Lily Collins made sure to give her father, Phil Collins, a shout-out on Sunday, January 30, as it was his 71st birthday!
“Happy birthday, Dad. I may no longer fit in your arms or sit comfortably on your shoulders but you continue to hug me tightly when I need it most. We may not get to spend time together that often but when we are face to face, you really do see me,” the Emily in Paris star, 32, captioned a throwback photo via Instagram. “You may not always believe it but please trust me when I say, no matter how old I get or what life may bring, I will always need you. Whether I’m proudly watching you up on stage, laughing at home together playing trivial pursuit, I’m forever grateful for the moments and memories we share.”
She concluded, “Especially the ones I now cherish as an adult myself. Thank you for inspiring me and supporting the woman I am today. I love you to the moon and back again…”
Of course, people loved the sweet gesture. Collins’ husband, Charlie McDowell wrote, “Love you both! HBD Phil,” while the actress’ bestie Ashley Park simply left some heart emojis.
McDowell’s mother, actress Mary Steenburgen, added, “Love this photo!!!!!! How darling! Happy Birthday, Phil!!!!!”
When the brunette beauty was starting out in showbiz, she didn’t want people to know who her dad was.
“I so badly wanted to always fight that, because it wasn’t the place that I was coming from,” she told Glamour U.K.
“When I was younger, trying to start my journey into the entertainment world, I was told by quite a few people, ‘Well, what makes you special? There’s so many different siblings and family members and people out there. Why you?’” she recalled of how it was tough to begin her career.
Collins eventually found her way, and now she is happy to have her father’s guidance.
“I’m so incredibly proud of what my surname represents, for what my dad’s done. And I’m an incredibly proud daughter, but I am going on my own path, my own journey. I didn’t want to change my last name,” she declared. “And so I am really proud of where I am today because I know how hard I work.”
