'Ant-Man' star Evangeline Lilly announces she's 'stepping away' from Hollywood
Evangeline Lilly announced on her Instagram this week she's following a dream she had for herself back in 2006 to become a "retired actress."
The actress joined the Marvel Cinematic Universe as Hope van Dyne in 2015's "Ant-Man," reprising her role in the 2018 sequel "Ant-Man and the Wasp" and the 2023 threequel "Ant-Man and the Wasp: Quantumania," as well as the mega-hit "Avengers: Endgame" in 2019.
Lilly's video was shot back in 2006, in the heyday of "Lost." In it, she expresses her hopes for herself 10 years in the future.
"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," the actress says in the video, adding that she would also "like to have a family," "be writing" and "influencing people's lives in humanitarian ways."
Onscreen, in her post this week, Lilly placed checkmarks by phrases like "acting hiatus," "family and 2 kids," "writer" and "humanitarian work" to show she fulfilled her goals.
In the caption, she wrote, "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," she continued. "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 addition to her time on "Lost" and in the MCU, Lilly appeared as the elf Tauriel in Peter Jackson's "The Hobbit" trilogy, as well as in 2011's "Reel Steel" opposite Hugh Jackman. She also appeared in the 2009 war drama "The Hurt Locker," which took home best picture at the Oscars.
