It seems like only yesterday that Evanna Lynch lit up the screen as Luna Lovegood in the
Harry Potter movies.
And now, she's making magic with her feet on Dancing with the Stars.
But how did she get from Hogwarts to the dance floor?
Here's a look at the surprising journey of the girl who played Luna in Harry Potter.
A simple childhood Although it can be hard to imagine Evanna
Lynch as anyone but Luna Lovegood, she's actually a three-dimensional human being with her own
origin story.
Lynch is a native of Ireland, has three siblings, and her parents were educators by profession.
By all accounts, Lynch's early years were serene, though she says she was painfully
shy.
She grew up Catholic, and as she told The Irish Times:
"[Close] to nature and surrounded by cows and sheep."
Despite her shyness, her upbringing sounds idyllic in many ways, and almost from another
time.
She also studied speculative fiction and drama - and, of course, she loved the Harry Potter
books.
Landing the role There are several rumors concerning how Evanna
Lynch landed the role of Luna Lovegood.
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.
In reality, however, Lynch met Rowling when she began a pen pal correspondence with the
famous author.
"I had an eating disorder at the time and I wrote to her because I felt like Harry Potter
was the only thing that really took my mind off it, and it was such a gift."
Rowling offered Lynch the part of an extra in the films, but Lynch declined and instead
auditioned for Luna.
Lynch really was the right person for the role, too, which is obvious to anyone who's
seen the Harry Potter films.
She told Shön! magazine: "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."
Moving on All good things must come to an end.
With the end of Harry Potter, Lynch was cast out of the Potterverse and into the real world,
which was a tough transition for her.
She told Shön! magazine: "I had no strong sense of who I was or what
my worth was outside of being Luna, and yet I no longer felt like Luna.
It was a very strange, lonely, unknowable time and I felt nothing was anchoring me to
the world."
Hogwarts to Hollywood What do you do when you've gotten your big
break in a major film franchise but you're all finished shooting?
Move to LA, of course, so that's just what Evanna Lynch did.
She told Bust magazine: "Personally, I felt I had to move away from
home because there was a lot of cynicism around having a job in the arts.
People would think that [acting] wasn't a real viable career option, and there's a sense
that if you aspire to it you must think you're something special."
Dashed dreams 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.
But due to financing problems, the film Monster Butler never got off the ground, which was
initially devastating for Lynch.
She told The Independent: "When Monster Butler fell through at the last
minute, I was heartbroken for a few weeks."
But as they say, when one door closes, another one opens...
A character 180 The first feature-length film that Evanna
Lynch starred in after Harry Potter was quite the pivot for her after acting in dramatic
movies.
In 2013, she played McKenzie Pryce in the American teen comedy GBF.
Unlike Luna Lovegood, Price is a homophobic, evangelical Christian - pretty much the opposite
of a lovable weirdo.
Lynch really had to act in this role, as it was so different from who she is in real life,
too.
She told The Irish Post: "I had to kind of become a character who I
disagreed with in every way."
The film also gave Lynch the chance to show off her acting chops in other ways.
She continued: "It was a chance to do an American accent.
And it was a very different genre.
I'd never done comedy before."
From witch to magician's wife GBF wasn't the only project that Lynch worked
on in 2013.
She also starred in a touring production of Houdini in England and Ireland.
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.
She told The Irish Post: "[Harry] 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."
Lynch not only found the role exciting, but also the prospect of acting live on stage,
which she had always wanted to do.
She revealed: "It's a lot of responsibility in that you
can't change it, it's not been edited to make you look good.
It's just you.
It's very pure, it's raw."
Sounds pretty magical to us!
Lead role pressure 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.
She told Interview magazine: "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.
It's just so natural."
There was special pressure to perform, too, as the film's director was diagnosed with
ALS in 2008, and was completely paralyzed.
So he wrote and directed the entire film with his eyes, using iris recognition software
to communicate - an intense accomplishment.
Lynch told Bust magazine: "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.'"
Committing 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.
She told Schön! magazine: "Until I did Disco Pigs I didn't realise what
an intense physical discipline theatre is.
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.
She shared: "You just have to fully commit to the madness
and let yourself feel your way through."
"You're just as sane as I am."
Her dream roles When it comes to her hopes for the future,
Lynch has a couple of roles that she'd really like to play.
The first is Lucia Joyce, who was a professional dancer and the daughter of the legendary Irish
writer, James Joyce.
But that's not the only person Lynch wants to play.
She told Glamour magazine: "My other dream role, which started as a joke
but quickly took hold as a burning desire, would be to play Britney Spears in a biopic!
She's always been an idol of mine, I think she's awesome."
Activism for a personal cause As a child, Lynch battled a serious eating
disorder, which she says was born out of a struggle for self-worth and identity.
But she revealed she was miserable.
"It's an addiction, it is an addiction, it becomes an addiction.
And it really numbs, because it consumes your whole energy."
She was hospitalized by age 11 for anorexia, and spent two years in and out of clinics.
Fortunately for Lynch, she didn't let anorexia nervosa consume her, finally getting healthy
enough to stand on her own two feet once again.
In an essay about body image, Lynch shared: "We're damn lucky to have our bodies, these
strange, multi-functional machines, that let us leave our legacy on the planet [...] I
hope you realise how powerful [your body is] and decide that today you're going to start
treating it with love and kindness."
Another passion Another thing that Lynch is passionate about
outside of acting is her commitment to a vegan lifestyle.
And she's serious about it, too - it's much more than a simple dietary choice for her.
She told Vegan Food & Living: "I think the root of this whole lifestyle
is compassion.
It's a daily reminder that we are all one.
I believe veganism is what will heal this planet."
Those are not throw-away opinions - girl is a believer, and she is committed.
Veganism has also helped Lynch heal her relationship with food.
She continued: "Now food has a deeper purpose and my diet
has different guidelines.
Simply, nourishment and preservation of myself and the planet I live on."
Dancing Queen On September 12, 2018, Harry Potter fans were
thrilled at the surprise announcement that Lynch would be joining the cast of the 27th
season of ABC's venerated celebrity dance competition, Dancing with the Stars, partnered
with pro Keo Motsepe.
"What do you hope to get out of Dancing With the Stars?"
"Better dance moves, and I think more confidence."
After facing off against Voldemort, you wouldn't think anything would phase Lynch, but she
said that dancing live is even more terrifying than You-Know-Who.
"It's a long way from Hogwarts, isn't it?"
"A little bit."
"Not quite as scary is it?"
"Oh my God, it's a hundred times more scary!"
If there's one thing Lynch has proven, though, it's that - just like Luna - she never lets
fear keep her from being herself.
You go, Evanna!