Lily Collins Revealed How Her Emily In Paris Musical Moment Came To Be
Of course Phil Collins' daughter is going to try out singing.
Emily in Paris always delivers stunning musical performances, but Emily herself has never taken center stage... until Season 3, that is. In order to save her rollercoaster relationship with English banker Alfie, Emily jumped on stage to serenade him with the Dionne Warwick standard “Alfie.” Turns out, the impulsive gesture was just as nerve-wracking for Lily Collins herself as it was for Emily. Although she’s got musical greatness in her veins, Collins shared how she leaned on one of her co-stars to prepare for the big moments. If you were curious whether Lily Collins was really singing in Emily in Paris, leave all doubts behind.
Collins revealed that she’d been interested in exploring singing before the “Alfie” idea was brought up, but was still anxious about the performance. “I've always wanted to be able to play more with singing, but it always had to be character-driven,” Collins told E! on Jan. 3. She went on to explain that Emily’s nervousness in the scene helped mask her own nerves. “This was something that was brought to me, which of course I felt nervous about. But that's where Emily is coming from, as well. So, it could aid in that. It was a really fun practice for me to get to explore.”
Collins is no stranger to the world of music. Of course, her father is the legendary singer Phil Collins, but also, she has sung once before, on the soundtrack for her 2012 fairy tale flick Mirror Mirror. She also had Broadway belter extraordinaire Ashley Park to lean on for support. Park’s character Mindy performs the bulk of Emily in Paris’ musical numbers, and Collins sent her a bunch of different variations of her “Alfie” performance to get her advice before the big scene.
“She sent me three different versions,” Park said. “I was like, ‘Oh my God, this is my new ringtone.’” Collins confirmed she recorded the song multiple ways to try to get the perfect vibe: “I went to the bathroom and I was like, ‘I'll just record five different ways.’”
In the end, Collins’ earnest, lovestruck take on the ballad was just right for Emily’s karaoke surprise.
Even Park was taken aback by how Collins’ voice lent itself so well to the emotion of the moment. “That scene is so moving and beautiful because you really see what Emily is saying and trying to do,” Park said. “That vulnerability in a voice is something a lot of people shy away from and I think that is the most tender.”
With Emily in Paris Season 4 on the horizon, fans may get to hear even more of Collins’ singing voice soon enough. Although she may trade the love songs for something a bit darker after that twisted Season 3 finale.
