Q/A with Lilly

MSN TV: Does spending so much time in Hawaii ruin it as a lovely place to be?

Evangeline Lilly: It's true, but you still recognize how lovely a place it is, and in some ways you realize more than a visitor would how lovely it is. But, like anywhere in the world, every place has its downfalls and frustrations. At the same time as being an incredible place to live, it can be a place that makes you want to slit your throat sometimes. It's a tiny, tiny, tiny island where there's really nowhere to go. There's no nightlife. It's a very slow, relaxed culture, which is ideal when you're on vacation because it forces you to relax and to stop and smell the roses. But when you're working hard and you're very, very busy, that can start to get frustrating.

What is it that you find makes you most crazy when island fever kicks in?

When you're a busy person who's trying to efficiently run your life but everything around you is run inefficiently, that starts to eventually wear you down.

"Lost" fans are incredibly passionate about the show, and William Shatner famously hated "Star Trek" fans for being so devoted to the minutiae of that show. Do you ever get tired of talking about "Lost" ad nauseam?

I don't, really. I can honestly say that I'm kind of sheltered from a lot of that because I'm a bit of a recluse. But when I do encounter it I don't find it as frustrating as most people. And I also think that there's an awareness amongst fans nowadays that maybe wasn't there in the 1970s, because we've gone through some fanatical times with Trekkies. But the Losties are aware of the fact that they don't want to repulse the people on the show they are so much enjoying. People are careful about being more respectful of their space and sanity.

Might we be seeing you at any upcoming "Lost" fan conventions, perhaps?

They absolutely exist! Losties is the term for the fans, and they have conventions and Web communities and all sorts of stuff out there. It's actually a rabbit hole that I'm slightly terrified to go down.

Matthew Fox has kept a high profile during the show's hiatuses by making films. Is that something you've considered as well?

I've definitely considered it because it's there and it's the obvious option, but I'm very focused on "Lost" and give it all of my attention. I read scripts and I'm always looking for one that might blow me away so much that I'd want to spend my spare time -- which I have very little of -- working. But they don't come along very often. I did a film last summer because I found a script that was so beautiful, and I really believed in the story and the message behind it. It does happen, but it's very rare.

Since you're done shooting now, have you figured out what you're going to do until you start up again?

I'm doing some press for about another week, and then when that's over I'm going to relax and then I'm going to take a vacation.

Where are you going to go? Do you know yet?

I'm going to probably be in Europe and then maybe Latin America after that.

Is it accurate to say that you're a reluctant sex symbol?

I think it's very accurate. I think reluctant may not be strong enough of a word. I fight it really hard. I feel like this culture that we live in where women aspire to a certain aesthetic standard -- that I happen to think is boring because its one tone, one idea of beauty -- I don't like to feed into that. So I fight it really hard.

I imagine that's hard when there are paparazzi hiding in the bushes and you feel like you have to put makeup on to leave the house. Do you find that to be a nuisance?

I find the paparazzi to be a massive nuisance because I appreciate my privacy. But I never wear makeup when I leave the house for them. If they take a picture of me when I look like hell, good!

Are people ever terrified when they sit down next to you on a plane?

Well they mock looking terrified that something will happen, but mostly what they're doing is just trying to find a way to make conversation.

What's on your mp3 player?

Oh, lots and lots of good stuff. Recently I've been getting into Bjork. I love Eisley. I love Radiohead. I'm a big fan of Damien Rice, the Postal Service. I stay true to my Canadian roots -- Sarah McLachlan is one of my favorite artists of all time. Oldies, classical, R&B. I kind of just run the gamut. If I had to say I lean in one genre more than another it'd be singer/songwriter stuff.

"Lost" has a lot to live up to in its finales. Last season's was one of the best episodes of the series, and I know it's important to the writers and producers to make the show's finales memorable. Do you think this year's stacks up to the finales of seasons past?

I think it blows them away. I think the Season 3 finale was really good, but I think this season, our finale is the most hard-hitting finale we've ever done. It completely revolutionizes the face of our show. I have no idea what my show is going to look like next year based on the finale. And that's really exciting as an actress. It keeps you interested.