Lily Collins gets career advice from Sandra Bullock.

Lily Collins

Lily Collins

The 28-year-old star's breakthrough role came opposite the Oscar-winning actress in 2009's 'The Blind Side' and the two women have stayed in touch since then and Lily likes to quiz her pal for "tricks" on having a long and successful career.

She said: "Sandra and I have kept in touch over the years.

"I would ask her, 'Tell me your tricks, tell me everything'."

And the 'To the Bone' actress is happy to build her career steadily, rather than worry about things not happening for her "at the drop of a hat".

She told Grazia magazine: "Some of the women I admire - their most amazing, pivotal roles weren't until their thirties.

"Success is all about range and longevity. It doesn't have to all happen at the drop of a hat."Lily can next be seen opposite Nicholas Hoult in 'Tolkein', a biopic of the fantasy novelist and she is a big 'Lord of the Rings' fan, though her favourite movies were make in the 1980s.

Asked if she likes 'LOTR', she said: "Oh my gosh, yes. But when I have a movie night at home, 'The Breakfast Club' is my go-to.

"Take me back to the 80s. I wanna be in those moments."

Lily has suffered from eating disorders in the past so was proud to work on 'To the Bone' in the hope it could help others in similar positions.

She said: We didn't make that movie assuming it was going to have a huge audience, even though it's a huge epidemic.

"I wanted to take this topic, bring it to more people, and maybe learn something new about myself...

"[It was] a therapeutic, magical experience. It was a life mission."