Actress Evangeline Lilly has had a sweeping Hollywood career, playing beloved characters in TV shows like “Lost” and films like “The Hobbit.”
But despite a wildly popular career, Lilly decided back in 2020 to step back from Hollywood — a decision that sparked quite a bit of media interest.
“It’s been six years now,” she said, noting the media caught on to the story after she posted a retrospective in 2024. “When I was 26, I was saying … all the things I wanted in my life … and I did it … I’m there,” she said. “I’ve already retired [by 2024 when the retrospective came out]. At that point, I’ve been retired for four years … it’s been a long time of adjusting.”
Lilly said she had no idea what the “consequences” of her decision might be, though she described moments of fear as she “let go of so much … power, influence, and potential money.” There was also the affirmation piece of the puzzle.
“When you’re successful at something, it feels really good when the world says, ‘We love you! You’re amazing!’ Like, this is a wonderful feeling,” Lilly said. “How do you walk away from that? And I’ve had moments of … gripping fear of like, ‘What am I doing?’ But, ultimately, the decision was one that was made in great conviction.
Before becoming an actress, Lilly studied political science and international relations and wanted to become a missionary, humanitarian, or diplomat.
“I wanted to make the world a better place,” she said. “And there are many people who will claim that actors are making the world a better place, that they’ve had an impact on their lives. But…I’ve always wanted a much more hands-on impact. I’ve done 22 years of hands-on humanitarian work in Rwanda.”
But Lilly said she wants to do more and wants to help people heal and find wholeness.
“I love telling stories, but I’d like to tell stories of my own instead of being in front of the camera,” she said. “I’d much prefer a quieter position. I’ve always hated being famous. I never made any secrets about that. I’ve always said being famous is the cost of the wealth that you can get as an actor. Like that’s what you pay for — the wealth.”
Now, she feels liberated and said she has stepped into a “total trust and surrender that God has a plan for my life.”
Despite mostly stepping out of Hollywood, Lilly is now lending her voice to a different type of project: “Legend of Destruction,” a film that tells the “story of the Jewish revolt against Rome, which ended with the destruction of the Temple in the year 70.”
“The film was originally made in Hebrew, and so I actually was able to see the fully completed piece before I came on board for the English version,” she told CBN News. “I didn’t understand what I was looking at. I didn’t understand what I was being invited into, but I watched the film, and within the first…three to four seconds of the film, I felt like I was just completely immersed in a way that most films don’t do for me anymore.”
What makes “Legend of Destruction” unique is that it’s made of still paintings, with Lilly, who portrays Queen Bernice, and other actors using their voices to dramatically retell the story.
“This story was so intense and beautifully told, and then also incredibly timely because it’s talking about a society divided unto itself,” Lilly said. “So a society that’s really broken and in civil strife and how that leads ultimately to mutual destruction amongst all of its people.”
Given that the film deals with the destruction of the Second Temple, many people will be interested in this unique film.
“At that time, Jerusalem was under threat from the Roman Empire. The Romans were coming to destroy the temple and to take over the city,” Lilly said. “The outcome of that could have potentially been different had the Israeli people been unified, but they were so disenchanted, they were so disenfranchised from one another, they were so divided that they were actually killing each other before the Romans ever even got a chance to arrive. It’s an incredible story. That’s what drew me in.”
The “Lost” star said the events in “Legend of Destruction” take place about 33 years after Christ’s death, meaning they are very much part of the world Jesus was born into.
As the number of voices facing big-tech censorship continues to grow, please sign up for Faithwire’s daily newsletter and download the CBN News app, developed by our parent establishment, to stay up-to-date with the latest news from a distinctly Christian perspective.