13 Things You Didn't Know about Emily In Paris Star, Lily Collins
Before she was Emily in Paris, Lily Collins was already a Golden Globe nominee, the daughter of a rock star, and an accomplished journalist. Now, as the star of a hit Netflix series, the young ingénue has taken over the world with her optimistic smile and outrageous fashion. However, while she and her on-screen persona may have much in common, there is still plenty more to know about the actress. Get to know the star as L'OFFICIEL uncovers 13 facts about Collins.
Collins was born March 18, 1989 (which makes her a Pisces) in Guildford, Surrey, a region in the southeast of England. She moved to Los Angeles with her mother after her parents' divorce.
Collins is the daughter of musician Phil Collins and his second wife, Jill Tavelman. They divorced in 1996. Through her father's other marriages, Collins has four other half-siblings, including Simon and Joely Collins.
After moving to Los Angeles, Collins was bullied because of her British accent. As a result, she adopted an American accent which she still has today. However, she can easily slip back into her old speech, which she used in the film Love, Rosie.
In 2007, Collins made her debut into society at the Bal des débutantes in Paris wearing a Chanel gown. The big night was chronicled in the episode "Paris Changes Everything" in the third season of The Hills.
After graduating from Harvard-Westlake School in Los Angeles, the young star enrolled at University of Southern California to study broadcast journalism.
Outside of her acting talents, Collins has a documented career as a writer. She previously wrote a column for Elle Girl called "New York Confidential," and has also written pieces for Seventeen, Teen Vogue, and the Los Angeles Times. In 2017, she published her book, Unfiltered: No Regrets, No Shame, Just me.
In 2008, Collins co-hosted Kids Pick the President on Nickelodeon, covering the United States presidential election. As a host, she attended major events such as the Republican National Convention, where she interviewed then-candidate John McCain's daughter, Meghan.
In her memoir, Collins opened up about having an eating disorder as a teenager. Prior to the book's release in 2017, Collins gave a Golden Globe-nominated performance as Ellen in Netflix's To the Bone, which details the journey of her character's struggle with anorexia.
In 2013, Collins starred in the 30 Seconds to Mars music video for the song "City of Angels," directed by the band's frontman Jared Leto. The video also featured other major names such as Selena Gomez, James Franco, and Lindsay Lohan.
Although Collins is largely private about her personal life, Jonas opened up about their relationship in 2016. He told The Sun, “We went out a couple of times. She is amazing." Rumors of Collins' dating life have surrounded many of her on-screen love interests, including her Abduction co-star Taylor Lautner and her Extremely Wicked, Shockingly Evil and Vile co-star Zac Efron. However, Collins has never confirmed her relationship status with these men.
After the media frenzy surrounding her parents' divorce and her father's subsequent relationships, Collins chose to keep her personal life private. Despite being in the public eye since her youth, Collins generally does not comment on her romantic relationships.
Collins grew up summering on Lake Geneva with her father, where he taught her how to water ski. Now, after successfully mastering lake activities, Collins has taken up surfing. She regularly posts her outdoor activities on Instagram, including a recent cross-country camping trip.
In September 2020, Collins announced that she was engaged to director Charlie McDowell. The pair had been dating for over a year after meeting in July 2019.
