How Lily Collins ensured she'd land Audrey Hepburn role over Ariana Grande with a sneaky 10-year plan

When Lily Collins announced she's set to play Audrey Hepburn in an upcoming biopic it sparked outrage from furious Ariana Grande fans. 

Supporters of the singer claimed Ariana was 'born to play the role', however, it is Lily who has been dedicating the past few years to securing her dream part. 

For the past decade, Lily has been paying homage to Audrey, gushing over the late actress in interviews and sneakily copying her iconic looks without anyone realising.

Now the hard work has paid off, with Lily, 36, cast in a film about the making of Audrey's famous 1961 film Breakfast At Tiffany's.

Announcing her new role, Lily shared on Instagram: 'It's with almost 10 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…' 

Within her subtle campaign to play the part, Lily has been paying homage to Audrey by recreating her style and onscreen looks in Netflix's Emily In Paris. 

Lily's first nod to Audrey appears in episode one of the hit series when her character Emily Cooper is invited to see a performance of Swan Lake.

She can be seen on the grand lobby staircase dressed in a gorgeous off-the-shoulder black dress with dazzling ballet bumps – a spitting image of Audrey's 1957 moment in Funny Face.

The stair scene marks the first of many Audrey references in Emily In Paris as part of Lily's campaign to be cast.

In the promotional poster for the fourth season, Lily is dressed in a glamorous red satin gown with matching opera gloves.

It's a carbon copy of Audrey's 'Take the picture' scene in Funny Face, which saw her stun in a dramatic red gown and white opera gloves.

The lookalike actresses both wore their brunette tresses in a neat bun, with dainty silver earrings as they were captured on a staircase.

In another nod, Lily copies Audrey's 1963 look from murder-mystery romcom Charade, which saw her pose against the snowy mountains in black sunglasses and a faux-fur coat and hat.

Lily's costume designer on Emily In Paris, Marylin Fitoussi, previously revealed she got the exact pair of Pierre Marly glasses Audrey wore. 

In episode three, eagle-eyed viewers may have spotted Lily's character channeling Audrey's 1964 My Fair Lady look.

Emily wore a black-and-white stripe ensemble and dramatic hat to the masquerade ball as she recreated Audrey's look.

After many subtle tributes, an episode in season four was titled 'Roman Holiday' in a nod to Audrey's cosplay which had the same moniker.

Emily is dressed in virtually the same outfit as Audrey, with a voluminous midi skirt, white short-sleeved shirt and neck scarf.

Lily certainly has had practice in playing Audrey in Breakfast at Tiffany's.

In Emily In Paris, she wears an oversized white shirt the morning after she stays the night with Marcello – a nod to Audrey's scene.

Proving she was born to play Audrey, Lily once again used her as inspiration for a photoshoot with Harper's Bazaar UK in 2023. 

She looked chic in a black strapless dress and matching long gloves, copying Audrey's classic Breakfast At Tiffany's look. She also appears in stylish hat and veil – echoing the screen icon in 1963's Charade.

The Love, Rosie star previously discussed her admiration for Audrey and praised her 'timeless features, elegance and charm'.

Audrey, who died aged 63 in 1993, was considered one of the greatest stars of Hollywood's Golden Age, winning an Oscar for her role in Roman Holiday, and going on to star in films Funny Face, Sabrina and Breakfast At Tiffany's.

She played the character Holly Golightly, a young New York socialite who becomes interested in a young man new to her apartment building, only for her past to threaten to come between the two.

The film landed Audrey a nomination for Best Actress at the 1962 Oscars, and was nominated for five awards in total.

Lily's upcoming movie is based on Sam Wasson's book Fifth Avenue, 5 A.M.: Audrey Hepburn, Breakfast At Tiffany's And The Dawn Of The Modern Woman, which is credited as the first complete account of the making of one of Audrey's most famous films. 

Despite Lily's uncanny resemblance to the late actress, fans are still claiming Ariana would have been the better fit.

Following news of the casting, many of Ariana's fans expressed their upset that she hadn't landed the role.

They wrote on X: 'ARIANA GRANDE WAS THERE FOR THIS ROLE I DON'T UNDERSTAND THE CHOICE;

'Ariana Grande right now after changing her look and personality trying to get cast as Audrey; Someone check on Ari...;

'WTF!!! Ariana was BORN to play Audrey!!!;

'BUT ARIANA HAVE THE FACE AND SHE'S SO TALENTED FOR PLAY LEGEND AUDREY HEPBURN;

'They're dead wrong for not casting Ariana knowing she's literally transformed her whole image after Audrey.'

Ariana earned critical praise for her turn as Glinda in Wicked, and Wicked: For Good, opposite Cynthia Erivo as Elphaba.

The singer will next star in the sequel Focker-In-Law, the fourth film in the famous franchise, and will be kicking off her Eternal Sunshine tour in June.

Meanwhile, season five of Lily's Emily In Paris was released on Netflix in December, and saw Emily split her time between her beloved Paris and Rome as she juggles a new relationship and the responsibility of opening Agence Grateau's office in the Italian city.

The show has already been renewed for a sixth season, and it's expected to be released later this year.