Who Is Lily Collins?
Lily Collins is a British-American actress, model, and producer best known for starring as Emily Cooper in the Netflix romantic-comedy series Emily in Paris, which began in 2020 and quickly became an international hit.[1][4] Born in Guildford, England, on March 18, 1989, she grew up between the UK and Los Angeles and has been on screen since early childhood.[1][4]
Before her streaming-era fame, Collins gained recognition with roles in films such as The Blind Side, Mirror Mirror, and Love, Rosie, showcasing her range across drama, fantasy, and romance.[1][2][4] She has since become a prominent face of contemporary romantic comedies and character-driven dramas, particularly on global streaming platforms.
Career Breakthroughs and Critical Recognition
Collins’s early breakthrough came with The Blind Side (2009), where she played the daughter of Sandra Bullock’s character in a film that went on to become one of the highest-grossing sports dramas ever.[1][2][4] She followed this success with her first major leading role as Snow White in Mirror Mirror (2012), acting opposite Julia Roberts and gaining broad mainstream attention.[2][4][5]
In the mid-2010s, she began receiving stronger critical acclaim, particularly for her Golden Globe–nominated performance in Rules Don’t Apply (2016) and her portrayal of a young woman with anorexia in the Netflix drama To the Bone (2017).[1][4][5] These roles helped redefine her public image from fairy-tale princess to a more nuanced performer tackling complex emotional material.
Emily in Paris and Recent Impact
The debut of Emily in Paris in 2020 elevated Collins to new levels of global recognition, as she played a young American marketing executive navigating work, culture shock, and romance in France.[1][4] Her performance earned her a Golden Globe nomination for Best Actress in a Television Series – Musical or Comedy, and the show became a touchpoint in debates about modern romantic comedies and depictions of Parisian life.[1][4]
Alongside the series, Collins has continued to diversify her filmography with biographical dramas like Extremely Wicked, Shockingly Evil and Vile and Tolkien, the Oscar-nominated film Mank, and the 2024 horror film MaXXXine, reinforcing her versatility across genres.[1][4][5] As a producer on Emily in Paris and a bestselling memoirist, she also influences how female-led stories are developed and discussed in the streaming era, while her active social media presence keeps her at the forefront of fashion and pop-culture conversations.[1]