Evangeline Lilly is becoming a prominent name on the Hollywood scene. Her array of roles has spanned from her breakout in the widely acclaimed TV series LOST to the Academy Award winning THE HURT LOCKER.
Last year, Lilly starred alongside Hugh Jackman in the robot-boxing family film REAL STEEL, a massive blockbuster that earned nearly $300 million worldwide and just yesterday received an Oscar nomination for its visual effects.
But what is really making noise is her upcoming role as a kickass warrior elf in THE HOBBIT. In an interview with Entertainment Weekly, Lilly talks about her inspiration to join in the making of last year’s hit REAL STEEL and shares her experiences of the highly anticipated film THE HOBBIT.
ENTERTAINMENT WEEKLY: What was it about REAL STEEL that attracted you to the project?
EVANGELINE LILLY: When I first read the script, I read it because after I saw the gorgeous Darren Aronofsky film THE FOUNTAIN, I said, ‘I would love the opportunity to work with Hugh Jackman.’ His performance in that film was flawless. So I got the script for REAL STEEL. I started reading and saw that it was about robot boxing, and I was immediately turned off. It’s not my thing. But I continued on, and by the time I got to the end of the script, I had chicken skin and tears in my eyes. I thought, ‘Man, we don’t make movies like this anymore.’ It’s just innocent and unjaded and uncynical. It reminded me of the movies I would watch when I was a kid, like E.T. and ROCKY. Another thing, which I probably shouldn’t admit, is that after working six years in a row on LOST, I was not looking for a major commitment. REAL STEEL was this lovely little piece where I held a cup of coffee and talked to Hugh Jackman for three weeks. And that sounded kind of nice.
It is a movie that sneaks up on you — you go into it thinking it might be like TRANSFORMERS, and it ends up being something else entirely.
I think, unfortunately, the marketing of the film did it a disservice because it was kind of marketed like TRANSFORMERS, and it’s really not that movie. Even though it did quite well at the box office, I think it would have done even better if it had been marketed for what it is. Every family I talked to — and adults who don’t have kids and aren’t necessarily interested in big explosions and action films — was so pleasantly surprised by this film.
REAL STEEL 2 is reportedly in development. Have you heard much about that?
I’ve heard whispers, but I don’t have any confirmation one way or another if it’s happening. All I know is that if it does happen, then it probably won’t happen immediately. I think Hugh and [director] Shawn Levy have other commitments. Shawn did tell me that if there is a sequel, my character, Bailey, will be featured a lot more than she was in the first film. To most actors, that would be music to their ears, but I enjoy doing small, little roles with great actors who get to carry the film.
Speaking of small and little, I’d be remiss not to bring up THE HOBBIT. You’re playing a new character named Tauriel, who’s a Mirkwood elf, and that would lead me to believe that she is a warrior of some kind. Did you have to learn archery and swordplay?
Yes, she is a warrior. She’s actually the head of the Elven guard. She’s the big shot in the army. So she knows how to wield any weapon, but the primary weapons that she uses are a bow and arrow and two daggers. And she’s lethal and deadly. You definitely wouldn’t want to be caught in a dark alley next to Tauriel.
So then Tauriel must be involved with the dwarves being captured…
I think basically what you’re asking is if she’s in the film very much. She’s not in the first film very much. She comes into the first film near the end, and has a very small part to play. Her role in the second film is much more involved. Although, I have to say, when I first read the scripts and took the job, she had a lot less going on in the second film. I think the role is becoming a bit more demanding than I had expected it to be. There’s a lot more for me to do now, which is a lot of fun, but it’s a little more pressure.
How many months have you been there already?
On and off for the past six months. It’s a two-year shoot in total for both films, and my contract had me blocked off for about a year. I come in and out of New Zealand throughout that year.
How has the experience of shooting in New Zealand compared to the multiple years you spent in Hawaii on LOST?
In some ways, it feels really familiar. I’m from Canada, and New Zealand feels like you took all the best bits of Canada and squished them onto a tiny island like Hawaii. I was absolutely blown away by the beauty of the South Island. I seem to be landing really great locations on a lot of my work. I hope that continues, knock on wood.
Source: Entertainment Weekly
