Evanna Lynch

COP11 · May 4, 2011

Evanna Lynch (born 16 August 1991) is an Irish actress who rose to prominence playing Luna Lovegood, a supporting role in the Harry Potter film series adapted from the book series of the same name. Lynch was cast as Luna at the age of 14, having previously acted only in school plays. From 2007 to 2010, she was in three Harry Potter films and their tie-in video games; she will return for the final film and the film's two tie-in video games. Lynch's work on the series has earned her two award nominations.

Early life and educationLynch was born in the Termonfeckin townland of County Louth, Ireland to Marguerite and Donal Lynch. One of a family of six, she has two sisters, Emily and Mairead, and one brother, Patrick. As a child, Lynch read the Harry Potter series and became a fan, sending letters to the author, J. K. Rowling. For two years from the age of 11, Lynch suffered from anorexia. During this time, Rowling sent her letters of encouragement; Lynch has described her as being "like a counsellor".

Lynch attended Cartown National School, a public primary school in Termonfeckin, until June 2004 and then moved to Our Lady's College, a Catholic school for girls, in Drogheda, County Louth, where her father was the deputy principal. In 2008, Lynch studied speculative fiction and drama at the Centre for the Talented Youth of Ireland, a summer school for gifted teens, in Glasnevin, Dublin. While on the Harry Potter set, she was tutored for at least three hours a day. From September 2010, Lynch attended the Institute of Education to repeat her Leaving Certificate.

Career

In 2006, Lynch auditioned at a casting call in London for the role of Luna Lovegood in Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix, the fifth film in the series adapted from the books. After auditioning against 15,000 other girls, and a subsequent screen test with lead actor Daniel Radcliffe, she was cast at the age of 14. Producers were impressed with her affinity for the character; David Heyman said "The others could play Luna; Evanna Lynch is Luna." Although uninvolved in the casting process, Rowling believed that Lynch was perfect for the role. She had never acted professionally before the Harry Potter series, her experience limited to school plays.

Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix was Lynch's debut screen performance in 2007. The film was a box office hit, taking US$938 million worldwide, and garnered generally favorable reviews. Critics praised the performances of the supporting cast, often singling out Lynch for particular acclaim; A. O. Scott of The New York Times called her performance "spellbinding", and Jane Watkins of Country Life said she "[brought] an appealing sweetness to her character that's not so developed in the book". She reprised her role as Luna in the film's tie-in video game.

Two years later, Lynch again starred as Luna in Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince, the sixth instalment in the series. The film was critically and financially successful. Wesley Morris of The Boston Globe wrote that Lynch as Luna "combats the movie’s occasional sluggishness with a hilarious sluggishness of her own", and Michael Dwyer of The Irish Times called her the best Irish actress of 2009 for her work on the film. Her performance earned her Scream Award and Young Artist Award nominations, and she again reprised her role in the film's tie-in video game.

The seventh and final instalment in the series, Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows, was divided into two parts for scripting reasons. The first part was released in 2010 and the second part is scheduled for release in 2011. Part one was critically and financially successful. In their respective reviews for part one, James Verniere of The Boston Herald commented that Luna "is still delightfully lunar,"while Moira Macdonald of The Seattle Times said Luna "as usual, steals the movie with a line". She again reprised her role in the film's tie-in video game.

Personal life

Lynch has made and helped design a number of fashion accessories for the Harry Potter films, and modeled for Katrin Thomas and Ciaran Sweeney. She has also recorded an abridged audiobook version of Claire Keegan's short story Foster, and opened an exhibition for Irish artist Shauna Blanchfield. She has a tattoo of Michael Jackson's eyes on the back of her neck

Her charity work includes participation with the Multiple Sclerosis Society of Ireland, in which she launched their MS Readathon fundraiser in 2010. Lynch has also been actively involved with non-profit organization, the Harry Potter Alliance (HPA). With the HPA, she has supported same-sex marriage in Maine, took part in a webcast fundraiser, wrote an article about body image, and contributed to a fundraising book.