Evanna Lynch is an Irish actress best known for her work in Harry Potter, who landed the role of Luna Lovegood without having any acting experience. While she followed up the part with several appearances in television and film, the actress focuses on her cruelty-free beauty business and is an advocate for living a vegan lifestyle.
Background Info
Evanna Lynch was born on August 16, 1991, in Termonfeckin, Ireland, to Marguerite and Donal Lynch and has two sisters and one brother. The actress is also the niece of Declan Kiberd, a professor at the University and Notre Dame and a distinguished scholar of Irish Literature. The actress attended Cartown National School before moving to Our Lady’s College in Drogheda in 2004, north of Dublin.
In addition, she attended a summer school for gifted students at the Centre for the Talented Youth of Ireland. The actress was a fan of Harry Potter from a young age and would send letters to its author, J.K. Rowling. In her letters, she mentioned how she suffered from anorexia at the age of 11 and the Harry Potter books made her want to live again.
While on the set of Harry Potter, she received tutoring for three hours a day, as she was only a teenager at the time.
Acting Career
The actress had no professional acting experience when she auditioned for Harry Potter and only had a few school plays to her credit. However, after impressing producers, she would land the role that would change her life.
Harry Potter
Following her love of Harry Potter, Lynch attended an open casting call for Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix with 15,000 other girls. At the age of 14, she screen-tested alongside the movie’s star, Daniel Radcliffe, and landed the role of Luna Lovegood.
While 2007 would launch her career in the movie franchise, she continued to reprise her role in Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince (2009), Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallow-Part 1 (2010), and Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows – Part 2 (2011).
Lynch received positive acclaim for her role as Luna Lovegood, and fans thought the actress performed well as the character, although some wish she had been given a better script.
The actress was nominated for a Young Artist Award and a Scream Award in the Best Supporting Actress category and won the Scream Award for her performance in Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince.
She also lent her voice to Luna Lovegood in several Harry Potter video games, including Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix and Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince.
In 2022, Lynch appeared in the television special, Harry Potter 20th Anniversary: Return to Hogwarts that aired on HBO Max and marked the 20th anniversary of the first installment of the series, Harry Potter and the Philosopher’s Stone.
What did she do after Harry Potter?
The actress was open about thinking she would have great success after appearing in the Harry Potter films. She said she thought she would be “set for life” but found it difficult to find future roles after starring in the hit fantasy film series. She also said she didn’t realize how hard it would be to go from a superfan of the book series to starring in its films.
While she didn’t see the success she had hoped for, she did appear in additional films and added stage performances, including Disco Pigs and Games for Lovers, to her resume. The actress told Backstage.com that theater had made her a better actress due to increased discipline.
She appeared in the following films: GFB (2013), My Name is Emily (2015), and Madness in the Method (2019). In 2018, the actress appeared on the ABC television show Dancing with the Stars and came in third place with her professional dancing partner, Keo Motsepe.
What is Evanna Lynch doing now?
Evanna has not let off the gas pedal since Harry Potter ended and has been very active acting, writing, starting her own business and podcasting, among other things.
Acting
Evanna is still very active in the movie industry. In 2021, she acted in two episodes of the television series Silent Witness, as well as appearing in the comedic short, You Eat Other Animals? In 2022, she appeared in the shorts Bus Girl and Sandwich Man.
Book Author
After battling anorexia, Lynch works to promote healthy body image and self-esteem in young girls, and she published a book titled “The Opposite of Butterfly Hunting: The Tragedy and Glory of Growing Up – A Memoir.” The book details her recovery from the disease, and she also discusses her time in Harry Potter.
The book has received positive reviews, with many applauding her honesty, finding the actress a talented writer, and hoping she chooses to write additional books.
Kinder Beauty Co-Founder
Lynch is also a vegan activist and co-founder, along with Daniella Monet, of a cruelty-free beauty subscription box, Kinder Beauty. The actress uses her company to raise awareness about animal cruelty, and users can enjoy receiving subscription boxes with skincare, hair care, makeup, and various accessories.
Each subscription box contains products from clean and ethical beauty brands, with most including three full-sized products and an array of travel-sized items. In addition, a portion of the sales goes to various animal rights and environmental causes.
Podcast Host
The actress also hosted a podcast, The Chick Peeps, which centered around her vegan lifestyle. The podcast launched in 2017, and she co-hosts with three others, including her Harry Potter co-star, Robbie Jarvis; however, there have been no new episodes since March 2021.
In 2022, Lynch launched a new podcast with author Dr. Melanie Joy titled Just Beings, which explores unjust behaviors and the psychology behind those actions. The hosts interview various guests, including psychologists, environmental advocates, and others involved in social change.
Charity Work
Lynch has participated with the Multiple Sclerosis Society of Ireland and started a fundraiser in 2010 called MS Readathon. In addition, the actress serves on the Harry Potter Alliance (HPA) board of advisors and supports same-sex marriage through the HPA in Maine.
In 2016, the actress and Bonnie Wright, her Harry Potter co-star, traveled to Haiti to meet with children and families in orphanages and understand more about the living conditions they had been through.
Social Media
The actress stays active on Instagram and often posts to her four million followers, which shows she doesn’t have to star in a blockbuster hit to have a large following. Lynch appears at various conventions, like Comic Con, with her latest in July 2022.
Personal Life
(Robbie Jarvis and Evanna Lynch)
Lynch dated her Harry Potter co-star, Robbie Jarvis, for nine years but split in 2016, and in 2017, she began dating a man she only referred to as “Andel,” but it is unknown whether the couple is still together.
When it comes to children, Evanna Lynch does not have any.
