Lily Collins covers the October issue of Marie Claire UK to promote Love, Rosie. I guess she’s trying to be a romcom queen after Mortal Instruments didn’t perform well. She’s cute, and she has a fetching English accent. As does Sam Claflin, her co-star. Suki Waterhouse makes her film debut in this movie. Suki plays the girl that comes between two friends who secretly love each other. Typical 20-something romcom.
I like what’s going on in this shoot. Lily has a new bob, and Marie Claire styled it to look slightly punky. She talks a lot about media perception and how her career is exploding (it’s not). She admits losing out on Gossip Girl and being upset about it. Lily still doesn’t believe nepotism had a hand in jump starting her film roles. I don’t blame her for feeling that way. We’d all be defensive on the subject in her position. Imagine going on a press tour and having everyone ask about “Sussudio.” Journos keep asking over and over again. Lily answers differently this time:
KStew & JLaw’s media reps: “It’s definitely not normal. There are preconceived ideas about them and the media wants to prove them wrong or find fault in them. They feel that, because they’ve known them since they were young, there is an ownership of their personal life. Jennifer and Kristen have done such a great job of navigating that; they’re witty, strong, funny, cool, young women. It’s really just nice to see that it’s possible to go through something like that and still be genuinely awesome people.”
Talking out against nepotism: “When I first met with agents I was asked, ‘Well, what makes you so special? Everybody in LA is a cousin or a daughter of someone.’ At the beginning, that was the most interesting thing about me. Now I’ve done eight films, it’s an afterthought. I get kids who say, ‘Oh, I love your movie, but my mum loves your dad.’ It’s really nice to be able to share that with him, but it doesn’t define who I am career-wise.”
The one that got away: “I tested for Gossip Girl. I wanted to be in it so badly, I thought at the time it was the end of the world. But now I think, ‘well I would have got pigeon-holed, have had to move to New York, leave high school and be signed away for six years. I wouldn’t have done the films I’ve done, and everything would have been so different.”
She didn’t know her dad was famous: “We’d be at dinner and people would come up for autographs and I thought, ‘Why do they want Dad’s?’ I remember one day I asked him the stupidest question: I’m like, ‘Did you ever do a music video?’. I had no idea.”
She’s single: “I’m working and enjoying finding out who I want to be. You can never rely fully on someone else to complete you. I think making somebody else your everything is adding way too much pressure; needing somebody to feel complete is a dangerous thing.”
[From Marie Claire UK]
Lily is perfectly civil in this interview. She’s probably had some media training after stories of a bratty ego circulated. She did seem a bit “above it all” on her last media tour, but she seems more grounded now.
Here’s the Love, Rosie trailer. It looks like a clichéd romcom.
Photos courtesy of Marie Claire UK
Of course it’s about Nepotism. Otherwise, Hollywood would be filled with nothing but talented people who worked hard to get where they are and appreciate their success. I’d say only 10% of Hollywood fits that description.
Yeah, it’s like 45% are someone’s kids who can’t act, 45% are very pretty people who can’t act, and only 10% are amazingly talented.
Cecilia Ahern’s book, on which the movie is based, was a really cute read, I read it ages ago.
Incidentally, Cecilia Ahern’s dad was the Irish Taoiseach (prime minister).
Nepotism alive and well…
@Emmie, we can hardly call Ahern’s example “nepotism”.
Nepotism dominates in Hollywood just like every other walk of life where you get put in a privileged position. Ball boys at baseball games are usually the kids of players and managers and interns in D.C. are usually connected just like getting into Ivy League Schoools. It is a rigged game and if you are not part of the power crowd your chance of one of these jobs is like winning the lottery. It’s pathetic but I would probably help my child unfairly if I had the chance to also.
Great point. Its everywhere.
totally true !
I wouldn’t mind the nepotism if she was more than cute. That’s all she’s got going for her. Nepotism affects about 99% of Hollywood. Very few people just came and made it on their own. They knew someone, who introduced them to someone else, and so on. I mean, the only person I can think of who got in HW by himself is Brad Pitt. And Daniel Day-Lewis. Other than that? Liam Neeson met Helen Mirren. And so on…..
But she doesn’t have talent, she’s not charismatic enough to make up for that lack of talent…..it could be ANYONE playing her role. Shoot–if they put Vanessa Hudgens in, I wouldn’t have even noticed.
@Virgilia Coriolanus, I don’t now much about Pitt’s journey in Hollywood, but I’d say he’s one of those who were “pretty but can’t act” for a very very long time until he mastered the acting. He really made it thanks to his looks only later in life making much better movies but no one can say he is in the same league as Daniel Day Lewis.
@itsetsyou. I think her point is that Pitt had no family member (thus no nepotism for him) in Hollywood to introduce him to the right people. In fact, in one interview, his father said how proud he was of him doing it all on his own. Yes, it was his looks that opened the door, but he busted his butt to become the super star and Academy Award/Emmy Award winning producer he is today.
I’m not saying he’s in the same league of acting as Daniel Day Lewis. I’m saying that, as far as I know, both of them came to HW, based on what they had with themselves–looks, talent. No family friend introduced them to such and such person, who just happened to know the head of such and such studio, or however it usually goes.
Daniel Day-Lewis’s father was a Poet Laureate and his mother was an actress. Daniel came from an extremely privileged background with parents who were both successful in the arts. I do happen to think Daniel is one of the most talented actors of his generation, but he did have some help getting through the door.
Daniel Day Lewis is the son of a very famous Poet (google Sir Cecil Day Lewis) who socialised with theatre and film crowd. His path was far easier than Liam Neeson who had no connections or money at all.
In terms of hollywood people who are connected who make it in front of camera, percentage is actually very low.
We tend to hear more about them purely because of their connections, but very few go further than that initial rush of publicity.
As for Liam using Helen Mirren, that is unfair because everyone uses whatever connections they can make. That is true of everyone in hollywood and other industries.
Amy Adams and Jessica Chastain. Chastain went to Julliard and she made it on her own.
Adams was dirt poor and made it on her own.
John Hamm is a non-connected success story. Yay for him. 😉
I’d venture to guess it’s at least 50/50, people who made it on their own vs people who had a connection in the business. There are a LOT of people who had no family member to get their foot in the door.
Meryl, Sandra, Kerry, Reese, Nicole Kidman, Cameron, Amy Adams, Tina Fey, Amy Poehler, Mindy Kaling, SJP, etc. And those are just the women off the top of my head.
Tiff-I thought of Hamm too!
It took him so long to really break into it.
@kate I thought Jessica Chastain too. And she got to go to Julliard because of Robin WIlliams. He provided the scholarship money for her to go. I remember being sad that she never got to personally thank him for that. Jlaw is another non-nepotism case although her career is new. Ironically she got inspired to make it in acting from her THG costar Josh Hutcherson because she read an article about him in a newspaper (they are both from kentucky). Funny how these connections happen.
Another case would be Matt Damon and Ben Affleck. I remember reading stories about how no one wanted to do Good Will Hunting and how they lived together in a tiny place trying to get the movie made.
I think Brad Pitt and Matthew Mchonaughey made it on their own and a lot of the African American and Latina actors,actresses had to kick those doors down hard to get work.
But the thing about Brad I use to hear in the 1990’s early, was that he liked dating working actresses who were connected Hollywood daughters. Many of His girlfriends usually had a connection somewhere in Hollywood. Brad liked that for some reason, according to this person who knew one of his early managers. I thought about it and it seemed sort of true.
**Juliet Lewis….her dad was supposedly some sort of Hollywood industry person.
**Jennifer Anniston(Friends actress) …her father longtime Actor in television
**Gwyneth Paltrow-mother actress Blythe Danner, Father Bruce Paltrow Director-Producer.
**Angelina Jolie(Hollywood A list actress)…Father Jon Voight
The person told me for the most part, Brads girlfriends were actresses with a family connection to the Industry , it seemed like it was what Brad usually ended up going for.
But I’m not sure it helped his career, he was pretty much already well known as Brad Pitt during theses relationships.
P.S. I think in one of the early interviews on Ben Affleck or Matt…didn’t one of their relatives have a connection to get One of them their early first acting jobs? I can’t remember the story now.
@Pager90: I’d suggest you take your friend with a grain of salt. Brad Pitt was a co-star dater, but the examples you used are really strange since 1) Juliette Lewis is successful in her own right (as in, not industry connected), and she and Pitt started dating before she really hit it big with Cape Fear, and 2) by the time Pitt hooked up with the other 3 ladies he was a MEGA star. He didn’t need any industry connections once he hit it big in the early to mid 90s, and I don’t know that Jennifer Aniston’s soap opera dad nor Angelina Jolie’s estranged dad really needed to open any doors for him.
Bridget I suggest you do some research on Juliette Lewis, her father is a well know character actor in the industry.
also did you read the full post.
And I Quote “But I’m not sure it helped his career, he was pretty much already well known as Brad Pitt during theses relationships.” END QUOTE
Also I never said it helped his career…I said the friend said Brad liked to date daughters of Hollywood and working actresses.
Also did you ever bother to look up Juliet Lewis background?
Juliet Lewis Father is a well known Character a Actor in the Industry.
Geoffrey Lewis —–His filmography includes television shows such as Law & Order: Criminal Intent and My Name is Earl, as well as films such as Down in the Valley, alongside Edward Norton, The Butcher, alongside Eric Roberts, Maverick, alongside Mel Gibson, and When Every Day Was the Fourth of July alongside Dean Jones. He appeared in the episode, “Tithonus” on The X-Files.
Child : Juliet Lewis
Wikipedia
Bridget next time do some research.
One thing I don’t just spout I actually do research.
@word says
True…
+100000
Pretty.
Yep. That’s all I got.
I think she’s beautiful and wish her well. The movie looks decent but I haven’t been to the movies in ages.
I like how interesting her face is. Strong brows, but otherwise delicate features.
I’ve never actually seen her in anything. Is she a good actress? I would think nepotism will open the door ( *cough* Suki *cough* ) but in the long run you have to prove yourself.
I really like her haircut.
I saw her in “Abduction” (your judgment has been seen and noted) and she has the acting skills of a mop with eyebrows.
ETA: exquisite eyebrows.
Judging you so hard right now…
http://richardwiseman.files.wordpress.com/2013/06/face2.jpg
LOL!
I’ve seen a few of her films, aside from her eyebrows, she didn’t real standout in the films. Her acting was kind of bland to me.
I don’t know, I like her. I was really indifferent to her because I haven’t seen any of her movies but I watched Mortal Instruments last week and she surprised me. She is very pretty and decent actress. Is really Phil Collins such a big star that it would help her career significantly? He’s not even an actor.
Phill Collins is a huge star, are you kidding me?
I’ve seen her in that movie with Taylor Lautner and she didn’t impress me. At all. She is very pretty though.
He’s a certified star. He sang Sususudio.
Phil Collins is HUGE. I’m not sure how that WOULDN’T help her, Yuyka. And he seems incredibly likable, and I’m sure has made many connections over the years. He’s worked directly with Disney. And can we note how terrible she was in that trainwreck Mirror Mirror? It was so painful to watch.
Almost half of the actor/actresses on Variety’s top 10 to watch next year are the daughter of some random famous person. Apparently have some sort of pull.
Technically he appeared in an episode of Miami Vice, as was trendy for musicians of the time. Phil Collins used to be more visible once.
Phill Collins is EVERYTHING. Did you not see Tarzan? Or ever eat Islands (they’re always playing his music there)?
Phil Collins is HUGE. He does music but he does tons of soundtracks to movies too. So yea he’s very well connected.
I’m laughing so hard right now, is Phil Collins a big deal? You must be young? Am I right? No offense, there are plenty of famous people in the world I know nothing about but pretty much everyone I know, even my mother, knows of Phil Collins.
At best her father could introduce her to some people. An advantage sure but hardly unusual in many industries. The ones without talent or appeal hit the B movie scene pretty quickly (hey Rumour Willis!). That nepotism doesn’t really phase me.
What drives me nuts? Cases like Will Smith where he produces these starring projects for his kids. Yuck!
That’s how I feel about it – it opens doors, but you need to have the talent or they’ll close right up again. And I agree about Will Smith – if those kids are so talented, they’ll get roles or music success on their own. Handing everything to them will not teach them about the hard work and perseverance needed for that business, nor will it help them improve their skills.
It’s odd that Lily is still asked about it in every interview, but other relatives of celebs aren’t.
Lilly Collins, Dakota Johnson and Mamie Gummer owe their careers to their famous parents. None of them has a ounce of real talent, however.
Mamie Gummer is awesome! Yes, she is daughter of very famous person in film industry, so beginnings of her career were much easier, but she is a good actress in her own right.
I like Mamie too. Much more talented than the other two at the very least.
I just googled Mamie Gummar and recognized her right away from The Good Wife. She’s really great on that show.
Holy crap, I just read that she’s Meryl Streep’s daughter? I had no idea!!!!!!
Is Mamie the one on the Good Wife? If so, she’s pretty good. One of the other daughters is on Extant but I haven’t really liked her work so far. It might be the character though.
I agree with you @ Lydia. I can’t say one way or the other for Mamie, because I’ve not seen anything of hers that comes to mind currently.
Um…Sam Claflin doesn’t need to whip out an English accent….he IS English.
I think the article was saying their accents are cute not that they had to put on an accent. Lily is English also.
Rachael McAdams comes to mind when I think of seld-made actors.
Yup. Rachel McAdams and Amy Adams. And I think Jessica Chastain who went to Julliard.
But Amy Adams and Rachel McAdams came from basically nothing.
Amy has 5 academy award noms after coming from nothing. That’s actually a really big deal…..
As much as I find both her acting and her personality EXTREMELY overrated, JLaw also did it on her own, didn’t she?
So. The movie looks pretty cute, I’ll definitely watch it illegally online. She’s pretty. I love phil collins because of tarzan soundtrack. That’s all the thoughts I can muster from her interview.
It’s very rare that actors who benefit from nepotism are able to carve out their own identities. People like her, Zoe Kravitz, the Gummer girls, the Smith kids, and the Willis sisters will always be known as the daughter/son of.
Chet Haze is recognized more for his talent than connections. No one knew he has famous parents.
Wait, Chester Hanks? Who has such astounding credits as “party goer” “pizza delivery boy” and “Student in Library”? Or is he famous outside of acting? I’ve actually never heard of him.
I’ve heard of Colin Hanks, though, and somehow never put two and two together on who his dad was until recently.
Occasionally it happens – Angelina Jolie and Drew Barrymore come to mind – but in a lot of cases, you’re right. As for Lily, she’s kidding herself when she thinks that having made eight movies means that most people think of her as an actress rather than Phil Collins’ daughter (and I suspect she overestimates the number of people who think about her at all).
Angelina and Drew not only carved out their own identities, but they became bigger than their parents ever were.
BNS: that is true for Angelina, but not Drew. Her family’s hollywood fame runs all the way back to the early days of Hollywood. John Barrymore is one of the Hollywood greats. Every generation of Barrymore except Drew’s dad has been very, very famous.
Nicholas Cage, the Bridges boys, and Michael Douglas have all managed to carve out respectable careers, nepotism isn’t always a bad thing.
I didn’t say it was.
She is sort of pretty, but she can’t act. I saw her in the little bit of Abducted that I watched, and she was terrible. Only say her in the trailer of Mortal Instruments (or whatever it was called), and she was terrible. No acting skills whatever. Embarrassingly bad. I don’t understand why these spawns of famous people don’t take acting classes if they want to pursue acting. Another one who comes to mind is Emma Roberts.
A high-five to you from my couch!
I haven’t seen this girl in anything, but just recently saw Emma for the first time. You’re right, she can’t act.
Well she must have SOME talent. Her (half?) sister Joely Collins is an actress too but hasn’t been able to be as famous.
Actually, according to IMDB, she’s one of Canada’s top actresses. She may not have a following in America or as well known in America. I had to google her, because I had no idea who you were talking about. I’m American, if that helps.
As a Canadian, I can tell you there is nothing “top” about her. LOL That’s probably something her agent just put there.
@deezee lol. My apologies, I didn’t even think about her agent putting in a good word. I was just going by what I read.
I think the terms Nepotism and Cronyism are being improperly interchanged in this thread. Nepotism applies to connections through connections. Cronyism applies to connections through friends or associates.
Yeah you’re right.
Correction: Nepotism means connections through family.
nep·o·tism
ˈnepəˌtizəm/
noun
the practice among those with power or influence of favoring relatives or friends, especially by giving them jobs.
cro·ny·ism
ˈkrōnēˌizəm/
nounderogatory
the appointment of friends and associates to positions of authority, without proper regard to their qualifications.
I believe people are using nepotism in the correct context, as we are not talking about positions of power or authority; however, the definitions are similar.
@xoxokaligrl: Thanks, but the term “Nepotism” actually does refer to partiality to family (the term originated with the assignment of nephews to cardinal positions by Catholic popes and bishops), whereas “Cronyism” refers to partiality to an associate or friend. Source: Wikipedia.
Not to be a stickler, but “family vs. friend” is the actually difference between the two words. Especially considereing the the etymology of “nepotism.”.
I think the nepotism died down a bit in the 1970’s with Al Pacinos, Robert Deniro, Dustin Hoffman, Robert Redford, Barbara Streisand.
I think Tom Cruise made it on his own. The guy is loaded with charisma.
I think there are several big actresses today who owe their big break to Tom cruise though.
There have always been stars that came from nowhere, it’s the story of Hollywood, A Star is Born.
Lily doesn’t bother me too much. She’s pretty to look at, seems like a descent person, and I don’t feel like anyone is pushing her too hard to be a thing. It’s not like she’s stealing great roles from anyone. If it wasn’t her it would be another, similarly unspectacular actress with the parts. And Phil Collins is famous, sure, but how much pull does he have in movies? To the point that his kid would get leading roles? I’m sure he helped get her foot in the door, and admittededly sometimes that’s all it takes to stay in the game, but it’s not what keeps her career going.
Getting a foot in the door is huge in Hollywood. Do you have any idea of the sheer number of people trying to make it in Hollywood? It’s not like other places, not like other careers. There is no level playing field, being talented means nothing if you never get your break. And the breaks are simply handed to the likes of Ms. Collins to try out while the mood strikes her.
You’d be surprised how much pull Phil Collins would have. He has deep deep decades long friendships in Hollywood and if a door is asked to open it will open. I also believe that Phil Collins is a Academy Award Winner and a longtime member of the Academy ( as in the Academy which makes decisions on the Oscars) those industry people are deeply connected usually.
I’ve noticed some of the. Hollywood or Industry offspring, may get a a big PR push but if they don’t have their Own drive and ambition, it goes no where after five or ten years and they fall off the radar.
She still is in denial that she’d be any other nobody if not for her father.
Pft. Her dad definitely has helped her. A girl her age in Hollywood wouldn’t be forgiven the ammount of flops she’s had in starring roles. Talent aside, she simply isn’t marketable.
Anyway, I agree with the author she’s being very civil and I understand why she wouldn’t openly shout this out loud to the world. A much more respectable stance than Emma Roberts’ or Ireland Baldwin’s.
Seems like a cute movie I’d watch.