ROME (AP) 鈥� First Paris, now Rome and next Barcelona 鈥� is taking on two more European cities.
As the she鈥檚 been playing the unlucky-in-love marketing executive, breaking hearts (including her own) in France for the past three seasons of the Netflix show.
That changes in part two of when, in her usual dramatic fashion, Emily heads to Italy. The cast, including Philippine Leroy-Beaulieu, Lucas Bravo, and Camille Razat, were all in Rome this week to premiere the new episodes releasing Thursday. Getting away from Paris is something there might be more of in future seasons, as writer and creator says he鈥檚 happy to take this show on the road.
Although he rules out changing the title.
鈥淣o, it鈥檚 鈥楨mily in Paris,鈥欌�� says Star. 鈥淏ut Emily can have experiences in other cities and I think Rome is a part of the show now. It really is.鈥�
Barcelona comes into play this October when Collins makes her West End debut opposite of in a stage thriller named after the Spanish city.
Luckily, has helped give the actor the boost to become a leading lady on the stage.
鈥淚t did give me a bit more confidence, an understanding of performing in front of a large crowd this year,鈥� Collins says. 鈥淚t just ironically happened to be the year that I would then be doing theater right after.鈥�
In a recent interview with The Associated Press in Rome, Collins explains why it鈥檚 the right time for her London stage debut and how filming in Rome allowed her to channel Audrey Hepburn鈥檚 on-screen Italian adventure in 鈥淩oman Holiday.鈥� It has been edited for brevity and clarity.
AP: Would you ever play
COLLINS: Yes. I mean, I love her. There is no ever replicating her, but she is someone that I鈥檝e grown up admiring.
AP: There were two distinct nods to her (in part two) 鈥� 鈥淩oman Holiday鈥� and 鈥淐harade鈥� 鈥� did I miss anything?
COLLINS: No, I think those were (the) two. 鈥淩oman Holiday鈥� 鈥� there鈥檚 an essence of her the whole time. Because if you鈥檙e here 鈥� how can you not, you know?
AP: What was it like filming those scenes around Rome with the Vespa鈥�
COLLINS: Stunning.
AP: I imagine you had to go round quite a few times?
COLLINS: We went around so many times, which was funny because then tourists, of course, are noticing that there鈥檚 this massive machine and then a car with a Vespa attached to it. And then we are going on an actual Vespa. But then there鈥檚 also the transport vehicle. So like, what are they filming? And then once they figured out it was our show, it was fun.
It was also surreal because you鈥檙e going around the Colosseum and everything in Rome is beautiful and ancient. And I was pinching myself, but it was amazing to be able to I鈥檇 been to Paris before the show, so playing (Emily) who was coming to it fresh, was a character. Whereas this time, I鈥檇 been to Rome but never fully explored or been here for a long period of time. So it was a whole new adventure, but genuinely for me as well. And it was more of a vacation mode for Emily, which I was happy for her. I was like, 鈥淵ou go, girl. You get a little vacay.鈥�
AP: Do you think this could continue?
COLLINS: I definitely hope so. We鈥檙e just, you know, waiting (crosses her fingers). But it would be really nice to explore more of Italy. I think there鈥檚 so much here. But I don鈥檛 know.
AP: I want to ask you about moving from the TV show to theater.
COLLINS: I鈥檓 very excited. But of course, I鈥檓 also nervous. And it鈥檚 a whole new world for me. I did theater as a kid, but this is something I鈥檝e been dreaming of my whole life. And the West End is the West End. But it really feels just surreal and I love my team that we鈥檙e working with. I think it鈥檚 a beautiful, beautiful script. And the theater is one of a kind, I love (Theatre) and our director (Lynette Linton). It鈥檚 a wonderful, wonderful group.
AP: So that鈥檚 Lily in Barcelona.
COLLINS: Yes exactly (laughing). All the different cities around Europe.
AP: How does it fit in around your TV work and the show?
COLLINS: It鈥檚 all about timing as well because ... doing theater is something I鈥檝e always wanted to do. But it is a time commitment that when you鈥檙e doing something like 鈥淓mily in Paris,鈥� that is also the biggest time commitment. It鈥檚 making sure that it fits in at the right time. But it also isn鈥檛 just about that. It鈥檚 the project. When I read 鈥淏arcelona,鈥� I went, 鈥淭his is it.鈥� And, 鈥淗ow do I make this happen? What time do we have? How do we make it happen with the theater?鈥� You know? So it was a bit of a Tetris-type of thing, but to me it鈥檚 a different medium, it鈥檚 a different skill set, it鈥檚 a different experience.
This season, because 鈥淓mily in Paris鈥� is more known, when you鈥檙e out and about in the streets, it does become a bit of live theater because you can鈥檛 control people watching all the time. And so sometimes there are scenes, when you鈥檙e near (Emily鈥檚) apartment building or or you鈥檙e in the mountains skiing, where there鈥檚 hundreds of people that just show up to watch. And so it is a bit like theater. You are performing for an audience that weirdly doesn鈥檛 know the storyline, though, so it鈥檚 a little bit the same and a little bit different. It鈥檚 like, 鈥淏ut you won鈥檛 see this for a few months, so please don鈥檛 spoil it!鈥� Whereas with theater, it鈥檚 in the moment.
Hilary Fox (), The Associated Press
