Lily James

Lily James is an English actress born in Surrey in 1989. She attended the Arts Educational School in Tring before studying at the Guildhall School of Music and Drama in London.

James started her theatre career in 2011, where she played Taylor in an adaptation of Vernon God Little at the Young Vic Theatre. In the same year, she appeared as Nina in at Southwark Playhouse and later Desdemona in Othello at the Crucible Theatre. The following year, James played Karina in Playhouse and Marijka in Definitely the Bahamas at the Orange Tree Theatre, a double bill written and directed by Martin Crimp.

James is, perhaps, more famously known for her title role in Disney’s film Cinderella. In 2016, she starred in her second major movie, Pride and Prejudice and Zombies, playing the role of Elizabeth Bennett. She is also renowned for playing Lady Rose MacClare, in the award-winning period drama Downton Abbey. James’ character became a main role in seasons four and five of the TV series, playing the character from 2012 - 2015, receiving the Outstanding Performance by an Ensemble in a Drama Series in the Screen Actors Guild Awards. In 2016 she played Natasha Rostova in BBC’s War & Peace.

In 2016 James returned to the stage, playing Juliet in Kenneth Branagh Theatre Company’s adaption of William Shakespeare's Romeo and Juliet, directed by Kenneth Branagh. She worked alongside Game of Thrones' star Richard Madden as Romeo, as well as Derek Jacobi and Meera Syal.  After appearing in movies including Baby Driver and The Guernsey Literary and Potato Peel Pie Society, James was further propelled into the spotlight when she played young Donna in Mamma Mia! Here We Go Again, which hit cinemas in 2018. 

Lily James returned to the West End stage to play Eve Harrington in All About Eve at the Noël Coward Theatre in 2018, starring alongside Gillian Anderson.