Will 'Lost' star Evangeline Lilly ever contend for an Emmy Award?
Evangeline Lilly was at the center of the action in last night's episode of "Lost." This installment of the serial drama focused on the efforts of Kate to save young Ben in the far past while flashing forward to show how she saved herself and baby Aaron in the near past. Confused? That is understandable even if you are a fervent fan of "Lost." This season the show has shifted times more often than the NBC schedule.
However, that device has allowed the actors to appear in the past, present and future often in the same episode. Last night's story was titled "What Happened, Happened" and explained how Ben the good boy became Ben the bad man. As Kate turned into Ben's unlikely rescuer, Evangeline Lilly got the chance to show a softer side to her character. And her heart-wrenching scenes with Aaron were emotionally draining to watch as she said goodbye to her adopted child.
Lilly has never been nominated for an Emmy for her work on "Lost." She came close, though. She made the Top 10 lists of semi-finalists for lead actress in the second and third years of the show. In the middle of the third season, she contended for the Golden Globe, but lost to "The Closer" star Kyra Sedgwick. And while Lilly has been nominated for five consecutive years by the sci-fi centric Saturn Awards, she has yet to win there either.
Last year, Lilly didn't make the Emmys' Top 10 run-off. That could spell trouble for her this year. Under the new system, the academy has done away with the bake-off where judging panels weigh in on 10 contenders who receive the most popular votes from the academy's acting branch. However, there will be six or seven nominees in the category this year instead of the usual five. So maybe she can squeak in this time.
None of the women of "Lost" has ever managed to make it to the Emmys. And neither has leading man Matthew Fox, who was also in the Top 10 run-off for seasons two and three. However, four of the supporting actors have reaped nominations at the Emmys. Terry O'Quinn won with the second of his two nods in 2007 and Michael Emerson competed both then and last year. Naveen Andrews earned his only nom for the first season while Henry Ian Cusick scored a guest nod in the second season before joining the show as a regular.
The show itself pulled off an Emmy comeback last year and made it into the final race last year for the first time since winning the Emmy for best drama series for its first season in 2005.
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Evangeline Lilly is not the best actress on the show at all, she is not even the second best actress on the show! I have to agree with RZ entirely, "Juliet" and "Sun" are light years ahead of Evangeline Lilly when it comes to acting ability. Don't get me wrong "Kate" is a good and important part of LOST but as for an Emmy for Ms. Lilly? I'm not so sure about that. GO LOST!!
Posted by: Angel | April 10, 2009 at 10:32 AM
HELL YEAH she deserves atleast an Emmy nomination.
She portrays a very REAL, FLAWED and COMPLICATED, MULTI-FACETED character which is no doubt a real challenge to anyone (more so to someone who has never acted before) .. And she does that very well.
Her performance on "Whatever Happened, Happened" though is PHENOMENAL! She unleashed the fans emotions and moved us and made us cry and go to our children and kiss/hug them after that episode.
I know a lot of people who hated her character before this episode, but afterwards they said she did a complete 180 on them and Evangeline's performance is SPOT ON and very MOVING.
Evangeline Lilly is so UNDERRATED, I know Emmy is basically a popularity contest but COME ONE!!
Give this classy, beautiful and talented woman a chance.
Go Evangeline! Woot!
Posted by: Jessie | April 03, 2009 at 07:31 PM
I thought Evangeline Lily's performance was good this week. But to me the "Lost" actresses who have been overlooked are Elizabeth Mitchell, who balances a lot of contradictory emotions in playing Juliet, and especially Yunjin Kim (Sun). The scene where Sun sees Jin on the freighter just as it blows up was some of the best acting the show has ever had. Too bad Sun's character is "glamorous" enough for Emmy consideration.
Posted by: RZ | April 03, 2009 at 12:41 PM
Larry? Were you even watching?
Evangeline Lilly does deserve a nomination and Emmy win. For an actress who has not acted before LOST, she earns my high marks.
Posted by: Adam | April 03, 2009 at 12:03 PM
She's phenomenal in that episode.
Posted by: byc | April 03, 2009 at 06:39 AM
She doesn't deserve an Emmy. She's a good crier, but that's it. She has no idea how to portray a character.
Posted by: Rachel | April 03, 2009 at 05:47 AM
Wow! tom you did it again. I plan to start a thread regarding Lilly's phenomenal performance last night on "Lost" and here it is! Thanks Tom! Now Emmy voters, watch it! Go Evie! Go LOst!
Posted by: Josel Garlitos | April 03, 2009 at 02:18 AM
Evangeline lilly has no idea about acting. She generally overacts. I don't think she deserves a nomination. And her character sucks and she's no way a real leading female actress. That would be a disgrace to other lead actresses.
Posted by: Larry | April 03, 2009 at 12:40 AM
she deserves the Emmy she does WOW...
Posted by: Hannah | April 02, 2009 at 08:44 PM