Evanna Lynch bio, age, height, boyfriend, family, career path 2025

Biography of Evanna Lynch

Evanna Patricia Lynch is an Irish actress and model who shot to fame playing the whimsical Luna Lovegood in the Harry Potter film series, along with her role in the 2012 musical "A Very Potter Senior Year."

Childhood and youth

The future wizarding world star was born on August 16, 1991, in the Irish town of Termonfeckin in County Louth, to Donal and Marguerite Lynch. The actress has two older sisters, Mairead and Emily, and a younger brother, Patrick.

When Evanna was 11, she battled anorexia and was hospitalized, with doctors fighting for her life. But even then, Lynch wasn't focused on the bitter medicines she had to take—she was thinking about the next Harry Potter book release she was missing because of her illness.

Evanna has loved the Harry Potter since childhood

The compassionate medical staff let Evanna attend an event where she met writer J.K. Rowling. Lynch was ecstatic, and meeting her idol inspired her to write a letter to Rowling.

Evanna Lynch (Luna Lovegood) First Interview

The girl opened up about her health struggles and shared her dream of landing a role in the Harry Potter film adaptations. The writer encouraged Evanna and wished her a full recovery. Rowling's response inspired her, and within two years she had overcome anorexia.

Evanna's first school years were spent at the National School in Cartown, Termonfeckin, where she studied until 2004. She then transferred to Our Lady's College, a Catholic girls' grammar school in Drogheda, where her father served as deputy principal.

In 2008, she attended a summer program for gifted teenagers at the Irish Centre for Talented Youth in Glasnevin, studying drama and fantasy literature. In September 2010, she enrolled at the Institute of Education to further enhance her knowledge of art and acting skills.

Acting career

In 2007, Evanna made her acting debut. When she heard about casting calls for a new "Harry Potter" film taking place in London, she convinced her father to take her to the auditions.

Casting and audition of Luna Lovegood

The competition was enormous: 15,000 young actresses were vying for the role of Luna Lovegood. Out of all the contenders, Lynch impressed the writer most - and she personally approved the cast. As J.K. Rowling said, "She really is Luna. That's who she is."

Producers David Heyman and David Barron cast the actress because they realized she could act spontaneously and unpredictably. The eccentric Luna, daughter of "The Quibbler" magazine editor, couldn't just be played - she had to be embodied, which Evanna did brilliantly.

Evanna signing autographs at the premiere of Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince

Two years later, Evanna Lynch reprised her role as Luna in the sixth "Harry Potter" film, "Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince." After the premiere, The Irish Times journalist Michael Dwyer named her the best Irish actress of 2009. Later, Lynch was nominated for the Scream Award and the Young Artist Award.

The final parts of the Harry Potter series were "Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows: Part 1" and "Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows: Part 2". In the finale, Luna's storyline became one of the most important. She helped defeat the Death Eaters and Voldemort while winning the heart of Neville Longbottom (Matthew Lewis). During filming, Evanna grew close to Bonnie Wright, Katie Leung, and Afshan Azad, who played Ginny, Cho, and Padma respectively.

In 2012, the adventure series "Sinbad" premiered with British actor Elliot Knight as the main character, and Evanna was offered the role of Elin - daughter of the sorceress Taryn. Evanna's role was brief - she only appeared in the final episode.

The actress recalled the filming of "Sinbad" as follows:

I was very nervous and anxious because it was my first project after "Harry Potter", the first project that I considered real work. I no longer felt the same protection as when I played Luna as a child, but I still wanted to move forward, develop, and meet new people.

That same year, Evanna took the lead role in student short film "It Don't Come Easy" and played Luna Lovegood in the production "A Very Potter Senior Year." In 2013, Lynch appeared in American comedy "G.B.F." alongside leads Michael Willett and Natasha Lyonne. Evanna transformed into a character named McKenzie Price.

During this period, she also took on theatrical roles. She played in a play about the illusionist Harry Houdini, transforming into the assistant and wife of the famous American magician.

2015 was a breakthrough year for the actress. She first appeared in the TV series "Danny and the Human Zoo" as the eccentric Bridget Riordan.

With colleagues from the series Danny and the Zoo

Lynch then starred in the Irish drama "My Name is Emily," playing a girl who escapes her foster family to rescue her father from a psychiatric hospital. The film was directed by Simon Fitzmaurice and premiered at the Galway Film Fleadh international film festival.

Evanna Lynch's personal life

Evanna Lynch's personal life is as enigmatic as her character Luna Lovegood. Lynch remains unmarried, with very little known about her romantic life. From 2013 to 2016, she dated actor Robbie Jarvis, who played young James Potter in "Order of the Phoenix."

The couple announced their breakup in November 2016, but managed to stay friends and still appear together at parties and public events.

Evanna Lynch now

In 2021, Evanna Lynch participated in the filming of a documentary special about the Harry Potter story titled "Return to Hogwarts," which was dedicated to the 20th anniversary of the release of the first film about the young wizard. She eagerly accepted the invitation to return to Hogwarts' magical world.

Harry Potter 20th Anniversary Interview with Evanna Lynch - «Luna Lovegood»

In recent years, Lynch has stepped back from acting to focus on social causes. She's a dedicated vegetarian and spokesperson for eco-friendly products through her partnership with PETA.

In December 2021, Evanna released her autobiography "The Opposite of Butterfly Hunting: The Tragedy and The Glory of Growing Up". In it, she talks about her battle with anorexia, her time on the set of "Harry Potter", and her adolescent years.

Evanna Lynch Reveals The Story She Doesn't Want Harry Potter Fans To Hear

Interesting facts

Evanna Lynch has leveraged her celebrity status to champion body positivity and healthy self-esteem among young girls. Having battled anorexia herself, she understands the struggle of living with body image issues and their devastating impact.
Evanna actually designed and handcrafted several accessories for the Harry Potter films. Among these were the iconic radish-shaped beaded earrings worn by her character, Luna Lovegood.

Luna and her famous earrings.
Lynch is deeply involved in charitable causes. In 2010, she launched a fundraising campaign for the MS Readathon, an annual sponsored reading event organized by MS Ireland that encourages children and adults to read as many books as possible. The money raised goes to help people with multiple sclerosis.
Lynch serves on the advisory board of the Harry Potter Alliance (HPA), a non-profit founded by Andrew Slack in 2005 to spotlight human rights violations in Sudan. Since then, the organization has expanded its focus to tackle literacy, US immigration reform, global economic justice, sexism, climate change, and other critical issues.