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Lost and Ant-Man star Evangeline Lilly is stepping away from acting indefinitely.
In a new Instagram post, Lilly shared a video of her in 2006. In the video, she lists her career/life goals which include retiring in 10 years, having a family and two kids, becoming a writer, and humanitarian work. The video then shows a quick montage of her humanitarian work and an inspirational speech from Maya Angelou that captures how she feels.
“Ten years from now where would I like to be — I am terrified to admit this to the rest of the acting world, but ten years from now I'd like to be a retired actress,” Lilly says at the beginning of the video. “And I would like to have a family and I'd like to be writing. And potentially, maybe, influencing people's lives in [a] more humanitarian way. As almost everybody in the world now knows was my intention before I started the show [Lost].”
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Her farewell
In the post's caption, Lilly further elaborated on her acting retirement. While this is a goodbye for now, Lilly didn't rule out a return down the line.
“I am so filled with joy and contentment today as I live out my vision. Praise God, I feel so grateful for my blessings,” she said. “Stepping away from what seems like the obvious choice (wealth and fame) can feel scary at times, but stepping into your dharma replaces the fear with fulfillment.
“I might return to Hollywood one day, but, for now, this is where I belong. A new season has arrived, and I AM READY…and I AM HAPPY,” she concluded.
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The decision may come as a surprise or disappointment to some. However, Lilly seems perfectly content with the decision, which is all that matters. She accomplished her career and life goals and is now looking to commence a new chapter in her life.
Evangeline Lilly movies
Evangeline Lilly first gained notoriety for her role in J. J. Abrams' Lost. She played Kate Austen for six seasons and over 120 episodes. The show aired from 2004-10.
On the big screen, Lilly had her breakthrough starring in The Hurt Locker. She previously had small roles in The Lizzie McGuire Movie and Freddie vs. Jason. The Hurt Locker, however, was one of her earliest leading roles.
From there, she would star in Real Steel directed by Shawn Levy. Hugh Jackman co-starred with Lilly in the film. She would then land a role in Peter Jackson's Hobbit series, playing Tauriel in the last two entries in the trilogy.
In 2015, Lilly starred in the MCU's Ant-Man. She played Hope van Dyne, the daughter of Hank Pym (Michael Douglas) and Janet van Dyne (Michelle C+Pfeiffer). In the 2018 sequel, Lilly became the Wasp and subsequently starred in Ant-Man and the Wasp: Quantumania in 2023.
Additionally, Lilly appeared in Avengers: Endgame. She was “blipped” in Infinity War and returned during the climactic battle against Thanos. Lilly's other film credits include Little Evil, Crisis, and South of Heaven.
