Evanna Lynch Takes a Break From Conventions to Push Herself as an Artist

Jan 17, 2017

Posted by: Dawn Johnson

Conventions, Films, Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows, Harry Potter and the Half Blood Prince, Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix, HP Cast, Lynch, Movies, News

Evanna Lynch took to Instagram yesterday to communicate directly with her supportive fans. She intends to take a break from attending conventions in order to leave room for other pursuits and move beyond her most famous role for awhile.

She has been known almost exclusively as Luna Lovegood for the past decade, since appearing in Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix (2007). She portrayed our favorite Ravenclaw perfectly, bringing her endearing quirkiness, quiet confidence, and unwavering loyalty and optimism to life onscreen. Lynch carried the role through the final film in the Harry Potter series and has since delighted fans with her regular attendance at conventions and events.

According to BBC Newsbeat, she most recently appeared at a convention in Paris:

 

But staying so immersed in the wizarding world has taken a toll on her confidence as an actress, and she expressed her heartfelt thoughts on the struggle in her post. She revealed that she will honor her commitment to two upcoming conventions followed by the indefinite break. She goes on to say that she’s relied too much on the safety net of the franchise, which is still going strong and shows no sign of diminishing interest among fans. Lynch said:

“I believe I need insecurity to light a fire under my scared little artist’s ass. I’m different now and need to honour that and challenge myself to create something else.”

It sounds like this is a natural progression in her growth as an actress, and she’s already well on her way to testing her abilities and pushing beyond her former boundaries. Leaky reported she stars in the new film, My Name is Emily, which opens in US theaters February 17th. It’s described as “a triumph of defiance and determination” and “a moving and poetic coming of age story.” Lynch had to overcome an aversion to water in order film key scenes. She said of the experience:

“It was like mind over matter. That kind of thing. And I love being pushed. I never want to do a job where I’m not challenged and turned into a better person.”

Her Instagram post is a way of publically cementing this career goal and embracing this creative direction. She said:

“I’m writing it down for myself to acknowledge and to remind myself to not be held back by fear of discovering my inabilities and inadequacies as an actor and human. What is there to lose anymore by being relentlessly optimistic about the future?”

Lynch seems to be doing her former character, Luna Lovegood, full justice. Luna was relentlessly positive and strong in the face of adversity. Though she’ll be missed at future conventions, she honors us all by bravely pursuing new projects in true Luna fashion. Read her full Instagram post below:  

  My ? @officialandel who is an actual fountain of joy, fun and wisdom and snarky comebacks. Thank you for keeping me spangly and reminding me why I’m here and inspiring some new intentions… I’m going to take a break from conventions after the other two I’ve committed to this year because I need to push myself as an artist more. Sometimes life gives you an easy route that dulls your appetite for chasing your dreams and you become inhibited by fear of what lays beyond comfort and safety. That for me has been living off the world I inhabited a decade ago. It’s a blessing to have a safety net and while it’s possible to maintain safety and chaos together I believe I need insecurity to light a fire under my scared little artist’s ass. I’m different now and need to honour that and challenge myself to create something else, something from the person I am today. I feel like I’m stuck in my 18 year old self artistically when I actually have a lot more to say. I’m writing it down for myself to acknowledge and to remind myself to not be held back by fear of discovering my inabilities and inadequacies as an actor and human. What is there to lose anymore by being relentlessly optimistic about the future? I have run out of excuses and want to follow my heart wholeheartedly rather than my fear… ??   A photo posted by Evanna Lynch (@msevylynch) on





The Leaky Cauldron is not associated with J.K. Rowling, Warner Bros., or any of the individuals or companies associated with producing and publishing Harry Potter books and films.