MIRROR MIRROR STAR LILY COLLINS ADMITS HER FAMOUS DAD OPENED THE DOORS TO HOLLYWOOD

Actress Lily Collins may have a famous dad, but her next movie, the visually stunning, Mirror Mirror, proves she’s truly a budding star. Lily says getting to play the star role of Snow White is a dream come true. She also talks about how her “Snow”, yes, we’re on a first name basis here, is different from the classic story, and explains how beautiful the costumes were, even though they gave her a workout.

One thing that bothers me, and for most people, is when a celebrity kid hides the fact they have a famous parent. Sure, everyone wants to received accolades based on their own merits but let’s face it celebrity child, you got your break because your mom/dad is famous! Just admit it and embrace it.

A new star child to hit the scene is Lily Collins. At 22, she’s sneaked her way into Hollywood with a small part as Sandra Bullock’s daughter in The Blind Side and is carefully opening the door wider and wider. She is set to be a huge star, and she’s whip smart. Instead of hiding the fact that her dad is music icon Phil Collins, this is what she told Seventeen magazine about her dad’s fame and influence: “My last name may have opened doors, but I have to keep them open.” Well, Halleluiah! And, so true.

Lily, Phil’s daughter with his second wife, American Jill Tavelman, started acting when she was two in the BBC series Growing Pains. When she was six, when parents split and her mom, Jill, returned to her native Los Angeles with Lily. She has been modeling since she was 16 and caught a serious acting bug when she was cast in Sandra Bullock’s movie The Blind Side.

When asked about her famous dad, Phil, Lily welcomes the opportunity to talk about him and how proud she is of him. In fact, she says she’s always dreamed of being as big a star as her father and that she is close to him. “Dad and I are so close. Nothing makes me prouder than when someone tells me my dad’s music has touched them,” she’s admitted.

Her major break was with the movie Abduction, co-starring Taylor Lautner (with whom she was rumored to be dating), which lead her to star in the upcoming movie Mirror, Mirror, which will no doubt put her on the fast track to fame. It’s no small part. It’s about Snow White, and Lily is Snow White. Plus, she had the honour to work with Oscar-winning actress Julia Roberts, who plays her wicked stepmother, Armie Hammer as her love, and director Tarsem Singh who is known for pushing the limits with visual effects and stunning imagery.

It’s definitely role a budding actress dreams of. In fact, the way she explains it almost mirrors her life and rise in Hollywood. “The biggest thing that attracted to me to this story is that, I think, every little girl has a little Snow in her,” she said while on set of Mirror Mirror. “That wide-eyed innocent just wanting to explore the unknown as well as finding yourself, that’s a big part of growing up. Snow goes through this process of starting out as a young girl to growing into a young woman and she finds herself through the friends she meets along the way and by empowering herself just by experiencing life by going out into the wilderness…fighting battles and meeting the dwarves.”

Directed by Tarsem Singh, this version, as Lily explains, takes a different spin than the classic story. In this reimagining, Snow White fights to reclaim her kingdom with the help of seven dwarfs, but is more of a warrior.

“It’s about a young girl who has been locked away in a castle by her wicked stepmother played by the awesome Julia Roberts. She starts out as the fairytale princess that everyone grew up loving starting out very innocent and not knowing anything bad or negative going on in the kingdom,” Lily says. “She turns into a fighter, which is somewhat different than in the original fairytale because she takes on many battles, sword fights and she’s modernized in a way in that she the princess almost saves the prince.”

Snow also gets to wear some pretty fabulous costumes. But according to Lily, they were challenging to wear. “The costumes are out of this world,” she says. “I’ve always wanted to do a period piece and they are art. I only have four in the movie but they’re all very different. I get a workout because they take about 20 minutes to put on! I’m sewn up the back everyday…I’m corseted. But the colours and the feel of them, they represent the different stages Snow goes through.”

She also says that, although the story has some comedic elements to it, there’s a message to be had. “I think there is so much colour in this story, not just with costumes. There’s so many journeys that she goes through emotionally as well as physically, and I feel that a lot of young girls can relate to her.”

Mirror Mirror (Alliance Films) opens this Friday and stars Lily Collins, Julia Roberts, Armie Hammer, Nathan Lane, Mare Winningham, Sean Bean and Jordan Prentice.

—By Toni-Marie Ippolito