Lily James

Lily Chloe Ninette Thomson (born 5 April 1989), known professionally as Lily James, is an English actress. She studied acting at the Guildhall School of Music and Drama in London and began her career in the British television series Just William. Following a supporting role in the period drama series Downton Abbey (2012–2015), her breakthrough was the title role in the fantasy film Cinderella (2015).

James went on to portray Natasha Rostova in the television adaptation of War & Peace (2016) and starred in several films, including the action film Baby Driver (2017); the period dramas Darkest Hour (2017), The Guernsey Literary and Potato Peel Pie Society (2018) and The Dig (2021); the musicals Mamma Mia! Here We Go Again (2018) and Yesterday (2019); and the sports drama The Iron Claw (2023). Her portrayal of Pamela Anderson in the biographical series Pam & Tommy (2022) earned her nominations for a Golden Globe and a Primetime Emmy Award.

Early life and education Lily Chloe Ninette Thomson was born on 5 April 1989 in Esher, Surrey, the daughter of Ninette Mantle, an actress, and James "Jamie" Thomson, a musician. She has two brothers, one older and one younger. Her maternal grandmother was French, and during World War II fled her village near Paris because of the Nazi occupation. After settling in England, she married James' grandfather, a chaplain in the Royal Air Force.

After finishing at Tring Park School for the Performing Arts in Hertfordshire, James studied at the Guildhall School of Music and Drama in London, graduating in 2010. Shortly thereafter, she signed with Tavistock Wood management in London.

Career 2009–2019: Television beginnings and breakthrough James's television credits include Ethel Brown in the 2010 BBC production of Richmal Crompton's Just William, Poppy in the fourth series of ITV's Secret Diary of a Call Girl (2011). In 2012, she was cast as Lady Rose MacClare in Downton Abbey. She appeared as a guest star in final episode of the third season and appeared again in the Christmas special: A Journey to the Highlands. Lady Rose subsequently became a main character in the fourth and fifth series of the programme. James also appeared as Lady Rose in the series television finale. She did not reprise her role for any of the subsequent three movies.

In 2011, James played Taylor at the Young Vic Theatre in Tanya Ronder's stage adaptation of the novel Vernon God Little directed by Rufus Norris, Nina in Russell Bolam's modern adaptation of The Seagull at Southwark Playhouse, and Desdemona in Daniel Evans' production of Othello at the Crucible Theatre, Sheffield, with Dominic West and Clarke Peters.

In 2012, James played the role of Katrina in Play House and Marijka in Definitely the Bahamas in a double-bill written and directed by Martin Crimp at the Orange Tree Theatre in Richmond, London as part of the theatre's 40th anniversary. Charles Spencer of The Telegraph wrote that "it is performed with a persuasive mixture of mischief and deeper feeling by Obi Abili and Lily James, the latter combining a mixture of neuroticism and glowing sexual allure that proves extraordinarily potent". James played the role of Korrina in the Warner Brothers film Wrath of the Titans and starred in Fast Girls, written by Noel Clarke, centred around a group of young female athletes competing in the World Championships.

James played Cinderella in Kenneth Branagh's 2015 live-action Disney film Cinderella. James was photographed by Annie Leibovitz as Cinderella, in the blue gown her character wears to the ball, for the December 2014 issue of Vogue. Her performance received critical acclaim. James also made her singing debut in the film singing "Sing Sweet Nightingale", "Lavender's Blue" and "A Dream Is a Wish Your Heart Makes" from the 1950 animated film in the end credits.

In 2016, she returned to television in the 2016 BBC historical drama series War & Peace, playing Natasha Rostova. She also starred in her second major film, as Elizabeth Bennet in the action-horror film Pride and Prejudice and Zombies, a parody of Jane Austen's Pride and Prejudice. It received mixed reviews and failed to break even at the box office. James played Juliet in the Garrick Theatre's production of Romeo and Juliet directed by Rob Ashford and the actor-director Kenneth Branagh in 2016.

In 2017, she appeared in several major films. She played Debora, the love interest of the main character, Baby, in Edgar Wright's action film Baby Driver. She played Elizabeth Layton, a secretary to the British prime minister Winston Churchill (played by Gary Oldman), in Joe Wright's war drama film Darkest Hour. She also headlined the Second World War drama film The Exception, playing a British agent posing as a servant to the exiled Kaiser Wilhelm II.

James starred as the younger version of Meryl Streep's character, Donna Sheridan, in the sequel to Mamma Mia!, titled Mamma Mia! Here We Go Again. The film was released in July 2018. In the same year, James played the author Juliet Ashton in the 1940s period drama The Guernsey Literary and Potato Peel Pie Society who exchanges letters with the residents of Guernsey, an island off the coast of Normandy that was German-occupied during the Second World War.

In 2019, James starred as Eve Harrington in Ivo van Hove's stage adaptation of All About Eve alongside Gillian Anderson. The play opened on 15 February to positive reviews, running at the Noël Coward Theatre in the West End until 11 May.

2020–present: Rise in popularity and film roles In 2020, James played the second Mrs de Winter in an adaptation of Daphne du Maurier's Gothic romance Rebecca directed by Ben Wheatley and co-starring Armie Hammer. In Spring 2020, she was cast as leading lady in The Pursuit of Love, released in 2021. In 2021, she played Peggy Piggott in The Dig, a British film directed by Simon Stone, based on the 2007 novel of the same name by John Preston. In late 2020, she was cast to play Pamela Anderson in the miniseries Pam & Tommy for Hulu.

In September 2022, it was announced that James was contracted to be a brand ambassador for the Natural Diamond Council, which promotes naturally sourced diamonds.

In June 2023, it was announced that James would star in Penelope Skinner’s new play Lyonesse at the Harold Pinter Theatre, alongside Kristin Scott Thomas, whom she previously acted with in Darkest Hour and Rebecca. It will run from 17 October to 23 December. In 2023, she starred as Pam Adkisson, Kevin Von Erich's wife, in The Iron Claw. She also starred in the Italian film Finally Dawn as Josephine Esperanto. James starred in the indie film Greedy People along with Himesh Patel and Joseph Gordon-Levitt which released in 2024.

James is set to star as the lead in the upcoming Cliffhanger reboot directed by Jaume Collet-Serra. Originally Sylvester Stallone was set to play the lead, but production announced he was no longer involved with the film.

Personal life James' father, James Thomson, died from cancer in 2008. She took her father's first name as her stage name when she learned there was already an actress named Lily Thomson.

She was in a relationship with actor Matt Smith, whom she met while working on Pride and Prejudice and Zombies, from 2014 to 2019.

In 2021, James began dating Queens of the Stone Age bass guitarist Michael Shuman. Their relationship ended in 2023.

Acting credits +Key Denotes productions that have not yet been released

Film Year Title Role Notes 2012 Chemistry Ines Short film Wrath of the Titans Korrina Broken Older Skunk Fast Girls Lisa Temple 2013 The Silent Treatment The Girl Short film 2015 Cinderella Ella / Cinderella Burnt Sara 2016 Pride and Prejudice and Zombies Elizabeth "Eliza / Lizzy" Bennet The Exception Mieke de Jong The Tale of Thomas Burberry Betty Short film 2017 Baby Driver Debora Darkest Hour Elizabeth Layton 2018 Sorry to Bother You White Detroit (voice) Cameo The Guernsey Literary and Potato Peel Pie Society Juliet Ashton Little Woods Deb Hale Mamma Mia! Here We Go Again Young Donna Sheridan 2019 One Red Nose Day and a Wedding Miranda Short film Yesterday Ellie Appleton Rare Beasts Cressida 2020 RebeccaMrs. de Winter 2021 The Dig Peggy Piggott 2022 What's Love Got to Do with It? Zoe Stevenson 2023 Finally Dawn Josephine Esperanto The Iron Claw Pam Adkisson 2024 Greedy People Paige Shelley Relay Sarah Grant 2025 Swiped Whitney Wolfe Herd Also producer 2026 Ricki King Post-production TBA Post-production TBA (voice) In production 2027 Naomi Cooper Post-productionTBA TBA Post-production TBA Filming

Television

Theatre Year Title Role Venue2011 Vernon God Little Taylor Young Vic Theatre Othello Desdemona Crucible Theatre 2012 The Seagull Nina Southwark Playhouse 2016 Romeo and Juliet Juliet Garrick Theatre 2019 All About Eve Eve Harrington Noël Coward Theatre 2023 Lyonesse Kate Harold Pinter Theatre

Awards and nominations