Interview: Lily Collins

Asky-nestling mansion in Beverly Hills 90210 overlooking the sprawl of West Hollywood might be the ultimate fantasy location but, for Lily Collins, it just feels like home. ‘I grew up here,’ she smiles. ‘It’s my stomping ground. My favourite restaurants are dingy little places no one would go to. I’ve known the people who work in my local supermarket since I was seven. I walk into my Starbucks and they know me. Some of my best friends are from elementary school. It’s my hometown.’ Does it feel weird as a Guildford-born girl to call Hollywood home? ‘Sometimes,’ she nods. ‘ When I shot scenes for [Amazon TV show] The

Last Tycoon in the Biltmore ballroom I was like, “Wait, I had my prom here.”’

The 28-year-old Golden Globenominated actress, author, model and now face of Lancôme’s Energie de Vie skincare has lived here since moving from Surrey at the age of five. Her dad, of course, is every air-drummer’s favourite, Phil Collins ( he and her mother, Jill Tavelman, divorced in 1996, when Lily was seven). Despite entering the entertainment industry before she could talk – in the BBC series Growing Pains at the age of two – she possesses all the chill vibes of your typical girl-next-door.

Being the beautiful daughter of one of the world’s most successful musicians would have made it easy to slip into the stress-free life of a socialite. Instead, Collins studied broadcast journalism at the University of Southern California, with a focus on politics and social change. When she decided to act, she felt it was important to take challenging, diverse roles, including an animal rights activist and someone with anorexia. ‘ There are two sides to me,’ she says. ‘I’ve never shied away from being vocal even if subjects were awkward to talk about. With acting, mystery is important because you have to portray characters. One of the best ways to marry the two is by gravitating towards stories that are much bigger than me.’

Last year, her Netflix projects To The Bone and Okja were both conversation starters that would likely not have been made by traditional film companies. Michelle Obama wrote to her personally to thank her for her new book dealing with issues facing young women. Her portrayal in To The Bone, a movie about a woman suffering from anorexia, was a particularly risky venture for Collins who had suffered with eating disorders. She had to lose weight, albeit this time with the support of a dietician and her friends and family.

‘ We didn’t make that movie assuming it was going to have a huge audience, even though it’s a huge epidemic,’ she says. ‘I wanted to take this topic, bring it to more people, and maybe learn something new about myself.’ Was she nervous about the feelings the role might have dredged up from her own experience of eating disorders? ‘ Yeah, but I wanted to pay homage to the girl that went through it when I was younger.’ In the end, she says the film was ‘a therapeutic, magical experience. It was a life mission.’

The research involved meeting the head of the UCLA clinic specialising in eating disorders, going to anorexics anonymous groups and speaking to women in recovery. ‘I never did that,’ she sighs. ‘I never admitted to it. Now I’m able to talk about my experiences without feeling fear or shame.’

Collins’ collection of personal essays, Unfiltered: No Shame, No Regrets, Just Me,

deals candidly with her eating disorder and her experience with emotional abuse in relationships. She also reveals her difficulty with coming to terms with her father being so distant. ‘I forgive you for not always being there when I needed you,’ she wrote in an open letter to her dad. ‘I forgive the mistakes you made.’

These days, Collins is so strong and self-assured, she’s the perfect brand ambassador for Lancôme. With Kate Winslet, Penélope Cruz, Julia Roberts and Lupita Nyong’o also on the roster, she’s bowled over to be among such company. 

‘How is this real?’ she grins. ‘Lancôme is about inner radiance. Think of how infectious Julia Roberts’ smile is. It’s all about owning your age, not trying to mask anything, making a statement about what makes you unique. That’s something my mum has always taught me: the quirky things are what make you beautiful.’

With nine million Instagram followers, Collins is used to presenting this barefaced authentic window into her world. Where she used to be put off by the idea, she’s realised the power of that platform. ‘It’s created a positive community,’ she says. ‘It was the interactions I was having with young people that encouraged me to write my book. If they were brave enough to tell their stories, why couldn’t I be brave enough to tell mine?’

It’s that passion for storytelling that will see Collins explore more behind-thecamera opportunities in the future. She knows that her level of Hollywood privilege is extraordinary. With her breakthrough role in 2009’s The Blind Side, she had the self-awareness to know it isn’t the norm to be making one of your first movies with Sandra Bullock. ‘Sandra and I have kept in touch over the years,’ she reveals. ‘I would ask her, “Tell me your tricks, tell me everything.”’ From Bullock to Annette Bening, Julianne Moore to Jennifer Connelly, Collins has been empowered by the examples set by those she has been lucky enough to work with.

Next on the horizon for Collins is a starring role opposite Nicholas Hoult in

Tolkien, a biopic of the fantasy novelist’s life. Is she a Lord Of The Rings fan? ‘Oh my gosh yes. But, when I have a movie night at home, The Breakfast Club is my go-to,’ she says. ‘ Take me back to the ’80s. I wanna be in those moments.’

In terms of 2018, Collins has her head screwed on. ‘Some of the women I admire – their most amazing, pivotal roles weren’t until their thirties,’ she smiles. ‘Success is all about range and longevity. It doesn’t have to all happen at the drop of a hat.’ In this era of insta-success, where careers burn intensely and fizzle out overnight, it makes sense to put less pressure on yourself and think about the long game. The future’s bright for this one.