Evangeline Lilly: A Journey Through Her Stellar Career

Evangeline Lilly, actress (born August 3, 1979, in Fort Saskatchewan, Alberta), graduated from W. J. Mouat Secondary School in Abbotsford, BC, and has lived in several cities across Canada and internationally.

Evangeline Lilly became internationally famous for her role as Kate Austen on the TV series 'Lost.' Her big break came in 2004 when she was cast in this iconic role on the popular show.

In 2008, Evangeline Lilly appeared in the film 'The Hurt Locker,' directed by Kathryn Bigelow. The film received widespread acclaim and was nominated in nine categories at the 82nd Academy Awards, winning six, including Best Picture. Lilly and the cast won the Gotham Independent Film Award for Best Ensemble Cast and the Washington D.C. Area Film Critics Association Award for Best Ensemble. That same year, she also had a leading role in the psychological thriller 'Afterwards.'

In 2011, despite turning down several film offers, Evangeline Lilly took on the role of "Bailey Tallet", a boxing gym owner, in 'Real Steel' alongside Hugh Jackman.

She accepted the part after director Shawn Levy sent her the script. Levy commented that Lilly was "magnificent to look at" and needed to convey the strength and toughness of someone who had grown up in a man's world, without losing her femininity. While promoting the film, Lilly turned down a role in the 'X-Men' franchise offered by Jackman, explaining that she "wasn't into superhero movies" at the time.

In 2012, Evangeline Lilly was cast as "Tauriel", a Mirkwood elf, in Peter Jackson’s adaptation of 'The Hobbit.' This character was created by Jackson and Fran Walsh and isn’t in the original book. To prepare for the role, Lilly trained in sword fighting, archery, and speaking Elvish. She described "Tauriel" as someone who breaks the rules and challenges the Elf society. Lilly played "Tauriel" in 'The Hobbit: The Desolation of Smaug' (2013) and 'The Hobbit: The Battle of the Five Armies' (2014).

In 2015, Lilly starred as "Hope van Dyne" in "Ant-Man" and signed a multi-film contract with Marvel. The film was well-received. In 2017, she appeared in the Netflix horror film 'Little Evil.' Lilly returned as "Van Dyne" in 'Ant-Man and the Wasp' (2018), where she took on the superhero role of the Wasp, becoming the first female superhero to lead an MCU film. Her performance was praised. She also reprised her role in 'Avengers: Endgame' (2019).

In 2021, Evangeline Lilly starred in "Crisis" with Armie Hammer and Gary Oldman, directed by Nicholas Jarecki. She also appeared in "South of Heaven" with Jason Sudeikis and Mike Colter, winning Best Actress at the AFIN International Film Festival. Additionally, Lilly voiced an alternate version of the Wasp in the Disney+ animated series 'What If...?' in the episode 'What If... Zombies?!', earning positive reviews.

In February 2023, Evangeline Lilly reprised her role as "Hope van Dyne" / "Wasp" in 'Ant-Man and the Wasp: Quantumania,' the first film of Phase Five of the MCU. That same month, it was announced that Lilly would voice Berenice of Cilicia in the English version of the animated historical epic 'Legend of Destruction,' originally released in Hebrew in 2021. Lilly described the role as "really brutal and sad, but it's true," highlighting the queen's sacrifice to protect her people.

Evangeline Lilly supports various charities, including the GO Campaign. In 2009, she auctioned custom lingerie for Task Brasil, which aids street children in Brazil. In 2010, Lilly auctioned lunches in Vancouver, Honolulu, and Los Angeles to support widows and orphans in Rwanda, a country she has visited frequently for charity work. In 2012, she auctioned a Hawaiian hike to raise funds for the Sierra Club.