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 show, 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 Mank actrress. Get to know the star as L’OFFICIEL uncovers 13 facts about Collins.
She was born in England
Collins was born March 18, 1989 in Guildford, Surrey, a region in the southeast of England. She moved to Los Angeles with her mother after her parents’ divorce.
Her father is Phil Collins
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.
She is bidialectal
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.
She was a debutante
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.
She studied broadcast journalism at USC
After graduating from Harvard-Westlake School in Los Angeles, the young star enrolled at University of Southern California to study broadcast journalism.
She’s a writer
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.
She covered the 2008 election for Nickelodeon
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.
Like her character in “To the Bone,” she suffered an eating disorder as a teen
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.
She starred in the 30 Seconds to Mars music video for “City of Angels”
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.
She dated Nick Jonas in 2016
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.
Her parents’ divorce inspired her push for privacy
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.
She loves the outdoors
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.
POP CULTURE
13 Things You Didn’t Know about Lily Collins
Did you know that when she’s not roaming French boulevards for ‘Emily in Paris’ or starring in movies, the actress enjoys water skiing?
12.01.2020 by Alyssa Kelly
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 show, 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 Mank actrress. Get to know the star as L’OFFICIEL uncovers 13 facts about Collins.
She was born in England
Collins was born March 18, 1989 in Guildford, Surrey, a region in the southeast of England. She moved to Los Angeles with her mother after her parents’ divorce.
Her father is Phil Collins
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.
She is bidialectal
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.
She was a debutante
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.
She studied broadcast journalism at USC
After graduating from Harvard-Westlake School in Los Angeles, the young star enrolled at University of Southern California to study broadcast journalism.
She’s a writer
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.
She covered the 2008 election for Nickelodeon
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.
Like her character in “To the Bone,” she suffered an eating disorder as a teen
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.
She starred in the 30 Seconds to Mars music video for “City of Angels”
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.
She dated Nick Jonas in 2016
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.
Her parents’ divorce inspired her push for privacy
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.
She loves the outdoors
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.
She is engaged to Charlie McDowell
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.
