Celebs in the News: Lily Collins Is Our New Class' 'Ass-Kicking Girl Next Door'

With 'Mortal Instruments' and 'Snow White' still to come, the badass-yet-relatable actress is destined for mega-fame.
By Eric Ditzian, with reporting by Kara Warner

Lily Collins
Photo: MTV News

We called it way back in January: Lily Collins was an actress to watch in 2011.

At that point, her career was just heating up following a turn as Sandra Bullock's daughter in "The Blind Side." An impressive series of castings in high-profile films followed: "Priest," "Abduction" opposite Taylor Lautner and an adaptation of the best-selling YA series "The Mortal Instruments." A few months later, she landed the role of Snow White in Relativity Media's Julia Roberts-starring take on the fairy tale.

Collins is making good on our predictions, which is why we've selected her as part of our New Class — a collection of young talent about to rise to the top of Hollywood, including her "Mortal Instruments" co-star Jamie Campbell Bower. With her badass-yet-relatable roles, Collins is our New Class' "Ass-Kicking Girl Next Door."

Though she's had all of 2011 to get used to the spotlight, the whole celebrity thing continues to feel odd.

"It feels very surreal," she told us at the "Abduction" red carpet. "It's weird getting out of a car and people are saying my name. It's still a weird concept to me."

Give her time. Collins told us she'd like to model her career after Keira Knightley, Kate Winslet or Meryl Streep. "I like that none of them have stuck themselves in a box," she said. "They've done all sorts of roles — comedic, dramatic, they've gone from indies to big motion pictures. I love their choices."

And she's a fan of the New Class itself, which includes not only Bower, but Emma Watson, Josh Hutcherson, Julianne Hough and Nina Dobrev.

"It's an honor to be placed in the New Class of actors," Collins said. "I'm doing what I love, and I'm having the best time."

For more on all the up-and-comers who make up MTV's New Class, go to TheNewClass.MTV.com.

For young Hollywood news, fashion and "Twilight" updates around the clock, visit HollywoodCrush.MTV.com.

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