You probably know the face. Huge eyebrows, effortless style, and a charm that seems to scream "Old Hollywood" even when she's playing a bubbly marketing executive in France. When people ask who is Phil Collins daughter, they are almost always thinking of Lily Collins. She’s everywhere.
But here is the thing: Phil actually has two daughters.
Most fans don't realize that the "In the Air Tonight" singer has a complicated, blended family tree that spans three marriages and multiple continents. While Lily is a household name, her older sister Joely has been carving out her own path in the industry for decades, mostly away from the blinding glare of the paparazzi.
Lily Collins: The Face You Know
Lily is Phil’s only child with his second wife, Jill Tavelman. Born in 1989 in Surrey, England, she didn't stay a "British country girl" for long. After her parents' messy, highly publicized divorce in 1996, she moved to Los Angeles with her mom. That move changed everything.
Honestly, Lily's rise to fame looks like a straight line from the outside, but it wasn't. She actually started out wanting to be a journalist. She was writing for Teen Vogue and Seventeen before she was even out of high school. She even covered the 2008 U.S. Presidential inauguration for Nickelodeon.
Then came the acting bug.
✨ Don't miss: Mia Khalifa New Sex Research: Why Everyone Is Still Obsessed With Her 2014 Career
Her big break was The Blind Side in 2009, playing Sandra Bullock's daughter. From there, she was off to the races:
- Snow White in Mirror Mirror (where she actually sang!).
- The lead in the fantasy flick The Mortal Instruments.
- A heartbreaking, critically acclaimed role in To the Bone.
- And of course, the Netflix juggernaut Emily in Paris.
Lily has been very open about her relationship with her dad. In her 2017 book, Unfiltered: No Shame, No Regrets, Just Me, she wrote an emotional letter to Phil. She talked about the distance between them and the insecurities she felt growing up. It wasn't always easy. But by 2026, they’ve clearly mended fences. You'll often see her posting sweet tributes to him on social media, especially as his health has become a concern for fans worldwide.
In late 2025, Lily even made Phil a grandfather again, welcoming her daughter Tove Jane via surrogacy with her husband, director Charlie McDowell.
The "Other" Daughter: Meet Joely Collins
If Lily is the Hollywood starlet, Joely Collins is the indie powerhouse and producer. She is Phil's eldest child, though not biologically. Phil adopted Joely in 1975 after marrying her mother, Andrea Bertorelli.
Joely was raised in Vancouver, Canada. Unlike Lily, she didn't jump into the L.A. scene right away. She stayed in the Great White North and became a staple of Canadian television. If you grew up in Canada in the 90s, you definitely saw her in Madison or the police drama Cold Squad.
🔗 Read more: Is Randy Parton Still Alive? What Really Happened to Dolly’s Brother
Why Joely Matters
Joely is kinda the reason Phil kept going at one point. In 2011, when Phil was thinking about retiring for good, Joely reportedly told him it was "dangerous" to just stop. She knew he needed the music to stay himself.
She isn't just an actress, though. She’s a producer who runs her own company, StoryLab Productions. Her film Becoming Redwood even won Best Canadian Film at the Edmonton International Film Festival back in 2012.
She lives a much quieter life than Lily. She’s been married to Stefan Buitelaar since 2008, and they have a daughter named Zoë. You won't see her in the tabloids, and she rarely posts photos with her famous half-sister. But make no mistake, they are close. Lily has mentioned in interviews that the whole "Collins clan" tries to get together whenever they can, despite being spread across the globe.
A Family of Five
To really answer who is Phil Collins daughter, you have to look at the whole brotherhood (and sisterhood) dynamic. Phil has five kids in total:
- Joely Collins: The eldest, an actress and producer.
- Simon Collins: A musician who sounds eerily like his dad and fronts the band Sound of Contact.
- Lily Collins: The Golden Globe nominee and Netflix star.
- Nicholas "Nic" Collins: A powerhouse drummer who actually toured with Genesis and his dad’s solo band.
- Matthew Collins: The youngest and most private, who recently signed with a soccer club in Austria.
It’s a lot of talent for one family. While Lily and Joely lead very different lives, they both share that "workaholic" trait Phil is famous for. Neither one of them wanted a "free pass" because of their last name. Lily famously told Vogue France that she didn't want people thinking she got roles just because of her dad. She even auditioned for The Blind Side without telling anyone who her father was.
💡 You might also like: Patricia Neal and Gary Cooper: The Affair That Nearly Broke Hollywood
The Verdict on the Collins Sisters
So, when you see a headline about Phil Collins' daughter, check the context.
If it’s about a red carpet in Paris or a new Netflix season, it’s Lily. If it’s about a gritty Canadian drama or an award-winning indie film production, it’s Joely. Both women have managed to thrive in the shadow of one of the biggest rock stars in history, which is no small feat.
If you want to dive deeper into the family's history, I'd recommend checking out:
- Lily's memoir Unfiltered for the personal, emotional side of being a celebrity kid.
- The documentary Becoming Redwood to see Joely’s skill as a producer.
- Nic Collins' band The Effect to see how the next generation is handling the musical legacy.
Understanding the Collins family is basically a lesson in how to handle fame with a bit of grace and a lot of hard work. They aren't just "daughters of"; they are creators in their own right.