Lily-Rose Depp — daughter of actor Johnny Depp and French singer and model Vanessa Paradis
— may give off an air of untouchable coolness. But deep down inside, she's just a regular
twenty-something, even if she is a rich and famous one. Here's why Lily-Rose is seriously
turning heads.
Unlike most of her peers, Lily-Rose spent many of her formative years in Europe, where
her mom Vanessa instilled in her daughter the importance of being true to oneself and
having confidence. The iconic model was speaking from experience of course, having raised eyebrows
following the release of her 1987 song "Joe le Taxi," in which a youngster cavorts with
an older man, which was followed up by a now-infamous Chanel commercial several years later, in
which Paradis appeared as a Lolita-style pin-up. Lily-Rose told The Face,
"People were truly horrible to her. It was a different time. […] Women weren't as celebrated
for being comfortable in their [sensuality]."
When she was asked whether she'd ever consider following in her mom's boundary-pushing footsteps,
Lily-Rose mused,
"I'm French. […] I was raised by a French mother who taught me that there was nothing
shameful about your body."
Most of us have embarrassing baby photos we hope will never see the light of day, but
Lily-Rose has one that could easily end up in a fashion magazine. The Face made reference
to an old shot of the star wearing little more than a diaper and a pair of her mother's
Chanel heels, posing up a storm and looking effortlessly cool. In the early '90s, a young
Lily-Rose often accompanied her mother to fittings at Chanel. She described the experience,
telling Vogue Australia,
"[It was] so exciting and magical, and she was trying on all the amazing dresses. She
used to say hi to Karl [Lagerfeld . […] He was so sweet, down-to-earth and really caring."
"My mom has so much Chanel that she's had for so many years and kept and so it really
is kind of a goldmine when I go into her closet."
Lily-Rose continues to have a fondness for the French label, telling The Face she even
spritzes a little Chanel Number 5 just to wear around the house.
When the call to work for Chanel finally came, Lily-Rose's grandmother worked as her manager
just as she had for her own daughter, Vanessa. It was 2015, and the still unknown Lily-Rose
was elated and surprised she had been chosen. She told The Face,
"I called the team that I now know pretty well, that I love so much. I talked to them,
talked to Karl, and it was just a really special moment for me."
"Myself and, y'know, a lot of women that I know, when they wear Chanel they feel very
feminine, very beautiful and very sexy, but at the same time very strong."
Having admired the luxury brand — and particularly Lagerfeld — for so long, being asked to
front a campaign felt like a homecoming to the young model. She shared with Vogue Hong
Kong,
"Chanel feels like a family in a way that no other working relationship ever has. I've
known the whole team since I was little and to be able to work with them now is a huge
point of pride for me. The work is great, but the people behind it make it really special."
Depp has credited her relationship with the late Lagerfeld for essentially kick-starting
her career.
Despite growing up with two massive celebrities as parents, Lily-Rose enjoyed a relatively
normal upbringing. As she told Vogue Australia, it was entirely by design as neither of her
parents had any interest in throwing their daughter into the spotlight. She told the
outlet,
"My parents have always wanted me to have as normal of a life as possible and have really
taught me to value privacy and your personal life."
Given the difficult time her mother had with the press, Lily-Rose learned early on that
fame can be a double-edged sword. Although she's active on Instagram and is frequently
snapped by the paparazzi, the star understands the importance of setting boundaries. She
added,
"There's definitely something to be said about not giving everything away. […] I am okay
with sharing and knowing what I want for myself."
Given that she's just recently entered her twenties, Lily-Rose has spent much of her
life online. But, despite how much she enjoys allowing fans a window into her life, the
actress and model is quick to clarify that her Instagram feed doesn't show the whole
picture. She explained to Hello,
"People have the impression they know who I am. But I am someone who is very secretive,
very discreet. […] I'm a homebody, I don't go out much."
Far from partying every night or showing up on every red carpet in town, Lily-Rose actually
prefers staying in and just hanging out with the people closest to her. Besides, as she
told Vogue Australia,
"I like Instagram, but I don't think it's really healthy for me to be constantly on
social media. And that's for the best."
She may be one of the most recognizable faces of young Hollywood, but Lily-Rose didn't always
envision herself gracing the silver screen. In fact, her very first role in Kevin Smith's
horror comedy Tusk, happened by chance. Smith's daughter, Harley Quinn, had a small role in
the film and suggested Lily-Rose — her real-life BFF — play her on-screen pal. Having deftly
stolen the show as snarky convenience store clerks, Lily-Rose told Interview,
"First, I didn't think my parents were going to let me. […] When I first heard about
it I was like, 'That sounds so cool, I wish I could do it.' […] It was super last minute
but that's what made it so much fun."
"You livMe on your phones. You have no idea how to function like normal people in the
real world. Miss Wicklund, this isn't the real world. This is Canada."
The actresses made such a splash, they went on to appear in their own spin-off, Yoga Hosers
. Lily-Rose's first experience with the acting was obviously a good one — and she was hooked.
Vanessa Paradis is an icon — and there may be no one who's more aware of that than her
daughter. Aside from honoring her mother's legacy with her spirit, Lily-Rose quite literally
followed in her mom's footsteps in a stunningly chic photoshoot for CR Fashion Book. Photographer
Steven Klein snapped the then 18-year-old Lily-Rose, evoking the photos he had captured
of her mother when she was a similar age. In an interview for the magazine, Lily-Rose
discussed recreating her mother's ultra cool legacy, revealing,
"I got to show a little more skin. […] I had just turned 18, so I was ready to up the
ante."
This self-confessed homebody may not be interested in courting the limelight or staying out all
night, but in keeping with nearly every other woman on earth, Lily-Rose fell head over heels
for Timothée Chalamet . But unlike the rest of us, she actually went out with him in real
life. The couple's relationship was kept under wraps for the most part, but, according to
reports, the two started seeing each other in October 2018.
Although it's unknown whether they'll ever tell us what really went on between them,
Lily-Rose did give some insight into working with Chalamet after they starred together
in The King for Netflix. Revealing that her co-star was quote, "wonderful" and "incredible,"
she told Vogue UK,
"Timothée brings an emotional vulnerability to everything he does, almost without even
trying. That's his gift. […] Nobody could have taken on the role like he did."
"I think it's always incredible to work with somebody who has invested so much of themselves
into a role and is really giving their all to it."
But it appeared the romance was not meant to last. According to Us Weekly, the two had
split by April 2020.
Being beautiful and talented has certainly helped Lily-Rose become a hugely sought after
face in the modeling world. But despite her outward beauty, she's not overly concerned
with looking perfect — at least not on-screen. This has more to do with fully giving herself
over to the character. In fact, the one place the star feels truly calm is on a movie set.
She explained to W Magazine,
"When I'm acting, I'm not thinking about myself. Because I'm not there."
"I'd rather, like, stay in the moment and everything."
The actress also claims she also learns a lot from the roles she embodies. She described
the character she played in the French film, A Faithful Man, telling the outlet,
"She's so sure of herself and just goes for what she wants. […] It's kind of impossible
not to have that affect you personally."
She also connected with her character Catherine in The King, whom she considers to be an under-the-radar
feminist.
Lily-Rose is very choosy about projects. Though her slate seems suitably packed at any given
time, she's acutely aware of how quickly things can change in Hollywood. While she admitted
to being plagued with doubts, the starlet shared with Hello,
"I don't see any solution other than to just do it."
She's eager to work as much as possible, but more than anything else, Lily-Rose is intent
on choosing parts that speak to her in a very profound way. She explained of her past work,
"In each case, I loved the script and had a connection to the roles. […] I put so
much pressure on myself and nothing falls from heaven, no matter what people might think."
She ultimately found it more comfortable to discover herself as an actress outside of
the blockbuster mold, where there was less money on the line, and more room to grow.
"I'm playing an American in Paris. That's perfect for you. That's the ultimate double
personality."
Lily-Rose straddles the line as both European and American. But, speaking to CR Fashion
Book, the young actress admitted to favoring French productions, arguing,
"French scripts have a certain sensibility to them, with the writing style and the depth
that the characters have."
Apparently, Lily-Rose also feels the culture is stronger across the pond, overall. About
whether the French-born actress feels more American or French, though, she actually splits
the difference, admitting,
"I feel pretty connected to both cultures. I can seem fully French when I'm in France
or totally like a Valley girl when I'm in L.A."
In regard to the recent political climate in the states, Lily-Rose claims that these
days, she's finding it tough to remember what she loves about America. But as far as her
French-leaning sensibilities, the actress does flounder in one respect. Recalling a
leading role for which she had to speak entirely in French, she said,
"When I talk fast in French I tend to stumble on my words a lot, so I have to work on that."
"I thought it was beautiful when she first started doing film."
"I was very proud of her and I'm still very proud of her."
Anyone seeking fame would probably find it easier if their last name were Depp, but Lily-Rose
doesn't view her career as a totally free ride. The star revealed to CR Fashion Book,
"A lot of people think I'm only acting because of my dad, that I have not had to work as
hard to be seen or recognized in the industry, so I think because of that it makes me want
to work twice as hard to prove to everyone that I'm not just doing this because it's
easy to do. I'm not just doing it because it runs in the family."
But the actress admitted to W magazine that having a famous last name does, quote, "make
it easier to get your name out there," but even so, it seems that in itself presents
added challenges. She revealed,
"Honestly, to me there's also something even a little bit harder about it, because the
expectations are so insanely high."
While it would be easy to say she has it made — looking at her life from the outside — fully
stepping out from under her parents' shadow must have taken some serious hustle.
Lily-Rose found fame early on, continued her family legacy with Chanel, and has had a low-key
high-profile romance. But the model-actress isn't relying entirely on her looks to get
ahead in the world. In conversation with The Face, she revealed that she hired an acting
coach so she could better hone her craft, knowing her looks might get her in, but she
would still have to prove her talent. She also admitted,
"I tend to put a lot of importance on my appearance in terms of self-worth and everything. A lot
of times, how I feel about myself is heavily related to what I look like as a person."
Acknowledging that, of course, it isn't the healthiest space in which to live, Lily-Rose
revealed that as she's grown up, she's learned to focus more on who she is on the inside.
She said,
"Being a smart person and a kind person is more important than being a beautiful person."
"It's just about feeling natural in yourself."
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