Why Lily Collins Is the Next Big Thing
She's one of the busiest young actresses in Hollywood, scoring choice parts like that of the iconic Snow White in "Mirror Mirror" as well as several other high-profile roles. But just who is Lily Collins, and why is she so hot right now?
"Lily Collins is a film producer’s dream -- cute, talented and level-headed," says Amy Wilkinson, editor of the film blog at Hollywood Crush. "I doubt you’ll ever read a story about Collins having an on-set tantrum or meltdown. The question is: Who wouldn’t want to work with a poised, intelligent young actress?"
Let's take a look at some of the reasons Collins is getting so much play these days.
She was born and bred to be in the spotlight.
Collins is showbiz progeny, born in England to legendary musician Phil Collins and his second wife, Jill Tavelman. After her parents' divorce when she was a pre-schooler, Lily and her mom moved to Los Angeles.
Writing, rather than acting, appeared to be her first love -- as a teenager she wrote for national magazines, including Teen Vogue. She attended USC, where she majored in broadcast journalism. Collins put that training to good use when she covered the 2008 presidential campaign for Nickelodeon's "Nick News with Linda Ellerbee: Kids Pick the President." She also made several appearances on the CW television show "90210" in 2008 and 2009.
She has a distinctive natural beauty.
Collins is known for her thick, dark eyebrows. "I think Lily has an approachable glamour, a mix of model beauty and the charms of the posh-but-nice girl that both jocks and geeks had a crush on in high school," says Matt Sullivan, movie critic for InTouch Weekly.
But looks aren't everything in Hollywood, he notes, especially when it comes to scoring a leading role in a big-budget picture. "The fact that she is Phil Collins' daughter -- and yet so beautiful -- was the genesis of a lot of her early media coverage. But no one's casting you as Snow White opposite Julia Roberts just because your dad sang 'Sussudio.'"
'Mirror Mirror' will reflect her star power.
Collins reportedly won the coveted role opposite Julia Roberts by replacing Saoirse Ronan. She was so enamored of the character that she also auditioned for Snow White in the upcoming "Snow White and the Huntsman," a role that went to Kristen Stewart in what's viewed as a much darker version of the fairytale.
"'Mirror, Mirror' will be the first real test to see whether she can pop on-screen the way she does in fashion magazines," says Sullivan.
She's already had some hits, and some misses.
Anyone remember "Abduction," last year's box office stinker starring Taylor Lautner? The only good thing that came out of that was her dating relationship with "Twilight" hunk Lautner. (She has also been seen out with Zac Efron, another boost to her public profile.)
Collins' first big-screen outing came with a small but important role in "The Blind Side," in which she played the daughter of the wealthy Tuohy family. Interestingly, the first name of the girl was Collins. In 2011, she also appeared in "Priest," a sci-fi horror film about a priest who tracks down vampires who kidnapped his niece (Collins), starring Paul Bettany and Cam Gigandet.
But her biggest roles -- and presumably hits -- are yet to come.
Collins will appear in the indie comedy "The English Teacher" later this year with Julianne Moore and Greg Kinnear, who will also be her costar in the upcoming "Writers."
If you haven't yet heard of "The Mortal Instruments," you will. "I’m most excited to see Collins begin production on the long-gestating, big-screen adaptation of Cassandra Clare’s 'Mortal Instruments' series," says Wilkinson. "Collins won the role more than a year ago, and she’s been super-communicative with 'TMI' fans ever since. She even created a Twitter, @lilyasclaryfray, to post updates about the project. I think it will be a big one for her, with franchise potential."
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That could put her right up there with her on-screen franchise rivals.
"Lily hasn't had a chance to show off the chops that Kristen Stewart and Jennifer Lawrence had shown before their YA novel-based movie franchises," says Sullivan.
So there you go. Watch out, Jen and K.Stew -- Lily is on the rise.
