Marvel star Evangeline Lilly announces retirement from acting: Here's why
The Ant-Man and the Wasp star Evangeline Lilly has declared retirement from acting. In an Instagram post on Tuesday, she disclosed her decision to step away from Hollywood indefinitely but hinted at a "possible return." Alongside her post, the 44-year-old actor also shared a 2006 video expressing her decade-long desire to "become a retired actress, starting a family, and focus on humanitarian work."
Lilly's vision: Retirement, family, and humanitarian work
In the shared video, Lilly—celebrated for her performances in ABC's Lost—envisioned her future, saying, "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 actor and have a family." She also expressed her aspiration for writing and impacting lives through humanitarian work.
'A new season has arrived, and I AM READY...'
Lilly acknowledged the challenge of leaving wealth and fame behind emphasizing, "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." Hinting at a possible return, Lilly added, "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," she concluded in her post.
Lilly confirmed a hiatus from acting; no current industry pursuits
In a separate statement to Variety, Lilly confirmed her hiatus from acting since completing Quantumania. She described this period outside of the industry as "grounding," stating, "This time outside has brought me a grounding sense of fulfillment and joy. 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."
From 'Lost' to 'Ant-Man': Lilly's career overview
Lilly's breakout role came as Kate Austen on the hit sci-fi series Lost. She then transitioned to the big screen, starring opposite Hugh Jackman in Real Steel (2011). In 2015, Lilly made a major superhero leap, joining the Marvel Cinematic Universe as Hope van Dyne in Ant-Man. She reprised her role in Ant-Man and the Wasp (2018), fought alongside Earth's mightiest heroes in Avengers: Endgame (2019), and most recently graced Ant-Man and the Wasp: Quantumania (2023).
