Theupcoming sophomore seasonofEmily in Parisfeatures more diversity and inclusion, according to starLily Collins.
In a cover interview for the December issue ofELLE UK, which hits stands Thursday, Collins opened up about how the response to the first season of the Netflix show helped shape season 2, premiering in December.
“For me as Emily, but also as a producer on [the show], after season one, hearing people’s thoughts, concerns, questions, likes, dislikes, just feelings about it, there were certain things that spoke to the time that we’re living in and what’s right, and moral and correct and should be done,” said the actress, 32. “And [that was] something that I felt passionate about. [The producers] all believed in the same things.”
ELLE UK/ DANNY KASIRYE
Though some viewers enjoyed the show’s romantic escapism andhead-turning fashion moments, it alsosparked debatesover its cliché depiction of Paris and its people.
“I really wanted diversity and inclusion in front of and behind the camera to be something that we really put our focus on, in a lot of ways,” Collins toldELLE UK. “Hiring new people in front of the camera, also giving new storylines to different characters, which was really important.”
The actress, whomarried director Charlie McDowellin early September, didn’t disclose further details in regards to storylines, but a recent teaser for season 2 sheds some light on the plot. In the clip, Emily and her friends are seen escaping Paris for a French coastal getaway. “No, I’ll post it later,” Emily says, clutching her phone. “I’m on vacation.”
As for what shooting in Paris was like this time around, mid-pandemic, Collins toldELLE UKthe the city “was very empty when I first got there.”
“There weren’t any Americans around because they weren’t allowed,” she said. “So that felt even more strange, because the only accents you would hear were French — which was also really lovely.”
The isolation allowed Collins to feel like she was truly part of the city. “I definitely got to know it better this time around, just because I wasn’t taking a lot of public transport because of regulations for filming,” she said. “So I was walking a lot more. Charlie is great with directions and exploring and had marked places [to visit] all over Paris, even before I had the show. And so we were constantly walking and exploring. And, you know, our crew is all French. And so is most of our cast, except forAshley [Park, who plays Mindy] and I. So you get to experience another side of Paris with them.”
Season 2 ofEmily in Parispremieres Dec. 22 on Netflix.
source: people.com
