Erin Bried writes: The first time I met Evangeline Lilly (that’s her in the yellow tank) was in Kauai almost two years ago for a story in the April 2005 issue. There’s one moment that always stands out to me, which, I think, sort of sums her up. We wanted to shoot by this waterfall, which was on the other side of this small but swift river. I’m standing there listening to the producer and photographer plotting the crossing for what seems like forever. Is it too deep for the cars? Should we string a rope? Is there a narrower section of the river? Then I turn around and see Evangeline (who goes by Evie, pronounced “ee-vee”) halfway across the river. She had rolled up her pants and walked straight in. The crew very sheepishly followed.
I loved her derring-do (almost as much as I love using the word derring-do), but it seems it gets her into trouble sometimes. This time around, I was interviewing her in Malibu (above), and she had a giant scar on her calf, which I, of course, asked her about. Turns out, her surfboard whacked her. Here’s what she says about learning to surf:
“I didn’t care how pitchy it was. I didn’t care how dangerous it was. I didn’t care how much coral there was. I’d just see a wave, grab my board and go in, and I always came back bloody, scraped up from coral. I ended up going to photo shoots with masses all over my calves, shins and feet.”
If Lost were Survivor, my vote would be for Evangeline. Anyway, look at those abs. You can see them from 20 feet away. They’ve got to count for something, too.
The photo below of me with Evie was taken in the house that goes with the yard up above. It had some seriously famous neighbors.
