Evangeline Lilly Planned to Abandon Acting  11/20/06

Lost beauty Evangeline Lilly almost abandoned her successful acting career, because she struggled to deal with the trappings that come with being famous.

The 27-year-old admits the pressure to be thin almost gave her a nervous breakdown in 2004, when she felt she needed to "get away from it all".

She says, "I called my parents and said, 'I don't know what's wrong. I don't know if I can keep going in this industry.'

"I just wanted to get away from it all. I never wanted to be a big film star.

I just wanted the comfort of having a job I love.

"The pressure to stay thin is enough to make you go insane. I was overworked and undernourished."

But the star reckons she's fully recovered, thanks to her mantra, "I am what I am," which she repeats 20 times each day.

She says, "I know it's cheesy, but it reminds me if people don't like who I am, that's OK."