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Lily James
Lily James photographed at the Australian premiere of Baby Driver in 2017
James in 2017
Born
Lily Chloe Ninette Thomson

(1989-04-05) 5 April 1989 (age 35)
Esher, Surrey, England
Alma mater Guildhall School of Music and Drama
Occupation Actress
Years active 2009–present
Relatives Helen Horton (grandmother)

Lily Chloe Ninette Thomson (born 5 April 1989), better known by her stage name 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 (2010). 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), and the musicals Mamma Mia! Here We Go Again (2018) and Yesterday (2019). 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

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 paternal grandmother, Helen Horton, was an American actress. Her maternal grandmother was French, and fled her village near Paris because of the Nazis, later marrying James's grandfather, a minister in the RAF. After finishing her studies at Tring Park School for the Performing Arts in Hertfordshire, James went on to graduate from London's Guildhall School of Music and Drama in 2010. Shortly thereafter, she signed with Tavistock Wood management in London.

Career

Her television credits include Ethel Brown in the 2010 BBC production of Richmal Crompton's Just William and Lady Rose Aldridge in Downton Abbey. Lady Rose became a main character in the fourth and fifth series of the programme. James also appeared as Lady Rose in the series finale.

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". James played the role of Korrina in the Warner Brothers film Wrath of the Titans and starred in Fast Girls, written by Noel Clarke, centered 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. 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.

Lily James 2015 (cropped)
James promoting Pride and Prejudice and Zombies at the 2015 San Diego Comic-Con

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.

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 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 play from 17 October to 23 December 2023. and upcoming indie film Greedy People

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 American musician and songwriter Michael Shuman, a member of U.S. rock band, Queens of the Stone Age. In February 2023 it was reported the couple's relationship had ended.

Acting credits

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 Cinderella
Burnt Sara
2016 Pride and Prejudice and Zombies Elizabeth 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 Rebecca The second Mrs. de Winter
2021 The Dig Peggy Piggott
2022 What's Love Got to Do with It? Zoe Stevenson
2023 Finally Dawn Josephine Esperanto Post-production
The Iron Claw Pam Adkisson Post-production
TBA Greedy People TBA Post-production
Relay Sarah Filming

Television

Year Title Role Notes
2010 Just William Ethel Brown 4 episodes
2012–2015 Downton Abbey Lady Rose Aldridge née MacClare 21 episodes
2016 War & Peace Natasha Rostova 6 episodes
2021 The Pursuit of Love Linda Radlett 3 episodes; also executive producer
Beauty and the Beast Rose Television pantomime
2022 Pam & Tommy Pamela Anderson Miniseries

Theatre

Year Title Role Venue
2011 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

Awards and nominations

Accolades received by Lily James
Award Year Category Recipient(s) Result
Dorian Television Awards 2022 Best TV Performance Pam & Tommy Nominated
Hollywood Critics Association TV Awards 2022 Best Actress in a Streaming Limited or Anthology Series or Movie Nominated
Primetime Emmy Awards 2022 Outstanding Lead Actress in a Limited or Anthology Series or Movie Nominated
Critics' Choice Television Awards 2023 Best Actress in a Limited Series or Movie Made for Television Nominated
Golden Globe Awards 2023 Best Actress – Limited or Anthology Series or Television Film Nominated
Satellite Awards 2023 Best Actress in a Miniseries, Limited Series, or Motion Picture Made for Television Won

See also

Kids robot.svg In Spanish: Lily James para niños

  • List of British actors
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