Following her breakout in Good One, the actor reimagines one of the most iconic roles of the '90s with confidence and curiosity.

PHOTOGRAPHY Emily Soto
STYLED BY: Calvy Click
Lily Collias didn’t know what to think after auditioning for the new Apple TV limited series Cape Fear. She did her callback over Zoom from Paris, where she was staying in an Airbnb with her mom after the Louis Vuitton Fall/Winter 2025 show last March. “I kept pacing back and forth, going, I did really well,” says the 21-year-old Los Angeles native, whose breakthrough role was in the 2024 drama Good One. “I felt like I could confidently walk away from it knowing I put my best foot forward.” Eventually, Collias got the call from her agent, who asked how she felt about working with Amy Adams, Javier Bardem, and Patrick Wilson. “I was like, Ummm, I guess I feel pretty good?”
Adams and Wilson portray Collias’s onscreen parents, a married lawyer couple, in Apple TV’s reimagining of the 1962 and 1991 Cape Fear films. All three versions follow a similar premise: a convicted rapist is released from prison and begins terrorizing the family of his former defense attorney. “I had known the ’91 version as my parents’ worst nightmare,” says Collias. “I remember watching it in my living room as a kid and being really scared.” She describes the new series as a continuation of that story, updated with modern technology and expanded into a 10-episode format.
Even her character’s name, Natalie, has been changed from the ’91 version’s Danielle, whose portrayal by Juliette Lewis earned her an Academy Award nomination. “When I think of Juliette Lewis, I think of the ultimate rock star,” says Collias. “I didn’t realize Cape Fear was what put her into that place. It’s overwhelming to think about. I was like, How do I even try to do this?”

She began by channeling Lewis’s look. “There’s an aspect of secrecy to the character that’s almost physical, so I decided to do the bangs since they add to her hidden quality,” she says. “That was my ode to Juliette, but after that I had to let it go—otherwise, I would have been constantly comparing.” To her surprise, Collias’s manager tracked down an original poster from the ’91 film and had it signed by Lewis, who wrote a “really sweet” note encouraging her to make the role her own. “We’ve kept in touch, and she’s been such a guiding light,” she says.
On set, Collias found another mentor in Adams. “Amy was such a powerhouse—so strong and compassionate, and always willing to do what was needed for the scenes,” she says. “I turn to her a lot and love her deeply.” Adams joins a growing list of Collias’s onscreen mothers, including her Roofman costar Kirsten Dunst, “the ultimate cool girl” with whom she bonded while filming the 2025 crime comedy. “Kirsten thought I was cool and wanted to hang out with me, which was the biggest compliment ever,” says Collias. “But it’s such a blessing to be around and learn from her and Amy, because they lead with their hearts. I feel very grateful to call them when I need guidance. It’s an overwhelming industry, and I’m privileged to turn to people I admire on a human level.”

Next up, Collias will star alongside Nicole Kidman, Heather Graham, Lola Tung, and Nico Parker in the horror film The Young People. “It was my favorite script I had ever read,” she says. “It’s very stylized, almost like a different world of Heathers, which is what first made me love darker films. In middle school, I would rent it for 24 hours, watch it as many times as I could, and then do it all over again the next week.”
These days, Collias’s plans look a bit different. She’s trying to book a summer getaway with Tung and Parker—“Lola and Nico are my girls,” she says—and looking forward to reading and spending time in nature. She’s also keeping one thing from Cape Fear: the bangs she cut for the role. “I like how they look, and it’s overwhelming to think about growing them out,” she says. “But, god, are they a bitch to take care of.”

HAIR: Rachel Polycarpe FORWARD ARTISTS&nbsp;
MAKEUP: Mollie Gloss FORWARD ARTISTS&nbsp;

How Lily Collias Made 'Cape Fear' Her Own

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