‘Emily in Paris’ Has Been ‘Weirdly Popular’ With a Very Specific Audience, Lily Collins Says
Emily in Paris might have been one of the most polarizing Netflix shows of 2020. On the one hand, audience members around the globe slammed the romantic comedy series for its portrayal of French stereotypes and lack of diversity. However, others found the titular character, Emily Cooper, to be incredibly charming. Despite criticisms, the show’s popularity skyrocketed — so much so that Netflix barely hesitated to order a season 2.
The opinions on Emily in Paris might differ around the world, but star Lily Collins knows one place where it has a consistently positive audience: in the sky. In a recent interview, the actor explained that she most often gets recognized for Emily in Paris on flights.
‘Emily in Paris’ didn’t initially go over well with every audience
While many Americans loved seeing the City of Lights through Emily’s eyes, the Darren Star vehicle didn’t quite receive the same enthusiasm from Parisians. Many French television critics and audience members pointed out the plethora of stereotypes displayed throughout Emily in Paris. In a nutshell, the first 10 episodes depicted the French as lazy, overly flirtatious, sexist, and rude. The show also offered a tourist eye’s view of France, as Emily only visited the most Instagrammable locations and didn’t make much effort to learn French culture.
According to Collins, that’s all going to change in season 2. After seeing the backlash with season 1, the actor and producer wanted Emily in Paris to do better. She told Glamour that fans will see those efforts in the new episodes.
“You really go into different areas of the city and see Emily trying a little harder and making an effort in her new city,” Collins said. “She’s really leaning into the environment and allowing herself to embrace it and become one with it.”
Lily Collins says ‘Emily in Paris’ has become a hit with flight attendants
Over time, Emily in Paris seemed to grow even more popular. Now, according to Collins, she’s more often recognized for the role in a positive light. During an appearance on Jimmy Kimmel Live! as seen above, the Love, Rosie star explained that Emily in Paris has proven to be “weirdly popular” with flight attendants.
“Every flight attendant recently has knelt down during the flight and said, ‘Do you want anything to drink? I just have to ask, is there a season two?'” she revealed.
This question always seemed to come when Collins was just about to go to sleep, making for some awkward interactions. Still, the actor said it’s always “so funny.”
Collins couldn’t quite explain why Emily in Paris has found its audience in flight attendants — she suggested they could be “binging it in the back” — but she’s grateful for the love either way.
Fans in Paris have started to recognize Lily Collins and co-star Ashley Park
Paris has also seemingly warmed up to Emily’s antics. Collins told Kimmel that she and her co-star, Ashley Park, went out in the city during season 2 filming and received love from plenty of French fans.
“When Ashley and I go out, we’re kind of like Mindy and Emily in that we’re very loud,” she said. “People are like, ‘Oh my god, are you Mindy and Emily?'”
Collins added that filming felt different this time around, as they didn’t get to meet many fans during season 1 because of the coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic.
“We experienced season one coming out in COVID, so we weren’t outside at all,” she added. “No one really had time to interact with us, or we didn’t know if it was hitting well with audiences. When we went back to Paris, we just found that we had to be more, like, quiet because we couldn’t go anywhere without talking and amping each other up. It was fun, though.”
Emily in Paris Season 2 premieres on Netflix on Dec. 22.
