Magical Abilities And Skills
Luna conjuring a corporeal Patronus in the form of a hare at age fourteen
Luna was shown to be a very talented and powerful witch. At the age of fourteen, she was able to conjure a corporeal Patronus a very advanced piece of magic and proof that she possessed superior magical ability.
- “Ive never Stunned anyone except in our DA lessons. That was noisier than I thought it would be.”
- Luna after having non-verbally stunned Alecto Carrow
Luna and Harry, looking at the Thestrals. Luna Lovegood associated very well with animals
Actor Evanna Lynch On How Harry Potter Helped With Her Eating Disorder Recovery
Actor Evanna Lynch, best known for playing Luna Lovegood in the Harry Potter film series, has opened up in her new memoir about her experience of having an eating disorder and how the wizarding world played a part in her recovery.
Discussing her book, The Opposite of Butterfly Hunting, in a new interview, Evanna said that it’s “no fairytale” read.
“I wanted to write a book about eating disorders and recovery, that wasn’t triggering, that wasn’t focusing on the physical symptoms, to discuss the depths of what was going on, to not get distracted by the shocking details, all the stuff you see on the surface,” she explained to RTÉ’s Today.
Evanna added, “The message is about putting your energy and focus into your dreams over your self-destruction. To me, creativity was a way out of those problems, it gave me a vision for a life beyond that very dark time.”
Previously, during an appearance on Dancing With The Stars in 2018, Evanna recalled the time she spent in hospital while receiving treatment for anorexia. She said that at the age of 11, her eating disorder had fully consumed her and one of the only things that she found offered a form of escapism was reading the Harry Potter books.
“Anyone who’s had an eating disorder knows it completely takes over your life,” she shared candidly. “The only thing that could actually take my attention apart from that was the Harry Potter series.”
Buy Evanna Lynch’s memoir here:
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The Transformation Of Evanna Lynch From Harry Potter To Now
When the Harry Potter film franchise kicked off in 2001, it not only brought J.K. Rowling’s beloved book series to the big screen, but also introduced millions of fans to a new group of young actors. Being cast in one of the biggest and most successful movie franchises in film history is a coup for any actor, of course but for a child actor especially, it also raises a question: where does your career go from there?
One of those child actors was Evanna Lynch, who played Harry Potter’s classmate Luna Lovegood in four films. She was first introduced in Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix, in 2007, and continued appearing through Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows Part 2 in 2011.
The fan-favorite Luna Lovegood was Lynch’s first film role, and she landed it at an open audition, where she competed against more than 15,000 other hopefuls, as reported . It was a strong start to any actor’s career. If you’re wondering what Evanna Lynch has been up to since then, though, here’s your answer.
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Evanna Lynch Has Stayed Busy Since She Played Luna Lovegood
Lynch was around 20 years old when the final Harry Potter film premiered, and while she hasn’t yet found a role in another world-shattering movie franchise, she’s been working to make the transition into adult roles. She had a supporting role in the 2013 teen comedy G.B.F., for instance, and then took the starring role in the 2015 coming of age movie My Name Is Emily. She hasn’t had an onscreen television role since 2013, but she was a contestant on the 27th season of Dancing with the Stars, where she was a runner-up.
More recently, Lynch has kept active with various other projects, recording voiceover roles for Nickelodeon’s Middle School Moguls, and Rise of the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles. She regularly acts in theatrical productions in the U.S. and U.K., and she’s the host of the successful, vegan-friendly The ChickPeeps Podcast.
When she’s not acting, Lynch is an activist, focusing on animal rights and helping young girls’ improve their self-esteem and body image issues. She recently starred in the short film You Eat Other Animals?, in which she played an alien queen who’s confused by humanity’s carnivorous habits.
Making the jump from child acting to adult acting is tough for any actor, especially when they’ve already played a highly recognizable character. But Evanna Lynch is making the best of it, and we’re interested to see where she goes next.
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You Have To Fully Commit To The Madness
In 2017 and 2018, Lynch once again graced the stage. She starred in the Irish play Disco Pigs, in the role of Runt, opposite Colin Campbell in the role of Pig. The critically-acclaimed show started its run in London, then moved to the Irish Repertory Theatre in New York City. And as Lynch tells it, the show was fierce. “Until I did Disco Pigs I didn’t realise what an intense physical discipline theatre is,” she confessed in an interview with Schön! magazine. “I was constantly battered and bruised on that play.”
Even though the show was mentally and physically demanding, Lynch absolutely loved the experience, and grew from it immensely. “You just have to fully commit to the madness and let yourself feel your way through,” she continued. And even though she only got fully into the right head space during the last few months of the production, she found it “exhilarating,” and it changed how she approaches acting.
She Landed Her Dream Role But It Never Happened
Lynch has been quite busy since Harry Potter wrapped. She’s landed roles in the BBC drama Danny and the Human Zoo, the indie crime drama Dynamite: A Cautionary Tale, and guest-starred in an episode of the Sky One television show Sinbad, among others. But none of those catapulted her into mega-stardom.
Lynch did land a dream role at one point, one that had potential to be that sought-after big break. “I got a role in a film called Monster Butler recently that was pretty much a dream role,” she revealed in an interview with Glamour. Had the film been made, she would have starred in it alongside thespian heavyweight Malcolm McDowell.
But due to financing problems, the film never got off the ground, which was initially devastating for Lynch. “When ‘Monster Butler’ fell through at the last minute, I was heartbroken for a few weeks,” she shared in an interview with The Independent. But shortly thereafter, she recovered, letting the film’s failure be a learning experience for her.
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A Lot Of Pressure In First Titular Role
After many auditions for many projects, Lynch finally landed the major lead part in a film! She starred in the titular role in the independent Irish film My Name Is Emily in 2015, directed by the late Simon Fitzmaurice. It was a good fit, too, as Lynch really empathized with the character. “It was such a great part. I’ve not had that many parts where you read it and it feels like they’re words that would come out of your mouth,” she revealed to Interview magazine. “It’s just so natural.”
There was special pressure to perform, too, as the film’s director was diagnosed with ALS in 2008, and is completely paralyzed. So he wrote and directed the entire film with his eyes, using iris recognition software to communicate an intense accomplishment. “I very much had a sense of ‘I cannot mess this up, I can’t blow this. I have to give it my all every day,'” she shared in an interview with Bust magazine.
She added that working with Fitzmaurice gave her confidence, as he could not respond speedily only after the fact, in writing. So she really grew on set.
Were The Rumors About How She Landed The Role Of Luna True
There are several rumors concerning how Lynch landed the role of Luna Lovegood, according to The Irish Times. Chief among them is that J.K. Rowling spotted a sickly, ailing Lynch at a book signing, and promised her the role if she could just manage to eat something. Some also posited that Lynch herself was the inspiration for the character, rather than the other way around.
But the reality is different: Lynch actually got the part after auditioning in London against 15,000 other hopefuls according to The Independent which is kind of magical in its own right. So she didn’t benefit from her friendship with Rowling, at least when it came to casting.
Lynch really was the right person for the role, too, which is obvious to anyone who’s seen the Harry Potter films. “It wasn’t acting, it was just a beautiful opportunity to play as a character I loved so much and an exercise in channelling her spirit,” she mused in an interview with Schön! magazine. And while she says fame was difficult to cope with, playing Luna was definitely her destiny.
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Evanna Lynch Who Played Luna Lovegood In Harry Potter Has Surprised Fans With A New Role In Silent Witness
The actress first rose to stardom at just 14 when she landed the role of Luna Lovegood in Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix . She was up against 15,000 other girls for the part. And now, fans are being treated to seeing her in a new light in the BBC crime drama.
The show, which is in its 24th season, follows a team of forensic pathology experts as they investigate gritty crimes. First premiering in 1996 the award-winning show is going strong. The Louth native plays Paisley Robertson whose boyfriend Scott is currently in prison.
In her first episode, she visits Scott in prison and pleads with him to open up about his case. He had decided to appeal for parole after seeing a psychologist.
Lynch’s role is set to be an interesting one but Harry Potter fans couldn’t contain their excitement over the crossover. Lots of people took to Twitter to express their shock and delight.
Evanna Lynch Fought For Dumbledores Funeral
Another huge moment from J.K. Rowlings books that was altered for the films was Dumbledores funeral. After the Hogwarts headmaster dies in Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince, the school holds a huge burial for him, one befitting a character of such renown.
Unfortunately, the movies simply didnt have the budget for such a gathering, so they had the core characters get together and raise their wands in honor of Dumbledore.
Lynch, who wanted to see the grandiose funeral with everyone from Merpeople to centaurs in attendance, actually offered to take a pay cut to make the scene happen. Unfortunately, even that wouldnt cover the headmasters big farewell:
I even went to David Heymans office, as a fan I was like we really need, Dumbledore really needs to have a funeral. In the books he has mermaids, he has centaurs, everyone the whole Wizarding community unites and gives him a sendoff. And David Heyman was like, Its just too expensive.
Fortunately, not every big moment from the film adaptations felt as underwhelming to Lynch as this one. For example, Bill and Fleurs wedding in Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows Part 1 stood out as one of her favorite events to film, if only because she got to see Luna interact with someone just as weird as her when Xenophilius Lovegood was introduced.
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Harry Potter And The Order Of The Phoenix
Luna first appears in Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix when Harry, Ginny, and Neville join her in a compartment on the Hogwarts Express. Luna is isolated at school, but she appears to care little for what others think. She is aware of the nickname everyone gave her but it seems she unperturbed by the nickname “Loony”, by which she is widely known among the students, and is largely unfazed when her classmates tease her by regularly stealing and hiding her possessions. Nevertheless, she values her few friends.
Harry Potter Helped Lynch Through Tough Times
In 2018, Lynch competed on Dancing with the Stars with partner and professional dancer Keo Motsepe. During her time on the hit show, she revealed some heartbreaking things about her personal life, including how her connection to Harry Potter and Rowling came about before she auditioned for Luna.
During the third week, the stars had to choose “their most memorable year and perform a dance based on it,” Insider reported. Lynch explained that 2006 was an important year for her because that was the year she was cast as the lovable Luna. But before she was cast, Lynch already had a connection to Harry Potter and Rowling. Lynch explained that when she was 11 years old, she had an eating disorder, and Rowling’s series helped her through it.
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“Anyone who’s had an eating disorder knows it completely takes over your life,” Lynch said. “The only thing that could actually take my attention apart from that was the ‘Harry Potter’ series.” Lynch was already “the biggest fan” of the franchise and Luna. Eventually, Lynch said that she started exchanging letters with Rowling herself.
“I started writing to JK Rowling and she wrote back and we became pen friends after that,” Lynch said. “I was in and out of hospital and I would be getting these letters.” Lynch said that Rowling’s “books and her kindness really made me want to live again.”
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A Second Chance At Magic
GBF wasn’t the only project that Lynch worked on in 2013, according to The Irish Post. She also starred in a touring production of Houdini in England and Ireland, written by the BAFTA award-winning actor and filmmaker Stuart Brennan. Specifically, she was cast as Bess Houdini, the wife and stage assistant for Harry Houdini.
Lynch welcomed the opportunity to get to know the wife of the legendary magician through her character. ” called her his lucky charm and I think it’s so interesting to explore the minds of these people who were in the background, who were supporting these people who become our idols,” she noted in an interview with The Irish Post.
Lynch not only found the role exciting, but also the prospect of acting live on stage, which she had always wanted to do. “It’s a lot of responsibility in that you can’t change it, it’s not been edited to make you look good,” she continued. “It’s just you. It’s very pure, it’s raw.” Sounds pretty magical to us!
What Else Has Evanna Lynch Done
Alongside her animal rights activism, Evanna has also carried out fundraising work for the Multiple Sclerosis Society of Ireland and is on the Board of Advisors for the non-profit organisation The Harry Potter Alliance.
Evanna also works to promote healthy body image and self esteem in young girls due to her own struggles with anorexia nervosa.
She was in and out of rehab clinics for two years with the illness from the age of 11.
Evanna Lynch also took part in season 27 of Dancing With The Stars.
She finished third in the final with her pro dance partner Keo Motsepe.
Evanna’s Harry Potter co-star Emma Watson sent a video message to show her support.
She said: “You are in the final. I am so proud of you. I don’t know where those dancing skills came from but you are unbelievable. We are so proud of you. We love you. We are rooting for you.”
Judge Len Goodman called her last routine “the cherry on the cake” but in the end it was Bobby Bones who lifted the mirrorball trophy.
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What Harry Potter Star Evanna Lynch Did After Franchise Ended Including Dancing With The Stars
She has gone on to have a varied career in TV and film and has even written a book
Evanna Lynch played the role of Luna Lovegood for the Harry Potter film franchise and has since gone on to have a varied career.
The actress, 30, is from Ireland and joined the Harry Potter cast in the fifth film, Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix.
Evanna was cast as Ravenclaw student Luna – a friend of Harry, Ron and Hermione’s – at the age of 14 and beat over 15,000 girls in an open casting call for the role.
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In fact, Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix was her debut screen performance.
Since then, Lynch has had a varied career in the arts, from other films to theatre and TV shows.
She even came in third place in American dance competition Dancing with the Stars, the US version of Strictly Come Dancing.
After appearing in the Harry Potter series, Lynch had roles in films such as GBF and My Name Is Emily.
She starred in TV shows such as Sinbad, Rise of the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles and can also be seen in Silent Witness.
Lynch is an ambassador for J.K. Rowling’s charity Lumos, and also participates with the Multiple Sclerosis Society of Ireland.
She has also written a memoir book, The Opposite of Butterfly Hunting: The Tragedy and The Glory of Growing Up, which was published in September.
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