Emily in ParisSTEPHANIE BRANCHU/NETFLIX © 2020

Lily Collins goes to bat for her ‘annoying’ Emily in Paris character

‘To have someone be optimistic, bright, and bubbly – it’s sad to think that people would look and go, ‘That’s a lot’’

After its premiere last fall, Emily in Paris, quickly became one of the most watched Netflix shows of all time – despite drawing in criticism due to Lily Collins’ character Emily’s chaotic, avant-basic fashion choices and aggressive American exceptionalism as she navigates her move to Paris.

Now – ahead of the show’s season two premiere on December 22 – Lily Collins has shared her own opinion on Emily’s ‘annoying’ qualities.

“A lot of the qualities that Emily has, if you put them on paper, would seem so annoying,” she explained, in a new interview with NYLON. “To have someone be optimistic, bright, and bubbly – it’s sad to think that people would look and go, ‘That’s a lot.’” 

She continued: “They’re such beautiful qualities and the fact that she (Emily) can partner that with being vulnerable and asking for help and making mistakes – she’s not infallible.” 

Elsewhere in the interview, Collins explained that when she first read the script, she anticipated a romantic storyline between Emily and her first real French friend, Camille (played by Camille Razat). When they first meet in season one outside a flower stand, the two women share an accidental kiss as Emily misinterprets a kiss on both cheeks as a hug.

“When I read that, I was like, ‘So, is this going to go anywhere?’” said Collins. “I remember the writers being like, ‘Don’t know.’” Perhaps a storyline for season two?

As revealed in the trailer, the new season seems to follow Emily as she indulges in a glamorous holiday on the French coast in Saint-Tropez, joined by friends Mindy and Camille. There, they attend a lavish mansion party and lounge on a yacht as Emily debates her next Instagram caption. 

Lucas Bravo will also return as Grabriel – the sexy chef who lives below Emily’s apartment – and Lucien Laviscount will join the show as new character Alfie.

Watch the trailer for Emily in Paris season two below.

Read Next
FeatureRidley Scott: ‘People want to be entertained and eat fucking popcorn’

We speak to the acclaimed director to mark the launch a brand new season at the BFI which honours his decades-spanning career

FeatureYoung Mothers, a tender character study of five teen mums

We speak to formidable filmmaking duo Jean-Pierre and Luc Dardenne about Young Mothers, their empathetic new drama about the harsh realities of teen pregnancy

FeatureDarren Aronofsky on Caught Stealing and why we should embrace AI

‘Filmmaking is a technology business’: The director talks to Dazed about his new comedy with Austin Butler, why stand-up shaped his sensibility, and how AI could transform cinema

FeatureMistress Dispeller is a Nathan Fielder-esque doc about cheating men

We speak to filmmaker Elizabeth Lo about her shocking new documentary, which follows a Chinese ‘mistress dispeller’ hired to break up affairs