Lily Collins Says Her Emily in Paris Character Is This Age—And People Are Confused

UPDATE: October 17, 2020 at 7:40am ET

Emily In Paris? More Like Emily Embarrassed. Series star Lily Collins just admitted that she got her character's age wrong in that British Vogue interview. In an Instagram story posted on Friday, Collins shared a GIF of her character giving a side-eye with the message, “Emily looking at me when I get her age wrong 😂Sorry girl.” Perhaps referencing criticism from viewers that the character is a tad naive, Collins also wrote, “You might not be 22, but I gotta say - you do act like it sometimes!!!”

Finding humor in the Internet's collective love-hate obsession with the series, the actress also shared posts from @Expatriates_Magazine gently mocking Emily for being the most touristy American abroad. Honestly, we kind of wish Emily actually was a 22-year-old with a Master's, like some studious savant who'd grown up in an academic bubble and had literally zero real-world experience. It would make the show make more sense in certain ways, no?

ORIGINAL STORY: October 16, 2020 at 8:12am ET--

Lily Collins has stirred up yet another Emily in Paris controversy. Seriously, this show has been the subject of so much internet debate since it started streaming on Netflix. From discussions about whether or not it’s actually good and who might hook up in the future to outrage over the treatment of the character Camille, there’s always something to talk about.

The latest subject of conversation: Exactly how old is the titular Emily? In a recent interview with British Vogue, Collins—who is 31 in real life—gave her opinion on the matter. “I don't believe we’ve ever given her a specific ‘number’ for her age, but I believe that she’s pretty fresh out of college,” she said. “Maybe this is her first year after graduation. I want to say she’s like, 22-ish.”

Collins continued, “She’s had enough experience at her company in Chicago to have earned the respect of her boss. She’s a smart cookie and really innovative—and this is not her first rodeo doing what she does. She’s gone to school for this, and she’s completed internships. However, she’s not the person who traveled during college. She was really, really focused on her jobs in the Midwest, and I don’t think she’s been abroad.”

Um, what? The premise of this show—a.k.a. Emily is tapped to move to Paris for a year after her boss (Kate Walsh) gets pregnant and decides not to go—is already a real stretch for those of us who’ve actually had jobs in the world. But a fresh-out-of-college assistant getting the gig? That makes even less sense. Much about the show is fantastical, which is totally fine! But come on, there’s no way this could be true. She has a master’s degree!

People on social media have thoughts. “Um ⁦@lilycollins⁩, I’m not sure how to tell you this but a 22-year-old with a master’s degree AND relevant work experience is either a genius who graduated college at 18 or is lying about her age...” one person tweeted. “So she’s 22 with a master’s degree in communications or marketing? No one noticed how many times they changed her master’s degree? I know it’s fiction but doesn’t make sense irl,” another added. A third posted, “Emily has a MASTER’S DEGREE she is not 22!!!! Lily Collins plz.”

The low-stakes debates over Emily in Paris certainly are a great way to take a short break from the more serious issues of the day, and for that we’re grateful. Thank you, internet. Keep it up.

Originally Appeared on Glamour