Lily Collins is a British-American actress who has built a career from child performer to Golden Globe-nominated star, best known today as Emily Cooper in Netflix’s Emily in Paris. Born Lily Jane Collins on March 18, 1989, in Guildford, Surrey, England, she is 37 years old. The daughter of musician Phil Collins, she broke through in film with The Blind Side (2009), played Snow White in Mirror Mirror (2012), and earned a Golden Globe nomination for Rules Don’t Apply (2016). She has been married to director Charlie McDowell since 2021.
Lily Collins Quick Facts
| Full Name | Lily Jane Collins |
| Date of Birth | March 18, 1989 |
| Age | 37 years old |
| Birthplace | Guildford, Surrey, England |
| Husband | Charlie McDowell |
| Children | 1 |
| Occupation | Actress |
| Net Worth | Approx. $25 million (Celebrity Net Worth, 2026) |
| Known For | Emily in Paris; The Blind Side; Mirror Mirror; The Mortal Instruments: City of Bones; Rules Don’t Apply |
Who Is Lily Collins?
Lily Collins is a British-American actress best known for playing Emily Cooper, the American marketing executive navigating Paris, in Netflix’s Emily in Paris (2020–present). Born in Guildford, Surrey, on March 18, 1989, she is the daughter of musician Phil Collins and Jill Tavelman. She began performing on screen at age two and worked as a teenage journalist before her film breakthrough in The Blind Side (2009). She has since starred in Mirror Mirror, The Mortal Instruments: City of Bones, Rules Don’t Apply, and Les Misérables, earning two Golden Globe nominations along the way.
Beyond acting, Collins is an author — her memoir, Unfiltered: No Shame, No Regrets, Just Me, was published in 2017 — and a producer on Emily in Paris. She made her West End debut in 2024 in the play Barcelona at the Duke of York’s Theatre. She has been married to director Charlie McDowell since 2021, and the couple welcomed their first child, a daughter, in 2025.
Lily Collins’s Early Life & Background
Lily Jane Collins was born on March 18, 1989, in Guildford, Surrey, England, the daughter of English musician Phil Collins and Jill Tavelman, a former president of the Beverly Hills Women’s Club. Her maternal grandfather was a Canadian Jewish immigrant who owned a men’s clothing store in Beverly Hills. When she was seven, her parents divorced, and she moved to Los Angeles with her mother. She attended Harvard-Westlake School in Los Angeles and studied broadcast journalism at the University of Southern California.
Long before she was known as an actress, Collins was a teenage journalist. She wrote a column, “NY Confidential,” for Elle Girl, and contributed to Seventeen, Teen Vogue, and the Los Angeles Times. In 2007, she was presented as a debutante at the Bal des débutantes in Paris, wearing Chanel, and in 2008 she covered the United States presidential election as a host on Nickelodeon’s Kids Pick the President special. She was named International Model of the Year by Glamour Spain in 2008 and won a Young Hollywood Award for One to Watch the same year.
Lily Collins’s Career
Collins began performing on screen at age two, in the BBC sitcom Growing Pains. Her first adult roles came in 2009, with two episodes of 90210 and the film The Blind Side, in which she played Collins Tuohy, the daughter of Sandra Bullock’s character. The film grossed more than $250 million worldwide. She followed it with the science-fiction film Priest (2011) and the thriller Abduction (2011), then played Snow White in Mirror Mirror (2012) opposite Julia Roberts, and Clary Fray in The Mortal Instruments: City of Bones (2013). She starred in the romantic comedy Love, Rosie (2014) opposite Sam Claflin.
Her critical breakthrough came in 2016 as Marla Mabrey in Warren Beatty’s Rules Don’t Apply, which earned her a Golden Globe nomination for Best Actress in a Motion Picture – Comedy or Musical. The same year, she starred in the Amazon pilot The Last Tycoon. She played the lead in the drama To the Bone (2017), appeared in Bong Joon-ho’s Okja (2017), and played Fantine in the BBC miniseries Les Misérables (2018–2019). In 2019, she starred opposite Zac Efron in Extremely Wicked, Shockingly Evil and Vile as Elizabeth Kendall, and played Edith Tolkien in Tolkien opposite Nicholas Hoult. She also appeared in Inheritance (2020) and David Fincher’s Mank (2020) as Rita Alexander.
In 2020, Collins took on the role that would define her career: Emily Cooper in Netflix’s Emily in Paris, which she also produces. The series, created by Darren Star, became one of Netflix’s most-watched comedies, earning Collins a Golden Globe nomination for Best Actress in a Television Series – Musical or Comedy and an Emmy nomination for Outstanding Comedy Series as a producer. Her Emily in Paris co-star Lucas Bravo plays Gabriel, the chef who becomes Emily’s love interest. In 2024, Collins made her West End debut in the play Barcelona at the Duke of York’s Theatre, playing Irene opposite Álvaro Morte to critical praise. Her upcoming projects include the films The Cradle and Gilded Rage, a Polly Pocket film in which she will star and produce, and a film about Audrey Hepburn and the making of Breakfast at Tiffany’s, announced in February 2026.
Facts About Lily Collins
- She began performing on screen at age two, in the BBC sitcom Growing Pains.
- As a teenager, she wrote a column, “NY Confidential,” for Elle Girl and covered the 2008 US presidential election for Nickelodeon.
- She was presented as a debutante at the Bal des débutantes in Paris in 2007, wearing Chanel.
- Her memoir, Unfiltered: No Shame, No Regrets, Just Me, was published in 2017.
- She made her West End debut in 2024 in Barcelona at the Duke of York’s Theatre.
Frequently Asked Questions
How old is Lily Collins?
Lily Collins is 37 years old. She was born on March 18, 1989, in Guildford, Surrey, England.
What is Lily Collins’ net worth?
Lily Collins has an estimated net worth of approx. $25 million, according to Celebrity Net Worth (2026).
Who is Lily Collins married to?
Lily Collins is married to Charlie McDowell, an American director and screenwriter. They became engaged in September 2020 and married on September 4, 2021, in Colorado.
What is Lily Collins known for?
Lily Collins is best known for Emily in Paris (2020–present), The Blind Side (2009), Mirror Mirror (2012), The Mortal Instruments: City of Bones (2013), and Rules Don’t Apply (2016).
Does Lily Collins have children?
Yes. Lily Collins and Charlie McDowell welcomed their first child, a daughter, in 2025, born via surrogacy.
How old is Lily Collins?
Lily Collins is 37 years old. She was born on March 18, 1989, in Guildford, Surrey, England.
What is Lily Collins’ net worth?
Lily Collins has an estimated net worth of approx. $25 million, according to Celebrity Net Worth (2026).
Who is Lily Collins married to?
Lily Collins is married to Charlie McDowell, an American director and screenwriter. They became engaged in September 2020 and married on September 4, 2021, in Colorado.
What is Lily Collins known for?
Lily Collins is best known for Emily in Paris (2020–present), The Blind Side (2009), Mirror Mirror (2012), The Mortal Instruments: City of Bones (2013), and Rules Don’t Apply (2016).
Does Lily Collins have children?
Yes. Lily Collins and Charlie McDowell welcomed their first child, a daughter, in 2025, born via surrogacy.
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