Lilly, Lost and found
In the November issue of SELF, Evangeline Lilly talks about how she almost decided to quit her role on
Lost—and what made her decide to stay after all. In this exclusive excerpt from her SELF interview, find out how she gets ready in the morning, get the lowdown on her roommates and discover what she learned from costar Matthew Fox. Plus, go behind the scenes at the cover shoot in our blog,
SELF Celeb Scoop.
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On her morning routine
I just get out of bed, put some bronzer on, and if my hair looks too tidy, I mess it up a bit. I really don't have to do anything. We're on a deserted island, we're not supposed to be wearing makeup or have our hair done!
On working in the sun
At first it was terrifying because we filmed the entire pilot on the beach at peak heat times. Ian Somerhalder [who plays Boone] and I had these conversations about our skin and kept saying, "Our skin is aging by the day." We would wear sunscreen, but it was still terrifying. Now, since there has been so much jungle and hatch work, you barely see Kate on the beach. Now I spend most of my time bothering with self-tanner because I think I look too white to be on a deserted island.
On Hawaii beauty tricks
Just minimize everything. If you put products in your hair here, it's not going to do any good because the humidity is going to do its own thing, so you just have to go natural. If you put on makeup, it'll melt in 10 minutes, so there's really no point. I've really had to embrace the natural thing, which is fine, but I do miss putting on a nice suit, some stilettos, and taking the time to do my hair so that it's just so....
On her roommates
My stability and my santity come from my roommates. I have friends outside of the show, thank God. They are like my sisters and are such amazing women. We can be in the same room for five days straight and barely talk to each other and be OK with that. But the next day we will be like best friends, laughing, talking and hanging out until five in the morning. They really help me deal with things like the paparazzi. They get so angry over [how I'm hounded]—I mean angry to the point where I'm afraid they are going to go out with a broom one day!
On hanging with her costars
There is this illusion that we all have become this band of brothers and that we all live, and breathe and hang out together. We love each other and we respect each other, but we don't necessarily hang out every week. I have incredible coworkers. I know that Maggie Grace [Shannon] and Ian Somerhalder stayed in contact even after they were off the show. I look around and wonder, "Who are going to be those people for me?"
On Matthew Fox
Matthew Fox was really pivotal for me at the beginning. I have a hard time when people tell me what to do and when people assume I don't know things. I am kind of headstrong and have pride issues. He was really gentle about his way of leading me, it was always very subtle and well-intentioned. If he was ever able to guide me, it was usually done by example or it was situational, or it was him protecting me when I didn't even realize what he was doing. I learned from him that you should bare yourself in front of the camera and in front of your fellow actors. I learned about the absolute trust you must have with your fellow actors. Matthew completely opened up for me as soon as they called action.
On her food obsession
What other people would regard as my good eating habit is actually a terrible addiction. I'm obsessed with dried organic mangoes. They're so bloody good, but they are so terrible to eat in large quantities. I just can't stop myself!
On how she stays healthy
I would say sleep is my number-one health tip. I don't usually like to take naps or go to bed early, but I'm training myself to do that. I sleep eight hours a night. Water is up there, too; it's at like 1.5 on the list, not even number 2.
On being a surfing daredevil
I was going into waves that even my girlfriends, who'd been surfing for 10 years, wouldn't go into alone. I would just see a wave, grab my board and come back bloody and scraped up from coral. I ended up going to photo shoots with scratches all over my calves and shins and feet!
On how exercise has become part of her everyday life
I live in a small town, so I walk or ride my bike everywhere. I used to be more of the type of person who separated exercise from my lifestyle. Now, if I don't have to drive my car, I never will.
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