Evangeline Lilly Stepping Away From Acting: “I Am Ready And I Am ...

Lost alumna Evangeline Lilly has said she is ready to leave acting — for now. In an Instagram post, Lilly wrote in part, “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.”

Lilly added, “I am so filled with joy and contentment today as I live out my vision.”

The post was accompanied by a video of the actress recorded on the set of ABC phenomenon Lost, which ran from 2004-2010. In the video (watch it below), Lilly answers a question about where she saw herself 10 years in the future. “I am terrified to admit this to the rest of the acting world,” she said at the time, “but ideally 10 years from now, I’d like to be a retired actress and I would like to have a family… and potentially… influencing people’s lives in a more humanitarian way.”  

The post also includes a clip of poet Maya Angelou reflecting on being “in process” and the inevitability of death. “If you know that’s the big bugaboo… then you may as well try to do some other wonderful things.”

Lilly commented that Angelou “perfectly” articulated how she feels about life.

Lilly most recently starred in 2023’s Ant-Man and The Wasp: Quantumania, reprising her Marvel Cinematic Universe role as Hope Van Dyne/ The Wasp. She began her career in the early 2000s and also has credits that include The Hurt Locker and The Hobbit films The Desolation of Smaug and The Battle of the Five Armies.