Best known for her work as Kate Austen on Lost, Evangeline Lily seemed poised to become the next big thing in the early 2000s.
But now, it looks as though she’s ready to leave Hollywood behind for good.
Lilly took to Instagram earlier this week to announce that she’s decided to retire from acting.
“Ten years from now, where would I like to be? I am terrified to admit this to the rest of the acting world, but ideally, 10 years from now, I’d like to be a retired actress and have a family,” Lilly said in a throwback video posted on Wednesday.
“I’d like to be writing and influencing people’s lives in humanitarian ways.”
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“I am so filled with joy and contentment today as I live out my vision. Praise God, I feel so grateful for my blessings,” Lilly explained in a caption to the clip.
“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,” she continued.
“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.”
In a statement issued to Variety, Lilly explained that she put her career on pause since she completed her last MCU project back in 2021.
“I have actually been on a hiatus from acting for the past three years already (since finishing work on Quantumania),” her statement read.
“This time outside of the business has brought me a grounding sense of fulfillment and joy,” Lilly continued.
“I could return tomorrow, two years from now or never, but at the moment I am not actively pursuing any work in the industry and am not under any contractual obligations to anybody I am devoting my time to my humanitarian work and my writing.”
In addition to her work on Lost and her role in the Ant-Man films, Lilly also played Tauriel in Peter Jackson‘s Hobbit films.
In other words, she can afford to retire at 44.
Lilly appears to be leaving the door open for a possible return, but fans probably shouldn’t hold their breath.
After all, she’s seemed pretty indifferent toward Hollywood for several years now.
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In a podcast interview from last year, Lilly revealed that she had turned down Joss Whedon‘s offer to play Wonder Woman and Hugh Jackman’s invitation to join the X-Men franchise.
So while a return to acting is certainly not out of the question, it sounds as though Evangeline is looking forward to spending time with her two kids and focusing on her other passions. We wish her all the best.
What about you, TV Fanatics? What are your favorite moments from Evangeline Lilly’s short, illustrious career? Hit the comments section to share your thoughts.
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Tyler Johnson is an Associate Editor for TV Fanatic and the other Mediavine O&O sites. In his spare time, he enjoys reading, cooking, and, of course, watching TV. You can Follow him on X and email him here at TV Fanatic.
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