The actresses are real-life amies behind the scenes

Emily Cooper (Lily Collins) and Mindy Chen (Ashley Park) are two of television’s greatest girlfriends, and it seems like that close friendship extends behind the scenes of Netflix’s “Emily in Paris,” as well. Ahead of “Emily in Paris” season 4 — which will be split into two parts, with the first five episodes out on Thursday, August 15 and the remaining five to follow on Thursday, September 12 — Ashley Park gave insight into how her real-life connection with Collins has benefitted the actress on and off the screen.

Talking to Harper’s Bazaar for a July 2024 cover interview, Park recalled how she felt an affinity to Collins even before they met. “Lily doesn’t believe me when I tell her this, but a week before the email came in asking me to audition [for ‘Emily in Paris’], I’d just started to follow her on Instagram,” she revealed. “I normally have a rule that I only follow people I know or have interacted with in some way, but Lily was one of the few I followed because I thought, I like this girl, I like her vibe — she seems really genuine and cool.”

Along with boosting Emily and Mindy’s camaraderie onscreen, the actresses’ IRL friendship also helped Park navigate the growing attention she received from starring in the hit dramedy series. “It would just have been too much of a whirlwind to do on my own,” she said of the show’s first season, which was streamed by 58 million households in 2020. “It was my first big on-screen job, so it was amazing to have the guidance of an ‘older sister’ in an environment that became way more high-stakes than we’d anticipated.”

That kind of support was also crucial for Park as she recovered from septic shock after a severe case of tonsillitis earlier this year. “Filming was physically taxing in a way I hadn’t previously endured,” she told Harper’s. “But I had to stop gaslighting myself and be like, I’m allowed to feel this way. I’ll do the best I can in these stilettos and this latex skirt, and I can be proud when I watch this season and know the amount of passion and hard work I put in just to be there.”

In terms of what “Emily in Paris” viewers can expect from Park’s Mindy Chen in season 4, the upcoming episodes will see her and her band “prepare for Eurovision, but when funds run dry, they’re forced to get thrifty,” reports Netflix. And there’s no doubt she’ll be there to support her BFF as Emily navigates that love triangle between Alfie (Lucien Laviscount) and Gabriel (Lucas Bravo).

Tom’s Guide will keep you posted on all things “Emily in Paris” ahead of the fourth season, including behind-the-scenes tidbits, actor insights, character descriptions and on-set photos. In the meantime, you can catch up with Mindy, Emily and the rest of the show’s France-set fan favorites by rewatching the series’ first three seasons with a Netflix subscription.