Evangeline Lilly has stepped away from her acting career, a decision she planned for nearly two decades before a recent serious health diagnosis. The actress, famous for roles in Lost and as the Wasp in Marvel’s Ant-Man films, announced her departure from Hollywood in 2024. In early 2026, she shared that a fall in Hawaii the previous year caused a traumatic brain injury, providing a new personal context for her choice to leave the spotlight.
A Long-Planned Exit from Acting
This career change is not a sudden reaction. Lilly expressed a clear vision for her life back in 2006. In a video from that time, which she shared on Instagram in June 2024, she said, “I am terrified to admit this… but ideally, 10 years from now, I’d like to be a retired actress”. She spoke about wanting a family and a focus on writing and humanitarian work instead.
In 2024, she confirmed she was making that old vision a reality. She posted that she was “so filled with joy and contentment today as I live out my vision”. She explained her choice to leave “wealth and fame” for a more fulfilling personal path. In a statement, she noted she had already been on a break for three years since finishing Ant-Man and the Wasp: Quantumania and had no immediate plans to return to acting.
“I might return to Hollywood one day, but for now, this is where I belong,” she wrote.
A Serious Health Diagnosis and Accident
In January 2026, Lilly provided a major update on her health, linking it to an accident months earlier. She revealed that brain scans showed she has brain damage from a traumatic brain injury (TBI).
The injury happened in May 2025. Lilly fainted at a beach in Hawaii and fell face-first onto a boulder. She posted graphic photos showing severe facial cuts and a dislodged tooth. In a Substack essay at the time, she wrote, “I fainted at the beach and fell face-first into a boulder”. She explained that medical staff were more focused on finding the cause of her blackout than treating her facial wounds.
This incident was part of a lifelong health challenge. Lilly has experienced fainting and “absent” spells since childhood. Doctors once suggested hypoglycemia, but later testing did not support that diagnosis, leaving the cause unexplained.
Brain Scan Results and Recovery Journey
On January 2, 2026, Lilly shared the results of her brain scans in an emotional video. She stated that the scans showed “almost every area in my brain is functioning at a decreased capacity”.
“Verdict’s in… I do have brain damage from my tbi,” she wrote in her Instagram caption. “Comforting to know my cognitive decline isn’t just perimenopause, discomforting to know what an uphill battle it will be to try to reverse the deficiencies”.
She described the diagnosis as both validating and daunting. Her immediate plan is to work with doctors to understand the full extent of the damage and begin treatment. She admitted the recovery work ahead is intimidating, saying, “I don’t look forward to because I feel like hard work is all I do”.
Despite the difficult news, Lilly found a positive side. She said the need to recover forced her to slow down, leading to “the calmest, most restful Christmas holiday I have had, maybe since I had children”.
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Life Beyond the Hollywood Spotlight
Lilly’s life after stepping away from acting centers on her family and personal interests. She has two children with her longtime partner, Norman Kali. Their first son, Kahekili, was born in 2011, and they welcomed a second child in 2015.
Her focus has shifted to humanitarian work and writing. This aligns with her 2006 statement about wanting to influence lives in “more humanitarian ways”. She also remains connected to her fans through her personal Substack newsletter, where she shares essays and updates.
While she has stepped back, one final project may reach audiences. According to reports, she completed filming for a movie titled Happy Life before her hiatus. The film, directed by David Stassen, also stars Ike Barinholtz and Alexandra Daddario.
Lilly’s career included notable roles beyond Lost and the Marvel universe. She played the elf Tauriel in The Hobbit film trilogy. She also revealed she once turned down offers to join the X-Men franchise and to play Wonder Woman in a film that was never made.
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