The Philippines in Lost star’s past

Followers of the multi-awarded drama series Lost (on AXN) probably don’t have any idea that one of its stars, Evangeline Lilly (who plays Kate Austen, a freed prisoner), has a Philippines in her past.

Did you know that Evangeline has lived under a grass hut in the jungles of the Philippines with a missionary group?

That was part of the adventurous nature of Evangeline who has been a volunteer for children’s projects since she was 14. She also loves such outdoor sports as ice-skating, canoeing, kayaking, snowboarding and rock-climbing. No wonder she has beautifully blended into the format of Lost.

You know what the drama series is all about: A terrible plane crash leaves 48 survivors stranded on a remote island in the South Pacific, among them a doctor, a one-hit-wonder rock star, an Iraqi military veteran, a mysterious man and the freed prisoner. In the beginning, their main goal is simply to survive. Soon, they realize that it wasn’t mere chance that brought them together, that each of them has a purpose that will help unlock the island’s secrets.

Evangeline’s character is shown in Lost climbing trees – "And that’s fine," said the athletic Evangeline, "because I really love climbing trees."

Evangeline was born in Fort Saskatchewan, Alberta, in 1979. She was discovered on the streets of Kelowna, British Columbia, by a Ford Modelling Agency talent scout. She signed up with Ford because she needed the money for her tuition and other expenses at the University of British Columbia. For additional income, she worked as a flight attendant and a waitress, and completed oil changes on big rigs while doing commercials and modeling.

Fluent in French, Evangeline founded and ran a world-development and human-rights committee in school.

Although she was voted one of the Breakout Stars of 2004 by the US magazine Entertainment Weekly and named No. 2 on Maxim magazine’s Hot 100 of 2005 list, Evangeline refused to do a partial nude scene in an early episode of Lost and it wasn’t because her boyfriend, Dominic Monaghan, is also in the cast of Lost. Monaghan starred as the hobbit Pippin in The Lord of the Rings trilogy. He and Evangeline are rumored to be engaged.

Her Ford stint was Evangeline’s springboard to showbiz. Prior to her starring role in Lost, Evangeline was an extra in the TV shows Tru Calling (2003), Dead Like Me (2003) and Smallville (2001), and in the movies White Chicks (2004), The Chronicles of Riddick (2004), Stealing Sinatra (2003) and Freddy vs. Jason (2003).

Lost won six awards at the 57th Emmy Awards last year, including Best Drama Series, Best Directing, Best Casting, Best Visual Effects, Best Music Composition and Best Single Camera Single Editing; and a Golden Globe for Best Television Drama Series. Its Season 2 premieres tonight at 10 on AXN. Watch it.

Here are excerpts from an interview with Evangeline, passed on to Funfare by AXN:

What can we expect in Lost’s second season?

"In the first half, you will get a lot of answers to a lot of your questions. The flip side of that is you also get a lot of new questions. One thing is sure: Audiences will, as usual, ask such morning-after questions as ‘What do you think?’ and ‘What’s your theory behind that one?’ There’s a lot more things to find out."

What has been the most challenging scene that you have had to perform?

"Oh, so many! One of the most memorable scenes happened in the show’s first season where Kate and her mother met in the hospital. It was difficult for me because I was never told what the story was between Kate and her mother, what their relationship was and why her mother was so terrified of Kate. I was clueless, so I found the scene truly challenging because I had to try to be emotionally connected to what was going on even if I didn’t have any idea what it was all about."

What makes Lost different from any other show?

"I think that Lost is a really heart-wrenching show. I don’t think it’s about the special effects or the stunts or the monster; it’s about the heart of people, what the relationships are between these people and who these people really are. Lost shows that element of human beings – you know, on the outside we all put out this facade and this image, we wear masks; but inside, we are all very vulnerable, we all have emotions and sores and wounds that need to be healed."

What do you think is the secret behind Lost’s worldwide success?

"Lost is a global show. The cast is international; the locations, though we shoot in Owahu (Hawaii), are international. The issues in the story spread through culture and through age ranges. We tell stories about characters that are very real and very approachable. We have a Korean, an African, a Latin American, an Arab, a British, etc. Viewers from any part of the world can easily identify with these characters."

How has the success of Lost changed your everyday life?

"Everything is not the same, except when I’m alone in my bedroom, reading a book or writing a story or painting a picture. I love the time when I’m alone. Clearly, the whole notion of being recognized in public is something that is very new to me; it takes getting used to. But I’ve been to many countries and I’ve come to terms with the reality that I’ll never be anonymous while I’m on the show."

What do you like most about your job?

"Signing fan mail. I love hearing the feedback from audiences. I’m glad to know that people are positively affected by what we’re doing on the show. I’m flattered to know that people, especially young girls, look up to me. I love the idea that what I and my co-stars are doing is more than just entertaining people."

How do you unwind on your days-off?

"Besides reading, writing and painting, I go to the beach and Hawaii is the perfect place for that. I love swimming. There are two sides of Evangeline Lilly – the quiet, bookworm side that likes to be alone and likes to just bury herself in books, art and that kind of stuff; and the real, outgoing and tomboy side that likes to get dirty and get aggressive. Both sides are so relaxing in different ways."

* * *

E-mail reactions at [email protected]