Lily Collins on ‘Emily in Paris’ and Becoming More Comfortable in the Gray Area of Season 4
[This story contains spoilers from Emily in Paris season four, Part 1.]
Emily in Paris’ new season sees Lily Collins’ Emily doing something she’s never done before: Finding comfort in the uncomfortable.
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The season three finale saw Camille (Camille Razat) call off her wedding to Gabriel (Lucas Bravo) because of his feelings for Emily, and Alfie breaking up with Emily for the same reason. And now the fourth installment of the Emmy-nominated series created by Darren Star — which is releasing in two parts and is streaming the first part — paves the way for Emily and Gabriel to be together.
When Camille gets back together with her Greek lover, Sofia (Melia Kreiling), at the beginning of season four, she gives her friend and former fiancé the greenlight to give their relationship a try, even though her pregnancy news complicates things for them.
Over the years, Emily has proven to be someone who struggles with things outside of her comfort zone. Beginning a relationship with someone who’s having a baby with his almost-wife certainly falls into that territory. And even so, she decided to give it a try.
“This season, she becomes more comfortable living in that gray area,” Collins tells The Hollywood Reporter. “She’s open to more opportunities that the world is presenting her with. And if this timing is presenting her the option to try things out with Gabriel, I think she’s leaning more into, why not try it and give it a go?”
Instead of holding out until she can be certain Gabriel is for her, she decides embrace the uncertainty. “I think it’s important for her to remember that you can miss out in life when you’re so much in the tunnel,” the star adds. Below, Collins also shares how she balances producing and starring in Emily in Paris, her hopes for a season five renewal and teases Emily’s upcoming Roman holiday.
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We finally got a glimpse of Emily and Gabriel being a real couple. Why do you think now was the right time for them to explore a relationship?
At this point, Emily feels more comfortable and grounded within the city, her job and the relationships she’s formed, whether they’re platonic or at least feeling the feelings fully in a romantic sense. Last season, we were left on the cliffhanger of the expression of feelings from Gabriel’s side to Emily, and Emily was able to finally believe him. They had this moment where it was a now or never thing. But then, of course, the baby news threw a wrench in it. But as long as Camille is OK with Emily and Gabriel giving it a go, which, at the end of the day, Emily really respects Camille and the situation with the baby and just wants the best for her. So, if now is an opportunity for her to get to explore feelings with Gabriel and she has the go-ahead, she’s able to finally lean into that. It’s complicated, obviously. Alfie is still in the picture. Once she’s made the decision to try things out with Gabriel, which I’m happy she’s finally making a decision, she has to deal with the repercussions of that. And we get to see a new growth in her, because she’s had to make a decision. There’s a maturity and a vulnerability about Emily this year that I think is new.
With Camille and the baby, we found out towards the end of Part 1 that she’s not actually pregnant. It’s so sad. She was so excited for it. How do you think that will play out in Gabriel and Emily’s future?
The way that we handle the characters, as well as just the show in general, is with grace and respect. And, obviously, it complicates things again even more with Emily and this scenario she played out in her head. She thought she’d figure it out, and the way that she’s navigated the pregnancy now applies, but at the same time, because it’s not in existence, it changes her plan. And so it allows for new conversations to be had that go well, and some don’t go well. The way in which she finds out… it’s all tricky. It’s all very tricky, and it just opens itself up for new conversations.
Alfie is seemingly out of the picture for Emily romantically at this point in this season. Do you think there would have been a world in which Emily didn’t choose Gabriel over Alfie?
Honestly, Emily has been so focused on option A, option B. She sees things as so black and white, and she’s not comfortable being uncomfortable, which is essentially the gray area where you don’t have the answer to everything. And she literally makes a pitch about the gray area, but I do think, metaphorically speaking, she becomes more comfortable living in that gray area this season. She’s open to more opportunities that the world is presenting her with. And if this timing is presenting her the option to try things out with Gabriel, I think she’s leaning more into, why not try it and give it a go? And so I don’t know if it’s as much about finally making this endgame decision. I think it’s her leaning into, if not now, then when? We don’t even know if we get to go to a season five, which obviously we’re all hoping, but we don’t know what the endgame is. And I think it’s more about embracing the moment and the uncertainty, and this is the time for that with Gabriel.
Why did you think it was so important for Emily to push herself out of the black and white at this point in her life in the show?
I think you lose sight of things that are in front of you when you’re so laser-focused on other things as being the only options. Emily is understanding more and more as she’s becoming more comfortable in these relationships, in the city and in her job, that she can now actually feel all the feelings and lean into the uncertainty in a way where she couldn’t before because she was trying to become comfortable and feel safe and feel balanced in her world in Paris. But now she does, and so now she can actually go inside herself and feel those feelings. So I think it’s important for her to remember that you can miss out in life when you’re so much in the tunnel.
In addition to starring in the show, you also produce it. How do you balance the two?
It can get hard, because I’m someone who notices all things all the time. Sometimes, as I’m playing Emily, I’m in a scene, as a producer, and will I’ll note of 10 things, but my brain is already focusing on Emily, but I can’t help but notice things. That’s where my slight Type A takes over. But I do have to find that balance, and I think from season one to now, I’ve definitely learned more about that balance and when to kind of wear all the hats — when to take one off, when to focus on one thing. Because at the end of the day, I’m Emily, and I have to put all of my focus into being her. But I think that Emily is also of the mindset of seeing the bigger picture. So, it’s not too dissimilar to my character to also see the bigger picture and not just focus on herself. And it helps with a character that also produces in her own way.
You fought to keep your masquerade ball ensemble, just as the designer made it, despite some complications with the size of the hat and the car and whatnot. How else were you involved in other aspects of production?
It is true, yes. The second I read that scene, I knew that Harris [Reed] had to design it. I went straight to him, and I just said, “Look, please, this is perfect. Will you do it?” And then when the sketches came in, my mind was blown, and we had the fitting, and I read the scenes, and I thought, “Well, we can’t disassemble this too soon. We need to see it all together. We need to see me wearing different things at different times, and even though it’s scripted that I get into the cab, I can’t with this hat, but I can’t not wear this hat.” So, I was adamant that the designer’s vision be the designer’s vision, knowing that it’s a show, and sometimes concessions are made, but I was very adamant on that.
When it comes to to production, everyone in the heads of department are so collaborative and open to ideas, not just of mine but of the other actors, because, at this point, we know ourselves very well. We know the characters very well, and it’s really fun to get to see everyone speak up and have opinions. And it’s been really fun to be able to be a part of the different parts of the show over the years.
Sylvie brings a #MeToo movement to life in this season that was teased a little bit in the previous season. Why do you think it was important to explore that?
I think it’s a wonderful opportunity this season to get to dive deeper into the other characters’ storylines and to deepen them as characters. And, for Sylvie, something happened in her past that she thought she had moved on from, and it comes back to affect her present, and she’s faced with a decision to make. I love how the show handled it. I think it was respectful and graceful, and the character is so empowering and confident and strong, and yet this really hard decision also showed a deep sense of emotion and vulnerability and uncertainty within her that humanizes her even more and makes her even more of a layered villain. She’s not the villain. She’s gone through a lot, and Philippine can obviously speak more on that for her as a character, but I really appreciated the way in which we got to showcase different sides of a character through their experiences and how they choose to move forward through them.
This season in particular — so far, at least — has explored the ensemble more than past seasons have.
Yeah. I appreciate that. Thank you.
It’s really interesting to see all these different characters and the dynamics, and how they apply to the show itself. Why do you think that works so well with this group?
Because everyone’s so fabulous! I really believe that. I mean, I love our cast. I think everyone brings something so truly unique to each of their characters. And the longer we’ve we’ve all worked together, the more I see them voicing their opinions more, and I champion that. I support that. I’m so happy as as as Emily, but really as a producer, to showcase storylines that don’t involve Emily. I think it’s really important to get to know them on a deeper level. And they’re just so fantastic. It’s hard to be in scenes with them sometimes, because we’re all just making each other laugh. But at the same time, we all bring out different sides of our characters because of each other. So I’m so happy that the show has become more of a collective story, but at the same time a bunch of other storylines that live and breathe on their own.
You did mention that you haven’t been renewed for season five yet. How much longer could you see yourself portraying Emily?
Honestly, I love playing Emily so much, and I so enjoy breathing fresh life into her each season, and she’s taught me so much just in my life. I’ve had such life experiences because of this opportunity. I love our cast and crew. I’m definitely not done playing Emily. I hope that we do get to keep going. And, honestly, if the show is providing joy and a sense of escapism to people, then that’s the greatest gift, and I get so much out of that as well. So I’m here, and I’m along for the ride, and at least for now, anxiously awaiting to see if we get to do more.
What else can you tease about what people can expect in Part 2?
A little more vacation mode, turning on. Work mode, turning off. Emily, putting her phone down for a little Roman Holiday, and we get to experience a little Christmas and winter, which is really, really fun for this season. So, it wouldn’t be Emily without more twists and turns and more drama, but definitely a more dynamic and vulnerable season and also cinematic. I’m excited for everyone to see the second half.
Emily in Paris season four, Part 1 is streaming on Netflix. Part 2 releases Sept. 12. Read THR‘s interview with creator Darren Star.
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