Lily Collins on season 2 of Netflix’s Emily in Paris, daring to be authentic on Instagram, and not being ‘ashamed’ to focus on one’s mental health – interview
- After Simone Biles’ withdrawal from the Tokyo 2020 Olympic Games due to mental health, Collins spoke to us over Zoom about the importance of asking for help – and much more
- The face of Cartier’s Clash collection, Collins got her start at age two on BBC, and has since appeared with Julia Roberts in Mirror Mirror, and in Oscar-winning Mank
There are few things more enjoyable than having to binge-watch the entire season of Emily in Paris “for work” – unless it’s chatting to its lead, Lily Collins. The British-American actress will be starring in a new season of the hit Netflix series later this year, and I’m trying to focus on interviewing her via Zoom while my husband fanboys in the background.
Collins is no stranger to work responsibilities spilling over into the cyber world, as the coronavirus pandemic has forced celebrities from designated press rooms into online meeting rooms, but this wasn’t always the case.
I need to respond to the characters, but I also need to feel like the process of making that movie is going to teach me about myself
“Before the pandemic, I hardly knew what Zoom was, but now I definitely have to rely on phone calls, Zooms or FaceTimes. I had to do press tours from my living room, kitchen or bedroom,” she says. “We had [to explore] this whole other layer of communication and keeping in touch with people.”
She emphasises the need to focus on connection and well-being in these times – and she would know, being a child of two worlds. Collins was born to American actress Jill Tavelman and British musician Phil Collins, and while she moved to Los Angeles early in life, her first home was in Surrey, England. (“Tell her I’m also from Surrey,” my husband whispers from the corner of the room.)
