The Untold Truth Of Lily Collins

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Hollywood darling Lily Collins is a bona fide superstar. Born in 1989, this millennial celebrity is one of the hottest stars in Hollywood, but her fame isn't just for of her substantial acting chops. The lauded actress cemented her status as one to watch in 2017, when she was nominated for a Golden Globe for her role in Rules Don't Apply. Her star was already on the rise at that point, but, since then, she has landed some other high-profile roles. Some notable parts include playing Fantine in a television adaptation of Les Misérables and starring in Extremely Wicked, Shockingly Evil and Vile opposite Zac Efron.

Collins might be a celebrity, but, so far, she has managed to remain scandal free and has established herself as a role model for young people. The refreshingly down-to-earth actress is also using her platform to empower young women, and we are so here for it.

Lily Collins has proven through movies like Love, Rosie and Tolkien that she can pull off a pretty impressive British accent. What many don't realize, though, is that Collins — who speaks with an American accent in real life — was actually born in the U.K. When a role calls for a British accent, she just needs to tap into those roots.

At the age of 5, Collins moved to Los Angeles with her mother when her parents split up. But she didn't have a typical American childhood. Collins frequently flew back to her native country to spend time with her dad, celebrating Christmas in West Sussex where she was born. "It's the best place to be for the holidays –- all cold and wintry," she told The Guardian. "Love the food, love the tea. I still feel very European."

In an interview with Crash, Collins again said that she feels "more European at heart," but she still considers both England and Los Angeles home.

While she's most recognizable as an actress, Lily Collins actually has roots in another artistic medium: journalism. The actress got her start in writing around the same time she was trying to break into the acting business. She told Momtastic that she "wanted to get more practice, whether it was journalism, on-air time, producing, learning about editing, anything."

From there, Collins went on to broadcasting. "I started doing journalism for Nickelodeon, Extra, E, various networks. It was fun and interesting because I was interviewing the very actors I wanted to work with," she recalled.

Collins also had her own column, "New York Confidential," in the British edition of Elle Girl. Majoring in broadcast journalism at the University of Southern California helped prepare her for the interviews she now gives as a celebrity. "I know that it's your job to ask the awkward questions," she told The Globe and Mail. "But it's also very weird now to be on the other side of it, because I can feel questions coming."

Many actresses would have been daunted by the lead role in To the Bone. The film's protagonist, Ellen, suffers from anorexia, something that Lily Collins knows a thing or two about. She had previously suffered from anorexia and bulimia, but she decided to accept the part, even though it meant reliving some painful memories. Under the careful guidance of a nutritionist, Collins lost weight for the role. "I personally knew that this was something I needed to do to tell this story," she told USA Today.  

The effect was haunting. Collins lost so much weight that fans expressed concern. It was important to the actress that the role be authentic, not just for the sake of the film but also to open up a discourse about eating disorders. "For me, it was a sign from the world saying, 'This is probably something that is actually bigger than you,'" she said. "'There's a larger thing in play here and both are going to be able to better inform one another.' When you have your life's mission and the mission of a project merge like this so beautifully, that's like total magic."

Being dropped like a hot potato isn't the only type of ghosting Lily Collins has had to deal with. The actress has claimed to have also been haunted by actual ghosts. While preparing for her role in Extremely Wicked, Shockingly Evil and Vile, a film about serial killer Ted Bundy who murdered dozens of young women and girls in the 1970s, Collins claimed some of Bundy's victims visited her.

She told The Guardian that she woke up every night at 3:05 a.m. "I started being woken up by flashes of images, like the aftermath of a struggle," she said. "I discovered that 3 a.m. is the time when the veil between the realms is the thinnest and one can be visited."

Collins wasn't scared, but she instead felt that Bundy's victims were coming forward in support. "I felt supported," she said. "I felt like people were saying: 'We're here listening. We're here to support. Thank you for telling the story.'"

Lily Collins got back to her literary roots with the publication of her memoir, Unfiltered: No Shame, No Regrets, Just Me, in 2017. In her book, Collins got real about several personal experiences, including an emotionally abusive relationship she was in and her experience with eating disorders. Collins told Teen Vogue that she hoped being open about her own life would help others.

"I've always been a huge advocate of young people helping other young people through open conversation, and I've never had a problem being a conduit through which honest conversation can happen," she said. "If that means being in an awkward situation or being vulnerable, that's been something I'm OK with." She noted that she wanted to share her experiences with others through her book, stating, "It's taken me to this point to come to terms with certain things and become comfortable enough to talk about them. I just felt that now was the right time for me to get some of these things off my chest."

Always forthright, Lily Collins is no stranger to speaking her mind. Some people might be alarmed by her frankness, but it's become something of a trademark for the actress, albeit one that hasn't always come easily. "I've never had a problem saying awkward things ... to spark conversations," she told Flare.

While she admitted that being in show business means it's critical to maintain personal boundaries, she believes there is power in speaking her mind. "I think there were always those things that I was still battling with or thinking about that maybe I didn't know how to vocalize and now vocalizing them has been so freeing and powerful because you realize that you can relate to so many more people and that they can relate to you," she said. "It's almost like I've gotten such a weight off my shoulders."

Beyond creating art, Lily Collins wants to inspire others, especially young women. She talked to Momtastic about her role in the Snow White retelling Mirror Mirror, in which she played the lead. Collins said that she was drawn to the script because of how empowered Snow White was. In the film, the character didn't need a prince to save her. "That sense of female empowerment and confidence and self-esteem is something that I have always been a big advocate of promoting in young girls," Collins said.

The actress added that playing Snow White was particularly compelling because the character derives her self-confidence from her strength, not from her beauty. "I think the fact that she is so unaware of how she looks, but she finds it within herself to love herself regardless, that's the core of self-esteem and confidence building for young girls," Collins stated. "So, I saw that the script had potential. I thought, 'I would love to be a part of something that gives a message like that to young girls.'"