Lily James: Learn About The 'Cinderella' Star From 'Downton Abbey' With 9 Facts In 90 Seconds (PICS)
How Lily James Became Disney's Hottest New Star...
The Huffington Post UK
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Lily James is the latest British star to make the leap from small screen, where she's helped light up the recent series of 'Downton Abbey', to box office success, as the heroine of Kenneth Branagh's lush adaptation of fairytale 'Cinderella'.
The film is currently topping the UK box office after taking an impressive £43million on its opening weekend in the US. With a stellar cast including Cate Blanchett, Helena Bonham Carter and Richard Madden, Lily has helped Sir Ken keep the fairy story attached to its traditional roots - no ironic twists in this one - and become a big screen star in the process.
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Lily James stars as Cinderella in Kenneth Branagh's big-screen fairytale
What else do we know about the girl from Esher, Surrey, taking the film world by storm? Here are 9 facts in 90 seconds so you can swot up on Lily, before she makes another screen outing in the forthcoming 'Pride and Prejudice and Zombies' opposite co-stars Douglas Booth, Matt Smith, Sam Riley, Lena Headey and Suki Waterhouse...
Lily James: 9 Facts In 90 Seconds
Lily James: 9 Facts in 90 Seconds(01 of09)
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Lily James began her professional acting career as Ethel Brown in the 2010 BBC production Just William. William was played by Outnumbered star Daniel Roche.
Lily James: 9 Facts in 90 Seconds(02 of09)
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It was Daily Mail critic Quentin Letts who first spotted the star appeal of young Lily - on stage in Sheffield in 2011. He wrote of her performance in Othello, "We may have a new star actress on our hands… she left drama school only last year, yet she practically sweeps all before her as Desdemona in this Othello. Poise, diction, allure – she has them all.”
Lily James: 9 Facts in 90 Seconds(03 of09)
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Acting runs in her family, with Lily’s grandmother, Helen Horton appearing in several films and TV shows, and providing the voice for the ship’s computer Mother in Ridley Scott’s Alien.
Lily James: 9 Facts in 90 Seconds(04 of09)
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She was in the cast of ‘Fast Girls’, Noel Clarke’s film about female athletes. The film was timed for release around the London Olympics in 2012, but because of the Games’ tight branding control, nobody in the film was allowed to mention the Olympics, and the event they were all working towards became some vague international running competition.
Lily James: 9 Facts in 90 Seconds(05 of09)
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Lily joined Downton Abbey at the end of the third series as the Crawleys’ rebellious cousin Lady Rose. Due to her popularity, her character joined the main cast for the following two series, where her character caused a storm by falling for a black entertainer.
Lily James: 9 Facts in 90 Seconds(06 of09)
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Cinderella director Kenneth Branagh speaks about her intelligence, warmth, patience – and her entire lack of self-consciousness. “Somebody said something funny, she laughed and then she suddenly did a big snort!” he told the Independent.
Lily James: 9 Facts in 90 Seconds(07 of09)
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There’s been a furore about the small size of Lily’s waist on the advertising for ‘Cinderella’, with director Kenneth Branagh having to confirm there’s been no retouching. Lily says, "I feel like I’ve got to go, ‘I’m sorry I’ve got a small waist’. It’s a shame, because it’s not what the film is about.”
Lily James: 9 Facts in 90 Seconds(08 of09)
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As Cinderella in the big-screen telling, Lily had to be told her father had died, and drew on her own grief about her late father for the scene. She told Style Magezine: "He had cancer. That’s sort of why my experience in drama school is pretty unique – it happened while I was there…Cinderella gains strength from her loss and that was something I could (relate to)… That was in me. So, yeah. Yeah, it’s s**t.”
Lily James: 9 Facts in 90 Seconds(09 of09)
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Lily’s current gentleman caller is former Doctor Who star Matt Smith. The pair co-star together in the forthcoming Pride and Prejudice and Zombies.
Lily James stars in 'Cinderella', in UK cinemas now. Watch the trailer below...