EXCLUSIVE: Lily Collins Sparks Anorexia Fears as She Takes on 'Hugely Pressured' Role of Pin-Thin Audrey Hepburn
Lily Collins' new role may come at a price.
Feb. 25 2026, Published 7:00 p.m. ET
Lily Collins is stepping into one of Hollywood's most delicate high-wire acts – portraying Audrey Hepburn – and insiders have told RadarOnline.com the starlet faces intense pressure over her appearance as she takes on the role of the famously slender star.
Collins, 36, best known for playing the fashion-forward lead in Emily in Paris, has been cast as Hepburn in an upcoming biopic about the making of the 1961 classic Breakfast at Tiffany's.
Collins has landed the lead role in an upcoming film about Hepburn.
The as-yet-untitled film is based on Sam Wasson's non-fiction book Fifth Avenue, 5am: Audrey Hepburn, Breakfast At Tiffany's And The Dawn Of The Modern Woman, which chronicles the cultural impact and behind-the-scenes drama of the film. The screenplay is being written by Alena Smith, creator of Apple TV+'s Dickinson.
Hepburn, who died in 1993 at 63 from a rare form of appendix cancer, was ranked by the American Film Institute as the third-greatest female screen legend of classical Hollywood cinema.
Lily Collins 'Honored' to Be Compared to Legend
The film explores the behind-the-scenes drama of the 1961 classic 'Breakfast at Tiffany's.'
Announcing the casting on Instagram, Collins said: "It's with almost ten years of development and a lifetime of admiration and adoration for Audrey that I'm finally able share this. Honored and ecstatic don't begin to express how I feel."
The daughter of Genesis musician Phil Collins, 75, she has long cited Hepburn as a personal and professional inspiration, previously naming Funny Face and Sabrina among her favorite films.
In a 2014 newspaper interview, Lily said of Hepburn: "In her films, her smile and her eyes said it all. She could convey strong emotions without even opening her mouth. For an actress, being able to express something without talking is the most powerful thing you can do. And she was so elegant... I've always been rather fascinated by her personality, as her character."
Lily went on: "Of course, she's sublime and iconic, and I'm very honored to be compared to her, but I am in no way trying to be the next Audrey Hepburn. At any rate, no one can be the next Audrey Hepburn!"
The actress cited Hepburn as a lifelong inspiration in a previous interview.
But the physical transformation required to portray Hepburn – who embodied a gamine, ultra-slender silhouette in Breakfast at Tiffany's – has sparked concern among some observers.
One source close to the production said, "This is a hugely pressured role. Audrey's image is so specific – the tiny waist, the swan neck, the elfin frame. Lily is naturally slim, but there is anxiety about how far she might feel compelled to go to match that ideal, and there are even fears the regime required to get it right could veer into anorexia-style territory."
Another industry insider said, "There is enormous scrutiny whenever someone plays a cultural icon, especially one so associated with a particular body type. The hope is that the focus remains on performance, not body measurements."
'Lily Worships Audrey'
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Collins has often adopted Hepburn-inspired fashion during red carpet appearances.
Hepburn's turn as Holly Golightly opposite George Peppard in Breakfast at Tiffany's earned her a Best Actress nomination at the 1962 Oscars. The film, based on Truman Capote's 1958 novella, grossed $14million at the box office – roughly $152million today – and won Academy Awards for Henry Mancini's score and for best original song for Moon River, performed by Hepburn.
Lily's casting continues a long personal connection to Hepburn's legacy. She has frequently adopted Hepburn-inspired fashion on red carpets and in photo shoots, and her Emily in Paris character often nods to the star's classic style.
A source said, "Lily worships Audrey. She sees this not just as a job, but as a tribute. That admiration is what's driving her – not a desire to chase an impossible standard."
Another insider added, "It's an iconic part, and with that comes pressure. But Lily is approaching it with respect and caution. She understands the responsibility of portraying someone so beloved."
