Lily Collins thought she was the victim of a prank when she was offered the lead role in ‘Mirror, Mirror’.

The 22-year-old actress admits she was initially ”angry” when she received a call asking her to play Princess Snow White – the biggest part she has ever had – because she was convinced it was a joke being played at her expense, and became overwhelmed with emotion when she realized the offer was genuine.

She said: ”It was April Fool’s Day, so when I got the phone call I thought someone was playing a prank on me.

”I was quite angry and thought, ‘If this is someone’s idea of a joke, it’s not funny.’ But then, when I realized it was true, I burst into tears and started screaming. It’s the role of a lifetime.”

Lily – who is the daughter of musician Phil Collins and his second wife Jill Tavelman – has always wanted to be an actress but felt it was important to complete her education before embarking on her chosen career path.

She told Hello! magazine: ”I could have started earlier than I did but I wanted to wait until I’d finished high school because I wanted to be ready, mentally and emotionally, to take on the rejection side of this business.

”You get told ‘no’ so many times that if you are the sort of person who takes ‘no’ as a deterrent, then maybe this isn’t the right profession to be in.

”I’ve always been driven, which I think is something I’ve inherited from both my parents and I wanted to put off my career until I felt ready to face all the nos.”