get her parts in the future. She’s seems very anti-Hollywood, and I doubt she would be “corrupted” if she stuck around. Evangeline strikes me as very grounded and I hope that whatever she does after Lost, she find contentment.
Here’s Evangeline Lilly with Romain Duris at the premiere of the film ‘Et Apres’ at the UGC Ambassade in Paris on January 4th. Images thanks to WENN.
I totally agree with you Kaiser – I fanatically love Lost, but I can’t stand Jack or Kate. They used to be relevant, but they both are just self-absorbed twits now. That said, I LOVE Matthew Fox and Evangeline Lilly. Both classy people. I wish her the best.
She should really get out of the show business. I’ve seen the first season of Lost, and I couldn’t bare to borrow the second – she is just terrible. Really terrible. No subtly or sub-text to speak of, just laborious.
Let’s all hope she won’t be pursuing a rap career…
Bye
No more late night phone sex commercials?
I love Lost and, while Jack and Kate aren’t my favorite characters, I don’t understand the loathing many Lost fans feel for them. I’ve always had a soft spot for Kate for some reason.
I also have those pants she is wearing… nice to she she shops at Express.
When actors say they are going to give it up, they generally don’t. Didn’t Kevin Spacey say this a few years ago and how many movies has he been in since?
So, Lilly said it and it’s in the tabloids. Lost starts back in a week. Publicity?
David Schwimmer once said that after Friends, he’d give up acting to become a teacher. Still acting. (I wouldn’t actually expect him to be a teacher; his career on Friends would be too much of a distraction–for the parents, if not for the kids. But he hasn’t given up acting for anything at all.)
I actually don’t have anything against Evangeline Lilly herself. She seems perfectly nice. But I don’t think she’s a good actress, and I don’t find her character interesting or compelling, which makes it hard to buy the love triangle on Lost.
I love Lost and while I love the characters of Kate and Jack, something happened after the first few seasons and now Jack and Kate are somewhat annoying. I’ve become more fascinated by Ben because you honestly have no idea what that baddie is up to! So devious! So yeah I agree the other characters are more interesting.
I’d really like to see this movie though. I read the book it was based off of and I have seen posters of it EVERYWHERE in France.
I totally agree that Lily is not the most talented actor on the show and is just sort of coasting on her looks, but I still think Mathew Fox has charisma, even if his character is a whiny, needy twit. The true stars of the show are Hurley, Sayid, Ben, Sawyer, Sun and Desmond. I never for one second could buy the idea that Kate was supposed to be a dangerous criminal on the run and somehow has advanced “tracking” skills. Every time she is shown using her “tracking skills,” I laugh at how ridiculous she looks. It’s one of the only times I’m pulled out of my suspension of disbelief.
Acting abilities, mediocre – But damn if I don’t cheer for her wholesomeness, crooked teeth and all. I for one am sick and tired of the pole dancers they shove down our throats in every other tv venue, the reality shows are the worst, so I’m done with those. Honestly, how much fake boobage and trailer trash personas can one person suffer before they want to throw their tv out the door?? Stop with the dumbing down of America already.
Hurley is one of the characters that is most interesting to me, I love his screen time. More Hurley and Josh interaction please.
But Ben plays his part to a T. He is a fascinating character study.
Sayid – I wish they would let his character let loose, this guy has a lot to say yet and I don’t understand why he is being held in check so much.
But as far as the original cast, John has been the stand out actor for me and his eyes are captivating.
So as long as this foursome is still going, I’m good with it. My caveat however, we HAVE to record the show so that we can watch it and edit the MANY lengthy commercials. It is beyond annoying otherwise.
Well she was obviously interested in getting into acting before LOST (and am not sure what her religion would say about it), but you can google her name and “phone” and up pops the Livelinks ads she did.
I also think this statement is a publicity stunt for the LOST season premiere this week.
And I wish we would see much more of Sayid and Sawyer – HOT!!
I’ll meet her half-way and she can quit now.
I love the show too. Evangeline Lilly has always seemed like such a sweetheart off camera. I’ve felt that in the last few seasons the writers are trying to draw out the tension between Jack and Kate and that this has led to the demise of their characters as individuals. The ‘love lives’ they have been given take complicated their individual story lines and taken away from the story they could have had as just characters.
Because it makes you frustrated (well it makes me frustrated) you start to not empathise with the characters as much.
Love Jack, Sawyer, Juliet and Penny; like Kate; Locke and Sayid bore me; Sun is becoming a bitch; Charlotte is a useless character; Desmond and Daniel are intriguing; Hurley is always cool.
Ya, Sun is becoming a bitch, but I think she’s got good reason to be pissed. At least you can say she’s moving away from being a victim and she’s taking control of her life. I probably like the actress more, who plays her.
Bye! Good
Like anything else, I guess you try something, and find you don’t enjoy it. Sure nice to have the choice. She’s beautiful, and young. If she’s not into the “fame”, I get it. But how you give up that kind of money? I’m sure that’s what keeps lot of actors being actors.
Whoever heard of her before Lost? She has done nothing but whine and complain about the invasion of her privacy since she started working on this show. Why wait til 2010? Go now if fame, fortune and what goes along with it is so bad.
aw, say it ain’t so! and miss her chance at an Oscar??? perish the thought (dripping with sarcasm here…)
She only did humanitarian for the opportunity to travel a few weeks in Philippines. At the exception of charity events organized by the ABC/Lost production where the cast was asked to be present, I never heard about herself giving her time for someone else than herself. She had the “big name” and the time to do so, but it’s been five years now and she never grabbed the opportunity.
And more acting ? let her a couple of years and nobody will remember she never existed.
I don’t think she’s a bad actress, but I do think Sawyer, Sayid, even Hurley are much more interesting characters–agreed–than Jack or Kate.
She’s a terrible actress so it won’t be a big loss.
In general I think Lost has generally gotten it right with its actors/characters – and has even managed to hit it out of the park with some portrayals.
Evangeline Lilly, on the other hand, is a straight up bad actress and it stands out even more when she is in scenes with great actors. If she wants to quit, then she should go right ahead, noone will miss her. I wish her well.
I think she did some missions work in Africa too, and that’s since she’s been on the show.
I don’t think she’s a bad actress at all. She’s not really been given a lot to do in the last couple of seasons though.
I understand her needing a break from the career to do humanitarian work. I’m a Christian in the industry and I find that a lot of the projects that I work on frustrate me because up until now, I haven’t been involved with the story. Often, we end up being a cog in a wheel, and when the wheel doesn’t have any real soul to it, we feel like something is missing. Her humanitarian work is far more fulfilling, I’m sure. I don’t fault her for wanting to spend more time doing that in the least.
I wrestle with the successes (and excesses) that I’ve had because in the end, it’s only entertainment – it rarely affects real meaning in people’s lives. I’d much rather be working on projects that aren’t simply hollow entertainment. They don’t have to be heavy handed or preachy, they just have to have some soul in them. Honest and honorable. That to me, is fulfilling.
Sometimes, when you’ve been blessed and the money is already in the bank, you feel you have to justify your good fortune with God’s work.
Good for you Evangeline. Follow your heart. I’ll be sad to see you leave acting for a while, but happy to see you doing God’s work.
Thank God! Let’s hope she can write and save the world better than she can act.
I don’t know where the negative judging of Evangeline’s ability to act is coming from except I suppose it’s all in the eye and experience of the beholder but at NO TIME did I ever think she was anything but a very fine actress for having just started out. And she only got better as time went on. I mean seriously, her character has been about as diversified (criminal background, bad childhood, plane crash survivor etc etc and she brought it) and she’s pulled it off fabulously! One of the best scenes and displays of her talent is when her and SAWYER are in cages and The OTHERS are about to KILL him and she’s screaming and crying and the tears are REAL – you believed she was terrified for him. Then later, the HOT lovemaking scene between her and HOLLOWAY. THE WOMAN CAN ACT, NO DOUBT ABOUT IT. Terry O’Quinn a veteren and fine actor bored me in this character except at times. Claire was very boring, Matt Shepards character had moments of great acting when emotions were high. Juliet…good grief she was so boring. So I’m not getting how anyone can say that Evangeline Lilly’s character was boring or that she can’t act. Naveen Andrews as Sayid I agree with you about – great actor, intense, loved everybit of him onscreen!
Yeah, she is a terrible actor. There were constant, nervous tears in her eyes throughout the first and second season. She just didn’t look comfortable acting at all.
I hope she has fun doing something else.