Lily Collins admits the future of Emily On Paris wasn't guaranteed after season one.
The 36-year-old actress - who is returning as Emily Cooper in the upcoming fifth season of the Netflix hit - has reflected on the uncertainty in the world when the show first launched in October 2020.
She told Extra: "The show was delayed. It came out in COVID, we weren’t really sure what the future in filming TV or film would be. Would we get to come back together?
"And so, I think, like Ashley said, to even be saying five feels insane…
"We’re so incredibly grateful to get to all be together and revisit these characters and work with this crew and Netflix.”
Her co-star Ashley Park - who plays Mindy Chen - admitted she "can't believe" the juggernaut the show has become.
She added: "The fact that Netflix is global and the fact that truly people from maybe every country now has come up to us and felt very connected to these stories and characters, and it feels universal in that way is really special.”
Ashley, 34, also pointed to the enduring appeal of the show, which focuses on cities like Paris and Rome, where people discover themselves.
She said: "We associate romance with a partner or something like that, but I realise how many people I've met in both Paris and Rome, where people go there similar to Emily to kinda find themselves.
"I felt that in season one, and that's why it's a city that a lot of ex-pats go, both of them.
"It's that city that because of that historical nature and that romance of just the city itself, you kinda figure out how to fall in love with yourself as well."
Ashley recently revealed she is looking forward to watching the new season of the show for herself.
She told PEOPLE magazine: "It's definitely not goodbye because I don't think I've watched the full season yet. So I'm going to have to say hello to her again."
