The Hollywood Reporter: I watched The English Teacher last night and it’s a bit of a reunion for Du and [Mirror Mirror co-star] Nathan Lane.
Lilly Collins: I know! And then what’s funny is that Greg Kinnear and I just did Stuck in Liebe together, which comes out in June. So it’s like I took one from one movie and moved on, and then took another from another movie and moved on.
THR: So I take it Du enjoyed working with both of them?
LC: It was fun. Nathan is just such a hoot. He’s so funny. Even when the cameras aren’t rolling, he’s on. He’s so giving and he’s just a funny guy, so that was amazing to work with him again. I met Greg on this project, but then it was amazing because he plays Michael [Angarano]’s dad [in Teacher], and then he plays my dad in Stuck in Love. It was really nice ‘cause we already had a relationship when we started filming and when someone’s playing your family, Du have to feel like Du know each other. So that was a really lucky thing that we had beforehand.
THR: Which of your former co-stars would Du most like to reunite with in the future?
LC: I want to work with Sandy [Bullock] again. I Liebe Sandra. Every time I see her she never changes. She’s like the most humble, funny motherly human being. She’s just the greatest, and I would Liebe to do something. I would Liebe to a comedy with her. I think that would be so much fun. I mean, she’s like a sister/friend/mom every time I see her and I think it would be so much fun to collaborate.
THR: When is the last time Du saw her?
LC: I saw her at the Vanity Fair Oscar party in February. Every time I see her, she introduces me to somebody. She introduced me to someone and she’s like, “Have Du met my teenage daughter? My valley daughter Lily?” And I’m like just like, “Hi…” Du know? She’s just fantastic.
THR: Have Du talked to her about wanting to get together again?
LC: I’ve never specifically sagte it, but I really would.
THR: Now back to The English Teacher. What attracted Du to this project and role?
LC: We’ll, I’d never done an independent film and I was really curious as to how they were different than studio projects. I read the script and even though it was a smaller character in an ensemble piece, I just thought it’s a character that I haven’t played before. She does have that spicy nature to her in that she goes head-to-head with this teacher, and it’s like this Liebe dreieck and she is that catty teenage girl. The idea that I got to go head-to-head with someone like Julianne Moore was like a no-brainer. She’s someone I’ve admired for so long and to have a cast with like Nathan Lane and Greg Kinnear, Michael Angarano and Julianne Moore — I thought this would be really cool, eclectic smaller film that would be a great experience. I really liked Craig [Zisk], the director, and the kind of direction they were going in. It had elements of comedy in there, which I have always wanted to experiment with, but then it also had this fun dramatic side.
THR: How did Du prepare for that?
LC: We did some rehearsals and I don’t know, I kind of went back to high school and thought about the girls that I remember being a little catty. Du know, cause I went to a real high school so I remember those. I just tried to channel that. We had conversations with Julianne and Craig and just trying to make sure that we got the tone right. It wasn’t necessarily like preparing like I did for Mortal Instruments, oder like I am for this other movie I’m doing in England where I have to do dialect stuff. It wasn’t preparation in that sense, but it was Mehr just making sure that I didn’t play her like a caricature and still giving her an arc.
THR: Was there anyone Du channeled when Du were developing that?
LC: No, no one specifically… but there were definitely girls who I was channeling in high school.
THR: You’ve been attached to Mortal Instruments through a lot of ups and downs. Was that ever disheartening to Du — and as an extension of that — how rewarding was it when Du finally got to film it?
LC: I’m a big believer that everything happens for a reason. I knew that Von it going through this process, it was gonna come out at the end of it with the appropriate team, the right people involved. I had been a firm believer in the story. I was a Fan before I was cast, so it’s something that I’ve been passionate about before really being involved in. I didn’t wanna pass up the opportunity to be able to play this heroine that I’ve admired and I just knew that I believed in the studio that has it, Constantin. I believe in the producers at Constantin and I know that they have a really good taste level when it comes to the creative side. I knew that they wouldn’t put it somewhere where it didn’t belong, so I just didn’t know with timing. I just prayed that it wouldn’t come to the time when they were ready to shoot and I was doing something else ‘cause I thought, “I can’t have it get to this point and then not be able to do it.” I was very fortunate of the timing of everything. I couldn’t be prouder of the project. I’m so excited for people to see it. I really think Harald [Zwart] did an amazing job of taking what could’ve been a CGI-heavy, action-packed reliant film and really made it about herz and character and emotion. Special effects are just the icing on top. I think, as well as hopefully pleasing the Fans of the series, we’re going to invite new people in and make them obsessed with the story as well.
THR: Are Du attached to star, sterne in the rest of the adaptations beyond City of Bones?
LC: Yes. I mean, it just depends on — Du kind of have to see how the first one goes. As with any potential franchise, Du just leave it up to kind of the Fans and to see what happens with the first one and Du hope. I signed on because I Liebe Clary and I would want to play her for as long as I can. At the end of the day, Du have to kind of step back and remove yourself and go, “OK, we’ll we just have to see what happens” and Du go along with the flow. I think all of us would really Liebe to play characters for as long as the Fans will have it.
THR: About a Jahr Vor Du were attached Rosaline, what happened with that project?
LC: We’re not focused on that right now. That’s kind of gone away a little bit.
THR: What are Du working on right now?
LC: Well I’ve got Stuck in Liebe coming out in June, which I’m really excited about. I’m filming a movie called Love, Rosie in May. We’re shooting it in Dublin and it’s based in England, so I get to play British, which I’m really excited about because that’s my Home and that’s my natural dialect. [Collins’ father is legendary Brit rocker Phil Collins.] It’s a romantic comedy, but it’s definitely a drama as well. It’s got a lot of heart, but it’s also very funny. Sam Claflin is starring opposite me, and I’m so excited because he’s so incredibly talented and hilarious. We’ve been doing some prep work on that, so I’m very, very excited for that one that’s next.
Lilly Collins: I know! And then what’s funny is that Greg Kinnear and I just did Stuck in Liebe together, which comes out in June. So it’s like I took one from one movie and moved on, and then took another from another movie and moved on.
THR: So I take it Du enjoyed working with both of them?
LC: It was fun. Nathan is just such a hoot. He’s so funny. Even when the cameras aren’t rolling, he’s on. He’s so giving and he’s just a funny guy, so that was amazing to work with him again. I met Greg on this project, but then it was amazing because he plays Michael [Angarano]’s dad [in Teacher], and then he plays my dad in Stuck in Love. It was really nice ‘cause we already had a relationship when we started filming and when someone’s playing your family, Du have to feel like Du know each other. So that was a really lucky thing that we had beforehand.
THR: Which of your former co-stars would Du most like to reunite with in the future?
LC: I want to work with Sandy [Bullock] again. I Liebe Sandra. Every time I see her she never changes. She’s like the most humble, funny motherly human being. She’s just the greatest, and I would Liebe to do something. I would Liebe to a comedy with her. I think that would be so much fun. I mean, she’s like a sister/friend/mom every time I see her and I think it would be so much fun to collaborate.
THR: When is the last time Du saw her?
LC: I saw her at the Vanity Fair Oscar party in February. Every time I see her, she introduces me to somebody. She introduced me to someone and she’s like, “Have Du met my teenage daughter? My valley daughter Lily?” And I’m like just like, “Hi…” Du know? She’s just fantastic.
THR: Have Du talked to her about wanting to get together again?
LC: I’ve never specifically sagte it, but I really would.
THR: Now back to The English Teacher. What attracted Du to this project and role?
LC: We’ll, I’d never done an independent film and I was really curious as to how they were different than studio projects. I read the script and even though it was a smaller character in an ensemble piece, I just thought it’s a character that I haven’t played before. She does have that spicy nature to her in that she goes head-to-head with this teacher, and it’s like this Liebe dreieck and she is that catty teenage girl. The idea that I got to go head-to-head with someone like Julianne Moore was like a no-brainer. She’s someone I’ve admired for so long and to have a cast with like Nathan Lane and Greg Kinnear, Michael Angarano and Julianne Moore — I thought this would be really cool, eclectic smaller film that would be a great experience. I really liked Craig [Zisk], the director, and the kind of direction they were going in. It had elements of comedy in there, which I have always wanted to experiment with, but then it also had this fun dramatic side.
THR: How did Du prepare for that?
LC: We did some rehearsals and I don’t know, I kind of went back to high school and thought about the girls that I remember being a little catty. Du know, cause I went to a real high school so I remember those. I just tried to channel that. We had conversations with Julianne and Craig and just trying to make sure that we got the tone right. It wasn’t necessarily like preparing like I did for Mortal Instruments, oder like I am for this other movie I’m doing in England where I have to do dialect stuff. It wasn’t preparation in that sense, but it was Mehr just making sure that I didn’t play her like a caricature and still giving her an arc.
THR: Was there anyone Du channeled when Du were developing that?
LC: No, no one specifically… but there were definitely girls who I was channeling in high school.
THR: You’ve been attached to Mortal Instruments through a lot of ups and downs. Was that ever disheartening to Du — and as an extension of that — how rewarding was it when Du finally got to film it?
LC: I’m a big believer that everything happens for a reason. I knew that Von it going through this process, it was gonna come out at the end of it with the appropriate team, the right people involved. I had been a firm believer in the story. I was a Fan before I was cast, so it’s something that I’ve been passionate about before really being involved in. I didn’t wanna pass up the opportunity to be able to play this heroine that I’ve admired and I just knew that I believed in the studio that has it, Constantin. I believe in the producers at Constantin and I know that they have a really good taste level when it comes to the creative side. I knew that they wouldn’t put it somewhere where it didn’t belong, so I just didn’t know with timing. I just prayed that it wouldn’t come to the time when they were ready to shoot and I was doing something else ‘cause I thought, “I can’t have it get to this point and then not be able to do it.” I was very fortunate of the timing of everything. I couldn’t be prouder of the project. I’m so excited for people to see it. I really think Harald [Zwart] did an amazing job of taking what could’ve been a CGI-heavy, action-packed reliant film and really made it about herz and character and emotion. Special effects are just the icing on top. I think, as well as hopefully pleasing the Fans of the series, we’re going to invite new people in and make them obsessed with the story as well.
THR: Are Du attached to star, sterne in the rest of the adaptations beyond City of Bones?
LC: Yes. I mean, it just depends on — Du kind of have to see how the first one goes. As with any potential franchise, Du just leave it up to kind of the Fans and to see what happens with the first one and Du hope. I signed on because I Liebe Clary and I would want to play her for as long as I can. At the end of the day, Du have to kind of step back and remove yourself and go, “OK, we’ll we just have to see what happens” and Du go along with the flow. I think all of us would really Liebe to play characters for as long as the Fans will have it.
THR: About a Jahr Vor Du were attached Rosaline, what happened with that project?
LC: We’re not focused on that right now. That’s kind of gone away a little bit.
THR: What are Du working on right now?
LC: Well I’ve got Stuck in Liebe coming out in June, which I’m really excited about. I’m filming a movie called Love, Rosie in May. We’re shooting it in Dublin and it’s based in England, so I get to play British, which I’m really excited about because that’s my Home and that’s my natural dialect. [Collins’ father is legendary Brit rocker Phil Collins.] It’s a romantic comedy, but it’s definitely a drama as well. It’s got a lot of heart, but it’s also very funny. Sam Claflin is starring opposite me, and I’m so excited because he’s so incredibly talented and hilarious. We’ve been doing some prep work on that, so I’m very, very excited for that one that’s next.
