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Audrey Hepburn fans have mixed reactions to Lily Collins being cast as the iconic actress in an upcoming movie about the making of Breakfast at Tiffany’s.
“It’s with almost 10 years of development and a lifetime of admiration and adoration for Audrey that I’m finally able share this,” Collins, 36, wrote via Instagram on Monday, February 23, alongside a Deadline article about her casting. “Honored and ecstatic don’t begin to express how I feel.”
Friends of Collins celebrated the news in the comments section, with many noting that Collins is a perfect fit for the role due to her resemblance to Hepburn, who died in 1993 at age 63.
“I SWEAR TO GOD. I’VE BEEN SAYING THIS SINCE THE MOMENT WE MET!!! YESSSS!!!!!!🙌🙌🙌,” Modern Family actress Sarah Hyland commented.
Pretty Little Liars star Lucy Hale added, “Absolutely born for this 👏 so happy for you.”
Collins’ Emily in Paris costar Ashley Park wrote, “ESSSSSSS OFFICIALLLL BABYYYYY😍.”
On X, many fans of Hepburn debated whether or not Collins is the right fit for the role.
“Can Lily Collins really match the timeless elegance of Audrey Hepburn in Breakfast at Tiffany’s? 👀,” one person wrote.
Another user added, “Lily Collins is genuinely one of the few people who could pull this off without it feeling like cosplay. she has that same effortless elegance that made Hepburn iconic in the first place. the resemblance is almost unsettling.”
A third fan argued, “Seriously? They couldn’t find someone more fitting than her? This feels off.”
Many critics of the casting had hoped that Ariana Grande would portray Hepburn. (Grande, 32, has cited Hepburn as one of her fashion influences.)
In January 2025, the Wicked actress addressed rumors that she was set to play Hepburn in an upcoming biopic.
“Oh my goodness, why is everyone asking me this? You’re insane!” Grande told Access Hollywood at the time.
In a separate interview with Entertainment Tonight, Grande added of potentially playing Hepburn, “That would have to be done so well and so perfectly … I don’t know.”
Back in 2024, Collins’ father-in-law, Malcolm McDowell, compared the Emily in Paris star to Hepburn.
Could Wicked star Ariana Grande take on the role of Audrey Hepburn in an upcoming biopic? If you ask the actress herself, the answer is probably not. Grande was asked the question while speaking to Access Hollywood at the National Board of Review’s annual gala Tuesday, January 7. “Oh my goodness, why is everyone asking […]
“Lily is absolutely a star,” he told People at the time. “I’m in awe of her work. I think she’s one of the best young actresses around. I love watching her — she’s got that Audrey Hepburn kind of thing going, which is indefinable in a way, but it’s there.”
Hepburn rose to fame in the 1953 romantic comedy Roman Holiday. She went on to star in several famous films, including Sabrina (1954), Funny Face (1957) The Nun’s Story (1959), Charade (1963) and My Fair Lady (1964).
In 1961, Hepburn starred in the romantic comedy Breakfast at Tiffany’s, which follows socialite Holly Golightly as she meets a struggling writer who moves into her apartment building. Hepburn was nominated for Best Actress at that year’s Academy Awards for her role in the film.
Today, Hepburn is known as both a film and fashion icon.
