An Interview with Mirror Mirror’s Lily Collins – Just as Perfect in Person

By: Ashley

“Perfect” is such a strong word that can bring up a lot of different feelings, but when I use it to describe Lily Collins… I really can’t think of anything better. She is eloquent, intelligent, kind, genuine, talented, beautiful, and… well… as perfect as any princess that has ever hit the silver screen. I’m sure all of that (and more) is what the makers of the new movie Mirror Mirror saw when they cast her as the legendary Snow White. I was lucky enough to sit down for a roundtable interview with her and some other parent bloggers earlier this month and felt so comfortable speaking with such an impressive young woman.

At only 22 years old, some might think that taking on an iconic role like that of Snow White would be a pretty daunting task. When asked, Lily noted on how the script already established that this was a modernized version of the character we all know. She continued that there “wasn’t as much intimidation of trying to stay true to the original, it was just making sure I was someone that young girls could relate to. I didn’t want to be this caricature of a fairytale princess that was already in cartoon form. I wanted to be someone that young girls could look at and say, ‘She’s a friend of mine.’” Collins attention to her audience didn’t stop there. It seems as though the audience and message of the movie was something extremely important to her. It was fun for Lily to, “go from this young, wide-eyed, innocent girl who is unaware of what’s going on around her… (and) put in this fairytale princess dress. … And then as the story goes on, Snow grows up and becomes more mature and more of a young woman.” This theme of growth and maturity is one the Collins felt very closely connected to. She even said her own experience filming Mirror Mirror was very similar; coming in new and unaware, leaving a film star with even greater experiences.

Meeting Lily Collins was incredible. Her demeanor, he grace, her elegance, all impressive. It’s no surprise that her style icon is Audrey Hepburn. For me, it was so easy to see. I think it is Lily’s natural beauty and old Hollywood class… not to mention the OBVIOUS physical similarities… that says “Audrey” to me. In the movie you also see the similarities in acting. Collins says it best by saying, “I think it’s old time movie stars that have a quality that isn’t as noticeable today because there are so many quick shots in a film. You don’t stay on one person for a long period of time. And with Audrey or Elizabeth Taylor, you stayed on someone’s face to see them go from one emotion to another.” It’s no surprise to hear the Collins prepared for her role as Snow White and, “studied her (Audrey Hepburn) and just the way that she used her body and her posture and her hands. She was very much a princess in her own way… For people to say that they saw that is huge for me, because that was definitely an inspiration.” All of this preparation is obvious when you see the elegance the Lily brings to the role of Snow White in Mirror Mirror.

It’s obvious that Lily was a great fit for the role of Snow. It’s just as obvious that she has her feet on the ground, a good head on her shoulders, and is not afraid to go after what she wants. After waiting until she was around 16 years old, Collins hit the world of Hollywood auditioning for parts. She says that she “took every NO, as a “not right now.” It might be that attitude, along with the support of her mother, that helped get her to where she is today. As far as advice for young girls? Lily says that you should “always appreciate your mom. You need to know that you can always talk to her.” She also notes that it isn’t always going to be easy to work towards your goals, but that’s kind of part of it. “What’s the worst that can happen? You get told ‘no?’… You’re young. You’re supposed to try new things!”

With all that in mind, I hope that you can see what an amazing young woman Lily Collins is. All of her talent and genuine passion for what she does is what brings her character (Yes… HER character) to life in Mirror Mirror. Lily says “Passion is one of the only things that is truly universal.” Make sure you check out her passion for acting… and a GREAT family film by seeing Mirror Mirror on March 30. Visit Mirror Mirror on Facebook

Travel and expenses were covered by Relativity Media for the Press Day.

About Ashley: Ashley has a background in teaching Kindergarten and working with children K through 8th grade. She is now a SAHM and writes her own blog at Momicles.