11 fun facts about Emily in Paris and Windfall star Lily Collins (you might be surprised to learn)

Lily Collins is one of the biggest Netflix stars of the moment. Not only has she starred in a fair share of the streamer’s original movies, but she’s the Golden Globe-nominated lead of the much-buzzed-about original romantic comedy series Emily in Paris.

The Emmy-nominated series will be back for third and fourth seasons on Netflix, so we’re in for much more of the delightful actress on our watch lists for years to come. Also, she stars in the thriller film Windfall releasing on her birthday, March 18.

But do you know how Collins got her start as an actress? Do you know who her parents and famous in-laws are? Did you know she didn’t always have an American accent and visited the set of a very popular sitcom as a child?

Find out some fun facts about the Emily in Paris and Windfall star!

Did Lily Collins play Snow White?

Yes! One of the star’s first major leading roles was as Snow White in the 2012 fantasy comedy Mirror Mirror alongside Julia Roberts.

The film earned mixed reviews and performed modestly at the box office, but Collins’ leading performance helped launch her career, as she would next appear in the movies Stuck in Love, The English Teacher, The Mortal Instruments: City of Bones, and Love, Rosie.

Who is Lily Collins married to?

In 2019, Collins started dating director and writer Charlie McDowell. The couple announced their engagement in September 2020 and were married one year later at Dunton Hot Springs, Colorado. Collins and McDowell collaborated for the new Netflix movie Windfall.

Is Lily Collins related to Ted Danson?

Although Lily Collins has a famous father herself, her husband has quite the famous family, too. Charlie McDowell is the son of actor Malcolm McDowell and actress Mary Steenburgen. McDowell and Steenburgen divorced in 1990, and Steenburgen married actor Ted Danson in 1995.

Not only are Collin’s in-laws super-famous performers on screens big and small, but her stepfather-in-law is none other than Cheers and The Good Place fan-favorite Ted Danson! Talk about one exciting family reunion.

Lily Collins parents

Lily Collins was born on March 18, 1989 to musician Phil Collins and Jill Tavelman. Of course, her father is the lead singer of the band Genesis. He’s also a talented drummer and scored a number of hits during his extremely successful solo career.

Lily Collins used to have a British accent

When you hear Lily Collins speak in the Netflix series Emily in Paris or the movie Windfall, you will hear the actress with an American accent. However, as she revealed to Kelly Clarkson on The Kelly Clarkson Show, she used to have a British accent as a child.

Collins was born in Guildford, Surrey in England, and her father is obviously one of the most famous British musicians of our time. As she told Clarkson, kids at school used to make fun of her accent, so she would watch Peter Pan and repeat the title to teach herself to say R’s with an Americanized pronunciation.

Was Lily Collins in Harry Potter?

No, Lily Collins wasn’t in any of the Harry Potter movies. However, the actress has expressed that she’s a big fan of them movies and wished she could have been in one of them.

Lily Collins went to the set of Friends

One of the perks of having a famous dad in the ’90s was that she had a pretty cool childhood. While promoting Emily in Paris season 2, Collins dropped by Access with Ashley Park and took a trip down memory lane.

Access showed Collins a video of Friends stars Jennifer Aniston, Courteney Cox, and Lisa Kudrow recently remembering Phil Collins coming to set with his young daughter because she was a fan of the sitcom. She had the chance to sit on the Central Perk set for a photo, and it sounds like she made an impression on the cast.

Is Lily Collins a producer on Emily in Paris?

Yes! Collins spoke on The Kelly Clarkson Show about the importance of taking on this new role for the hit Netflix series for season 2 and making sure they implemented changes behind the scenes and in front of the camera to allow for greater inclusivity.

Lily Collins book

If you’re looking for even more Lily Collins in your life beyond watching her movies and show, the talented star also wrote a book. In 2017, the Golden Globe-nominated actress released an essay collection titled Unfiltered: No Shame, No Regrets, Just Me.

Lily Collins favorite Phil Collins song

While chatting on Jimmy Kimmel Live! about Emily in Paris and her brother Nicholas becoming a drummer for Genesis, Kimmel asked the actress about her favorite Phil Collins song. She revealed that her favorite of her dad’s songs is “I Can’t Dance” from the Genesis album We Can’t Dance.

Surely, she also has a soft spot for her dad’s song “You’ll Be In My Heart,” for which Phil Collins won the Academy Award for Best Original Song for Tarzan. Her dad wrote the song for his daughter, who was 10 years old at the time of the song’s release.

Are Lily Collins and Ashley Park friends in real life?

Yes! Lily Collins and Ashley Park, who plays Emily’s best friend Mindy on Emily in Paris, are super close in real life. The pair have shared stories of their adventures in Paris while filming the hit romantic comedy series, and Park even attended the premiere of Collins’ new movie Windfall.

Don’t forget to watch Lily Collins in Emily in Paris and Windfall on Netflix, and check out more of the star’s titles on the streamer.