At 44 years old, Evangeline Lilly has decided to conclude her film career.
Lots of people would be confident in their occupation. After all, Evangeline Lilly is a thriving Hollywood star. Through her career, she has been in films like "The Hobbit" and "Avengers: Endgame". Yet, she is now declaring the end of her acting days.
Evangeline Lilly has picked to bid farewell to the dream factory after almost 20 years of existence. The actress relayed this to her nearly 2.5 million Instagram fans. She makes this choice not out of sorrow, but with "joy and contentment", she expressed. Lilly is only 44 years of age. On top of that, she was part of two of the most successful movie series in recent cinema history: Marvel and "The Hobbit".
For making this daring move, Lilly apparently has spiritual reasons: "Letting go of what might appear to be the obvious choice (prosperity and notoriety) can sometimes be frightening, but when you sync with your dharma, fear is substituted with fulfillment," she elucidates. The term dharma comes from various Asian religions and is defined as a personal ethical code.
With an old film that she posted alongside her statement, Lilly made it known she wanted to exit acting even earlier. In a 2006 video, recorded on a beach, she is asked what she could see herself doing in ten years. Lilly's response: "I'm hesitant to share this with the larger acting community. But in the best-case scenario, I would be a retired actress in ten years."
At the moment when the clip was recorded, Evangeline Lilly's stardom in Hollywood was just beginning. Only two years prior, she had celebrated her breakthrough with the mystery series "Lost". She was a part of the show from start to end in 2010.
If she had followed her wish back then, she would have bowed out of Hollywood after the initial "Ant-Man" film in 2015. The two sequels "Ant-Man and the Wasp" (2018) and "Ant-Man and the Wasp: Quantumania" (2023) would have been done without her. She would have also missed "Avengers: Endgame" - after "Avatar", the second most profitable film in cinema history.
For now, she desires to center her focus on her family and altruistic ventures, as per Lilly. Nonetheless, she still leaves herself a tiny wiggle room. At the end of her blog post, it states: "Perhaps I will return to Hollywood one day, yet for now, I belong here. A new season is here and I am prepared ... and content."
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Despite her decision to retire from acting, Evangeline Lilly's legacy in Hollywood and the world of entertainment is undeniable, with her notable roles in Marvel films like "Avengers: Endgame" and "Ant-Man and the Wasp." Her departure from the dream factory leaves a gap in the cinematic universe, particularly in the successful Marvel and "The Hobbit" series.
Moving forward, Evangeline Lilly plans to focus on her family and charitable endeavors, while indirectly leaving the door open for a potential return to Hollywood in the future.
