Evangeline Lilly

• 1. Fort Saskatchewan Roots

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  Nicole Evangeline Lilly was born on the 3rd of August 1979 in Fort Saskatchewan, Alberta. Her mother ran a daycare center while her father taught home economics. She grew up with an older sister and a younger sister in British Columbia. The family raised her as both Baptist and Mennonite. Lilly graduated from W. J. Mouat Secondary School in Abbotsford with a 4.3 grade point average. She captained the soccer team and served as vice president of the student council. University life required her to work multiple jobs to pay for tuition. She waited tables, changed oil on big rig trucks, and flew as a flight attendant for Royal Airlines. Her academic focus eventually shifted toward international relations at the University of British Columbia.

• 2. The Girl On The Island

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  Late 2003 marked a turning point when a friend encouraged her to audition for ABC's Lost. The production maintained strict secrecy so actors could not read full scripts or know the entire premise. Only short scenes were available during auditions. Around 75 women tried out for the role of Kate Austen. Executive producer J. J. Abrams saw her tape and told his co-creator Damon Lindelof that she was the one they needed. Secrecy meant she thought the show would be mediocre at best. Her visa application faced nearly 20 rejections before finally being accepted. She arrived in Hawaii for filming just one day late. The series ran for six seasons between 2004 and 2010. Lilly appeared in 108 of 121 episodes while aged between 24 and 30 years old. Robert Bianco of USA Today praised her performance in the episode named Eggtown. Critics noted her work deserved an Emmy nomination for Outstanding Lead Actress in a Drama Series.

• 3. From Television To Film

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  In 2008, Lilly appeared in the war film The Hurt Locker directed by Kathryn Bigelow. The movie received widespread acclaim and won six Academy Awards including Best Picture. She shared the Gotham Independent Film Award for Best Ensemble Cast with her fellow actors. That same year she starred in the psychological thriller Afterwards. May 2010 brought news that motherhood was her top priority despite liking acting as a day job. She took a short hiatus from Hollywood during that period. In 2011 she played Bailey Tallet, a boxing gym owner, alongside Hugh Jackman in Real Steel. Director Shawn Levy needed someone who believed had grown up in a man's world. The film earned a nomination for Best Visual Effects at the 84th Academy Awards. Lilly turned down a role in the X-Men franchise because she was not into superhero movies at the time. Peter Jackson cast her as the Mirkwood elf Tauriel in 2012. She underwent training for swordplay, archery, and speaking the Elvish language. Her character rebelled against the established social order of the Elves.

• 4. The Wasp Enters The Franchise

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  Lilly signed a multi-film contract with Marvel Studios to play Hope van Dyne in 2015. She described her character as capable, strong, and kick-ass but also screwed up by being raised by two superheroes. The first Ant-Man film received generally positive reviews. In 2018 she donned the superhero mantle of the Wasp in Ant-Man and the Wasp. That film became the first superheroine to be a titular character in an MCU project. Critics praised her performance throughout the production. She reprised the role in Avengers: Endgame released in 2019. February 2023 saw her return as Hope van Dyne in Ant-Man and the Wasp: Quantumania. This release marked the start of Phase Five of the Marvel Cinematic Universe. She also voiced an alternate version of the Wasp in the Disney+ animated series What If...? during 2021. Her voice work appeared in the episode titled What If... Zombies?. Lilly felt the story was really brutal and sad regarding the last Jewish queen Berenice of Cilicia.

• 5. Writing Strange Outcasts

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  On set of Lost in 2006, Lilly stated she wanted to become a writer. the 18th of July 2013 marked her debut of The Squickerwonkers book series at San Diego Comic-Con. The stories centered on a young girl joining a group described as strange outcasts with very particular vices. Titan Books published the first title called The Squickerwonkers: The Prequel in 2014. Peter Jackson wrote the foreword for that initial volume. Three main titles were self-published by Quiet Cocoon Productions with Rodrigo Bastos Didier handling illustrations. Act 1 arrived in 2018 followed by Act 2 later that same year. Act 3 reached shelves in 2019. Lilly cited Roald Dahl and Edward Gorey as her literary inspirations. She used her high-profile roles to further humanitarian efforts rather than achieve stardom.

• 6. Charity And Controversy

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  Lilly has worked with various non-profit organizations such as the GO Campaign since gaining recognition. In 2009 she auctioned off custom lingerie to support Task Brasil helping lost street children in Brazil. Her 2010 charity work involved auctioning three lunches in Vancouver, Honolulu, and Los Angeles to help widows and orphans in Rwanda. She made numerous trips to Rwanda over thirteen years running an NGO there. the 20th of December 2006 saw an electrical fire destroy her house in Kailua, Hawaii while she was on set of Lost. She said losing all belongings felt almost liberating. the 16th of March 2020 brought mixed responses when she refused to self-quarantine during the COVID-19 pandemic. She posted on Instagram saying it was business as usual and valued freedom over life. On the 27th of January 2022 she participated in a march against vaccine mandates in Washington, D.C. the 18th of February 2023 found her urging Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau to meet with convoy protestors. the 30th of May 2025 resulted in facial injuries after she passed out and fell into a boulder.