Evangeline Lilly, the actress best known for her iconic role as Kate Austen on the hit series “Lost,” has announced her retirement from Hollywood. In a heartfelt message to her fans, Lilly shared a circa-2006 clip of herself discussing her dreams and aspirations, marking the end of her acting career.
“Thank you @lost_theothers for digging up this (nearly twenty-year-old) footage of me speaking out my dreams under (what looks like) a full moon 🌝,” she wrote, as reported by the Daily Caller. “I am so filled with joy and contentment today as I live out my vision. Praise God, I feel so grateful for my blessings. 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. 🕊️💪🏽😊”
In the clip, the 44-year-old actress revealed her long-standing desire to retire early and devote herself to humanitarian causes. “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,” she said. “I would like to have a family and I’d like to be writing and potentially influencing people’s lives in a more humanitarian way.”
Since her breakout role on “Lost,” Lilly has dedicated significant time and effort to charitable work. She has been involved in projects around the world, including in Rwanda and the Philippines, where she worked with underage girls. Her campaign, “Just Yell Fire,” aims to teach young women self-defense techniques to protect themselves from sexual assault.
Lilly has also been vocal about her stance on vaccine mandates, especially during the filming of the 2023 Marvel movie “Ant-Man and the Wasp: Quantumania.” In an interview with Esquire, Lilly recounted her internal struggle about publicly opposing vaccine mandates. Ultimately, she decided to share her views to support Americans’ right to make their own medical decisions.
“I know the beast that I’m attacking,” she said, reflecting on the loneliness she felt in Hollywood due to her stance. “I know that I have a little pebble and there’s this f****** Goliath giant. If I shoot this pebble, it’s going to wake the giant.” Lilly, a pro-choice advocate, emphasized that her belief in bodily autonomy extends to vaccinations: “[I was] pro-choice before COVID and I am still pro-choice today.”
Lilly expressed her concerns about forced vaccinations, stating, “I believe nobody should ever be forced to inject their body with anything, against their will, under threat of violent attack, arrest or detention without trial, loss of employment, homelessness, starvation, loss of education, alienation from loved ones, ex-communication from society … under any threat whatsoever. This is not the way. This is not safe. This is not healthy. This is not love. I understand the world is in fear, but I don’t believe that answering fear with force will fix our problems.”
With her departure from acting, Lilly is poised to continue making a difference through her humanitarian efforts. Her journey serves as an inspiration, showing that true fulfillment often comes from following one’s passion and making a positive impact on the world.
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