Is Evangeline Really That Bad An Actress?

[JB Sawyer]

Right, let's face it, there are those among us *cough* Abbott *cough* who are always ready to criticise Evangeline Lilly's performances. Apparently, according to alot of folk, the girl can do no right. Accusations mostly concerning "wooden performances" seem to be the most popular.

But whilst doing the Hiatus Rewatch of Season 1 and also, since learning how to download them for free, watching Season 3 episodes again, I can honestly say I can't see where these accusations are coming from In episodes such as Tabula Rasa, Confidence Man, Left Behind and others she puts in really great acting jobs; yes, not on the scale of Michael Emerson, Terry O' Quinn or Matthew Fox but surely that's to be expected.

In Season 1 she plays Kate with a very impressive showing of vulnerability, depth and hidden strength and she does so extremely well. Not once can I say she's wooden or the like.

So I do just want to ask for those who do knock Evangeline's acting to please give proof where she puts in a genuinely poor job. Coz otherwise all I can think of is people are just blaming her for her character (which has faded now) or just really don't like her

[Jen]

I think she is a good actress alot better than some anyway.

[Beach Crew]

I don't think there's anything wrong with EL's performance tbh. She often gives as much as she can, and this especially comes across in scenes with Matt Fox and Josh Holloway. Yes, upon occassion she does have a little slip up - but I don't think she's a terrible actress by any means.

Kate on the other hand.....

I'm with JB on this one, I think people mix up Kate and EL too much :P

[D-Roc]

Evi does the 'vunerable' act well, i'll give her that. It 'probably' stems from her personal life, but that's just a guess and i could be wrong (and theres nothing wrong with that cos thats part of acting).

BUt as for her being doing a great job, i have to disagree. First of all she is supposed to be the lead actress - this pains me because she cannot lead or act for toffee. Infact most of the time she looks as if she is chewing toffee - the one dimensional expressions, the struggle to produce an emotion other that beffudlement..

When you compare her to MR, the difference in calibre and range is extraordinary. People critise MR for portraying the role of AL with angst and pain - but that was what her character was about in that short period of time we had to peel back her layers. 'Kate' on the otherhand 'should' be a much more varied character..on paper she is supposed to be, but Evi just hasn't translated that to screen, imo. She's dull, boring to watch, has poor delivery and timing and lacks the capacity deserving of being a lead actress on this show.

Thats not to say she hasn't improved - i actually think she has performed better over the seasons. But then so has everyone else and so reletivity hasn't favoured her.

Furthermore i cannot think of one outstanding performance (excpt. maybe some scenes from the Hydra)..

If Evi was playing the role of Greta or even Alex, then i probably wouldn't have as many issues with her acting - but i expect more from a lead actress..alot more.

[JB Sawyer]

Originally Posted by KoR-evo

Evi does the 'vunerable' act well, i'll give her that. It 'probably' stems from her personal life, but that's just a guess and i could be wrong (and theres nothing wrong with that cos thats part of acting).

BUt as for her being doing a great job, i have to disagree. First of all she is supposed to be the lead actress - this pains me because she cannot lead or act for toffee. Infact most of the time she looks as if she is chewing toffee - the one dimensional expressions, the struggle to produce an emotion other that beffudlement..

When you compare her to MR, the difference in calibre and range is extraordinary. People critise MR for portraying the role of AL with angst and pain - but that was what her character was about in that short period of time we had to peel back her layers. 'Kate' on the otherhand 'should' be a much more varied character..on paper she is supposed to be, but Evi just hasn't translated that to screen, imo. She's dull, boring to watch, has poor delivery and timing and lacks the capacity deserving of being a lead actress on this show.

Thats not to say she hasn't improved - i actually think she has performed better over the seasons. But then so has everyone else and so reletivity hasn't favoured her.

Furthermore i cannot think of one outstanding performance (excpt. maybe some scenes from the Hydra)..

If Evi was playing the role of Greta or even Alex, then i probably wouldn't have as many issues with her acting - but i expect more from a lead actress..alot more.

I don't know about her personal life so I think I'll stay away from that part lol.

But this is what I mean KoR, to say she can't act for toffee is surely wrong (imo)? I know there are times where her delivery has let her down, for instance the "Run, run, run" in Left Behind that openly made me laugh, but I do feel she does have a good range of emotions. Alot more than just befuzzlement anyway. As we've said the aforementioned showing of vulnerability, but she's also shown defiance, love, forlorness (don't think that's a word but never mind :P), fear and pain.

I do agree with you about MR, she had AL down perfectly, but as far as the range goes, angst and pain were basically the only emotions that AL was required to show (to my recollection). Evie, imo, has shown alot of necessary emotions for her character. For me, it's just watching S1 again that I've realised she really is better than people give her credit for. Her performances in Confidence Man and also Solitary (where she got to show a lighter side to Kate and her acting) were very good, and I say that in all honesty.

I guess this may just come down to acting tastes and personal opinion, and all the best to your opinions, but for me Evangeline doesn't deserve alot of the criticism that comes her way.

[hundredand8]

Well JB, I do agree with your basic premise. People are confusing Kate with Evangeline when it comes to the criticism.

That goes for Roccos statements too.

The fact that the writers haven't written a strong female lead is a problem, this show is all about the men. The same original team did manage with Alias, even if Jennifer Garner who plays the lead in that does have quite a limited range too. Of course she does her own stunts, as does Evangeline, except Sydney had all these fight scenes, whereas Kate just gets to climb trees.

And may I just say for the record that all this slagging off of characters on the show is quite often getting too extreme, and frankly not a topic for discussion that I like to get involved in. hundredand8 out.

[Murgatroyd]

People criticise MR for using the same facial expression and intonation to convey every emotion she was obliged to convey, not for 'portraying the role of AL with angst and pain'.

And I've never thought EL a notably poor actor. There are much worse on the show.

[Matt Gogi]

I don't think she's a bad actress as such... she just isn't being used to her potential, isn't getting much in the way of action or storylines.

[Jen]

Anyway the directors or whatever obviously thought she was good otherwise she wouldn't have got the part

[*SP*]

In a word....Yes.

She really is that bad an actress.

I agree with Abbs' sentiment that she would be perfectly cast as a tree, given her wooden delivery of most of her script.

Yes, it's a well known fact that I despise the character of Kate and I can't deny this may cloud my judgement on occasion. After all, like has been said, the writers had more of a duty to create a decent leading character. But then, I never really rated Charlie as a character...apart from in 'The Moth' and then right at his bitter demise...but I always thought Dom acted his little pants off. So I don't think the two go hand in hand.

To use Murg's quote would convey how I feel about EL. I think she has one single expression to convey whatever emotion she's supposed to be carrying off at any given time. It's not dissimilar to the one Matthew Fox has employed on many an occasion and suggests being torn somewhere between 'I'm gonna cry' and 'I'm dreadfully constipated'. From the pilot, when she's using Jack's counting technique while hiding from the BS, right up to escaping the hydra with Sawyer or deciding to go back for Jack. One lonely little expression. As for the less taxing scenes...such as most of her interaction with Cassidy....it's mainly devoid of expression altogether so. This is where the wooden allegations come into play. It'd be more interesting watching paint dry.

Yes, it may seem an emotive response, lacking objective and reasoned arguements but this just my viewpoint.

Like Roco says, if she was just another minor character then fair enough, I wouldn't get so wound up by it. But crikey!!! She's supposed to be a leading lady. And is consistantly over shadowed by several actresses of a much greater calibre.

In short, she doesn't have anywhere near the talent required to lead in a show like Lost. [/i]

[Blloydy]

I really don't think she is a bad actress at all.

Considering she hadn't done much acting before Lost, she is really good and is still improving.

If she wasn't good enough, they wouldn't have picked her for the part.

[D-Roc]

Originally Posted by JB_Sawyer

I don't know about her personal life so I think I'll stay away from that part lol.

I mean the things we've heard about her in the media..the way she shuns it etc..she seems like a very private person who struggles to come to terms with her fame. Nowt wrong with that and it's actually quite refreshing.

But this is what I mean KoR, to say she can't act for toffee is surely wrong (imo)? I know there are times where her delivery has let her down, for instance the "Run, run, run" in Left Behind that openly made me laugh, but I do feel she does have a good range of emotions. Alot more than just befuzzlement anyway. As we've said the aforementioned showing of vulnerability, but she's also shown defiance, love, forlorness (don't think that's a word but never mind :P), fear and pain.

I don't think it's at all wrong for me to say she can't act for toffee, because i believe that she can't, when compared to her peers. I disagree with you re her range. I find it very limited..i take back what i said about it only being limited to befuddlement - i'd also put 'flirty' in their, cos she portrays that well.

Defiance, love etc..yes she has indeed shown all of those emotions - however her delivery of those emotions is very unbelievable and unconvincing (imo).

Have you ever watched the film 'Training Day'? Well, Evi is like Ethan Hawks character and the rest of the cast are Denzel Washington..in other words she gets owned everytime she appears in a scene with another main character. She's learning the fast way, God love her.

I do agree with you about MR, she had AL down perfectly, but as far as the range goes, angst and pain were basically the only emotions that AL was required to show (to my recollection). Evie, imo, has shown alot of necessary emotions for her character.

That's what i mean - Ana's character was written that way - angst, pain, distrust etc..whereas the character of Kate is supposed to be a much broader character in terms of expressions, emotions etc - however Evi doesn't portray the character how it is written. In other words her interpretation of 'Kate' is flawed. Good actors interpret a role and add their own unique spin on it that take it to the other level..imo Evi has done the opposite with what is in actual fact a very well 'written' character So basically i have to disagree with your view on Evi here.

For me, it's just watching S1 again that I've realised she really is better than people give her credit for. Her performances in Confidence Man and also Solitary (where she got to show a lighter side to Kate and her acting) were very good, and I say that in all honesty.

Yes, it can be easy to overlook her positive traits. She is better once you rewatch her a few times - like some wines, she can be an acquied taste. So it's yes and no from me - she's not as bad as people make out, but then there is alot of validity in alot of her knockers. Afterall, she is still the weakest link, imo.

I guess this may just come down to acting tastes and personal opinion, and all the best to your opinions, but for me Evangeline doesn't deserve alot of the criticism that comes her way.

She does cos she's there to be shot at, she's earning MILLIONS of dollarage and she is benefitting from a good life of the back of a show in which others are pulling her weight for her. Whatsmore it's not as if anyone can justifiably claim her to be a great actress - she's open to critism because she's in the business which is all about critique and reviews.

There are those who think she is a good actress and im by no means saying they shouldn't have this view, but in hollywood there are thousands (and i mean thousands) of Evi's. Heaven knows why JJ chose her..could have something to do with the fact she looks alot like a watered-down Jennifer Garner?

[D-Roc]

Originally Posted by hundredand8

Well JB, I do agree with your basic premise. People are confusing Kate with Evangeline when it comes to the criticism.

That goes for Roccos statements too.

Actually you're wrong..i'm not confusing Evi with Kate..i can easily make a distingtion between the two and i dislike Kate the character and don't rate Evi the actress..

I think it's a stretch to 'assume' that people cannot differentiate between the fictional character and the actress.

The fact that the writers haven't written a strong female lead is a problem, this show is all about the men. The same original team did manage with Alias, even if Jennifer Garner who plays the lead in that does have quite a limited range too. Of course she does her own stunts, as does Evangeline, except Sydney had all these fight scenes, whereas Kate just gets to climb trees.

Actually I have to disagree here. Ive thought about this over the months and in actual fact 'Kate' (the character) is a well (very well) developed character..in some instances she's too well developed, in that there is no mystery left. We've explored many of 'Kate's' avenues and I believe that if we had a good actress in Evi's shoes, then we'd have a much more captivating female lead. There are so few strong females leads on tv these days (though Michelle Ryan and Katee Sackhoff look set to re-write that in Bionic Woman) that JJ must've been wetting his pants at the thought of such a ballsy and gutsy woman appearing on his show - but instead of leading, she has shrunk into the shadows and seen unplanned (so to speak) characters such as Ben, Desmond and even the likes of Juliet topple her from the top of the tree.

That's not to say she can't turn it around..but there are only so many hours in a day and acting classess close at 6PM sharp

And may I just say for the record that all this slagging off of characters on the show is quite often getting too extreme, and frankly not a topic for discussion that I like to get involved in. hundredand8 out.

I take it you mean generally cos i haven't seen any extreme slagging off of any characters here. At the end of the day people are there to be shot at when they're earning millions of dollars from the entertainment trade - it's the same with footballers. Should the fans not boo when a player straight up sucks? Surely it is the right of the fans to voice their disatisfaction (within reason of course) and boo. Therefore surely, withing the context of intelligent debate it is logical to expect that not everyone is going to love Evi's acting and that there will be those who wish to voice their disatisfaction accordingly? You may not like to get involved in the essential critique of the cast of one of TV's best ever shows, but it doesn't change the fact that it happens and we must surely expect people to have enough passion for the show that they want the best for it..and imo the character of Kate has been wasted, largely due to Evi's under-performance.