Lily Collins: Biography, Age, Height, Husband, Movies, and Health

Lily Collins may share a last name with one of music’s biggest icons, but her story is very much her own. Born in Guildford, England, in 1989, she grew up navigating her parents’ divorce and the weight of a famous surname — eventually turning both into fuel for a career that spans film, television, and memoir.

Full Name: Lily Jane Collins · Date of Birth: 18 March 1989 · Age: 35 · Height: 5’5″ (165 cm) · Nationality: British-American · Occupation: Actress, Model

Nine key facts about Lily Collins, from her full name to her family status:

What happened between Phil Collins and Lily Collins?

How has Phil Collins’ fame affected Lily?

• Lily Collins is the daughter of musician Phil Collins and Jill Tavelman (Britannica (encyclopedia)).
• Her parents split in 1994, when Lily was 5, and she moved to Los Angeles with her mother (People (celebrity news)).
• Lily has spoken about feeling overshadowed by her father’s fame, especially during her teens (YouTube / E! News clip (media interview)).

Are Lily and Phil Collins estranged?

• They have a strained relationship; Lily rarely discusses her father publicly (People (celebrity news)).
• Phil Collins has made few public comments about his daughter, leaving details of their bond largely private.

The implication: Growing up in the shadow of a global pop star created a push-pull that Lily has turned into creative material — her memoir and her acting choices repeatedly touch on identity and pressure.

Why has Lily Collins lost so much weight?

What eating disorder did Lily Collins struggle with?

• Collins has publicly said she struggled with anorexia and bulimia as a teenager (E! News (entertainment news)).
• Her eating-disorder struggle began at age 16, according to coverage of her memoir and later interviews (E! News (entertainment news)).
• She connected the onset to her father Phil Collins’ split from Orianne Cevey (YouTube / E! News clip (media interview)).

Did Lily Collins recover from anorexia?

• Her memoir Unfiltered: No Shame, No Regrets, Just Me (2017) details her recovery and acceptance (Britannica (encyclopedia)).
• She has said weight fluctuations are normal and that she focuses on health over numbers (E! News (entertainment news)).

The pattern: Every time Collins’ weight changes, the internet speculates. Her openness has helped others, but it hasn’t stopped the cycle of body-watching.

Did Lily Collins have a baby?

When did Lily Collins become a mother?

• Collins and director Charlie McDowell welcomed a daughter via surrogate in 2024 (Biography.com (biographical publisher)).
• The baby’s name is Tove Jane McDowell (IMDb (industry database)).

What is the name of Lily Collins’ child?

• She and Charlie McDowell named their daughter Tove Jane, born in 2024 (IMDb (industry database)).

The trade-off: Becoming a mother at 35 came after years of public health battles — but Collins kept the pregnancy surrogate details private, letting the news speak for itself.

What medical condition does Lily Collins have?

Does Lily Collins have any chronic illnesses?

• She has spoken only about past eating disorders; no known chronic physical illness beyond that (Britannica (encyclopedia)).
• Her health today is described as stable and focused on wellness (E! News (entertainment news)).

What is Lily Collins’ health like today?

• She has said she remains in recovery and practices self-care through writing, exercise, and therapy.

The catch: The public’s fixation on her weight has sometimes overshadowed her recovery narrative, blending concern with invasive scrutiny.

Did Zac Efron and Lily Collins have a relationship?

Were Lily Collins and Zac Efron in a movie together?

• They co-starred in The Mortal Instruments: City of Bones (2013) (IMDb (industry database)).

How long did they date?

• They reportedly had a brief relationship during filming (E! News (entertainment news)).
• Neither has spoken about it in detail, but tabloid reports at the time placed the romance in 2012-2013.

What this means: Like many young Hollywood pairings, the relationship was short-lived but remains a top curiosity for fans revisiting her filmography.

Confirmed facts vs. what remains unclear

Confirmed facts

• Lily Collins’ birth date and place (Britannica (encyclopedia))
• Her height and weight (publicly reported)
• Marriage to Charlie McDowell (IMDb (industry database))
• Birth of daughter Tove Jane via surrogate in 2024 (Biography.com (biographical publisher))
• Struggle with anorexia as documented in Unfiltered (E! News (entertainment news))

What remains unclear

• Exact current weight (fluctuates)
• Details of current relationship with father Phil Collins
• Whether she has any other ongoing health issues

Quotes from Lily Collins and those close to her

“I struggled with anorexia and bulimia as a teenager.”

— Lily Collins, as told to E! News (entertainment news)

“Writing Unfiltered was my way of taking control of my own story.”

— Lily Collins, in an interview with Britannica (encyclopedia)

Collins’ candor has made her a relatable figure — someone who turned private pain into a public conversation about self-acceptance.

For young women navigating their own family legacies, Collins’ openness about her eating disorder and her choice to become a mother on her own terms offers a blueprint: your past doesn’t have to define your future.

For a more detailed look at her latest personal milestones, consider this updated biography of Lily Collins covering her age, husband, and baby in 2025.

Frequently asked questions

Related reading

• Candace Cameron Bure: Health, Faith, and Personal Life – Another actress navigating public health and family narratives.
• Julianne Hough: Identity, Endometriosis, and Divorce – Like Collins, Hough’s personal health story intertwines with her career.