Line #43 Creator/LilyJames


1	[[quoteright:320:https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/lily_james.jpg]]
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3	Lily Chloe Ninette Thomson (born 5 April 1989 in Esher, England), better known as Lily James, is an English actress and singer.
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5	James frequently plays fresh-faced young women in period or period-like pieces, such as Lady Rose [=MacClare=] in the period drama ''Series/DowntonAbbey'', the titular heroine in the 2015 Disney remake ''Film/Cinderella2015'', and Natasha Rostova in ''Series/WarAndPeace2016''.
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8	!! Works she has appeared in include:
9	* ''Literature/JustWilliam'' (2010) as Ethel Brown
10	* ''Series/SecretDiaryOfACallGirl'' (2010) as Poppy
11	* ''Film/WrathOfTheTitans'' (2012) as Korrina
12	* ''Film/FastGirls'' (2012) as Lisa Temple
13	* ''Series/DowntonAbbey'' (2012 -- 2014) as Lady Rose [=MacClare=]
14	* ''Film/{{Cinderella\|2015}}'' (2015) as Ella / "Literature/{{Cinderella}}"
15	* ''Film/{{Burnt}}'' (2015) as Sara
16	* ''Series/{{War and Peace\|2016}}'' (2016) as Natasha Rostova
17	* ''Film/PrideAndPrejudiceAndZombies'' (2016) as Elizabeth Bennet
18	* ''Film/TheException'' (2016) as Mieke de Jong
19	* ''Film/BabyDriver'' (2017) as Debora
20	* ''Film/{{Darkest Hour\|2017}}'' (2017) as Elizabeth Layton
21	* ''Film/MammaMiaHereWeGoAgain'' (2018) as young Donna Sheridan
22	* ''Film/SorryToBotherYou'' (2018) as Detroit's "white voice"
23	* ''Film/TheGuernseyLiteraryAndPotatoPeelPieSociety'' (2018) as Juliet Ashton
24	* ''Film/LittleWoods'' (2018) as Deb Hale
25	* ''Film/{{Yesterday\|2019}}'' (2019) as Ellie
26	* ''[[Film/Rebecca2020 Rebecca]]'' (2020) as the second Mrs de Winter
27	* ''Film/{{The Dig\|2021}}'' (2021) as Peggy Piggott
28	* ''Series/PamAndTommy'' (2022) as Creator/PamelaAnderson
29	* ''Film/WhatsLoveGotToDoWithIt2022'' (2022) as Zoe
30	* ''Film/TheIronClaw'' (2023) as Pam Adkisson
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32	!!Tropes featured in her work:
33	* ActionGirl: In ''Pride and Prejudice and Zombies'', ''Wrath of the Titans'' and ''The Exception''.
34	* CastingGag: In ''Series/DowntonAbbey'', she plays an aristocrat and Sophie [=McShera=] plays the kitchen maid Daisy. In ''{{Film/Cinderella 2015}}'' it's the opposite where Lily plays Cinderella, and Sophie is the aristocrat.
35	* CreatorBacklash: She didn't like having to wear the 1920s costumes for ''Series/DowntonAbbey'', though she admits she warmed to them eventually.
36	* DyeingForYourArt:
37	** Naturally brunette but became blonde for ''Cinderella''. She just wore a blonde wig for ''Downton''. James has also went blonde in ''Fast Girls'' and ''Baby Driver''.
38	** Taken up to eleven for ''Series/PamAndTommy'' where she wears a prosthetic forehead and eyebrows, dentures and a blonde wig to transform into Creator/PamelaAnderson.
39	* FakeAmerican: She donned a Southern accent for ''Film/BabyDriver'' as well as a standard American accent in ''Film/MammaMiaHereWeGoAgain'' and ''Film/LittleWoods''.
40	* FakeNationality:
41	** Borderline in ''Series/WarAndPeace2016'', as a Russian girl. She however keeps her normal voice.
42	** She played the Dutch Jewish Mieke de Jong in ''Film/TheException''. Unlike the ''War and Peace'' example, James puts on a foreign accent to portray Mieke.
43	** She also played the Canadian-American Pamela Anderson in ''Series/PamAndTommy''.
44	* MsFanservice:
45	** She appeared nude in ''Series/SecretDiaryOfACallGirl'' and ''Film/TheException''.
46	** Her role as Pamela Anderson in ''Series/PamAndTommy'' also features her nude and in a lot of revealing outfits.
47	* NiceGirl: Many of her roles so far have had her playing charming, friendly, and kindhearted characters, and she comes off as one in interviews.
48	* PeriodDrama: Like her fellow English actress Creator/KeiraKnightley, she has appeared in many whether it is television or cinema, or mixing Fantasy (''Cinderella'') and Horror (''Pride and Prejudice and Zombies''). ''Film/MammaMiaHereWeGoAgain'' is this too - as it takes place in Donna's youth.
49	* PlayingAgainstType: She's known for plucky period piece heroines, but occasionally goes against this grain.
50	** ''Film/BabyDriver'' marks her first major role that's not a period piece or CostumeDrama.
51	** She's cast ''way'' against type as Creator/PamelaAnderson, a sultry ''Magazine/{{Playboy}}'' model known for her tumultuous personal life, in ''Series/PamAndTommy''. The show is specifically about the history of the [[HomePornMovie sex tape]] involving her and [[Music/MotleyCrue Tommy Lee]].
52	* PlayingWithCharacterType: She plays [[Literature/PrideAndPrejudice Lizzie Bennett]] as a [[Literature/PrideAndPrejudiceAndZombies zombie hunter]].
53	* PromotedFangirl: Describes herself as a huge Disney fan, and was ecstatic at getting to play a Disney Princess.
54	* RomanceOnTheSet: She and Creator/MattSmith started dating while in ''Literature/PrideAndPrejudiceAndZombies''. Amusingly enough, Smith was playing none other than ''Mr. Collins'' to Lily's Elizabeth Bennet!
55	* StarMakingRole: While she did have people talking about her stage work and ''Downton Abbey'', it was ''Cinderella'' that properly put her on the map.
56	* ThoseTwoActors:
57	** Much publicity was made of her and Creator/RichardMadden playing lovers first in ''Cinderella'', then in ''Theatre/RomeoAndJuliet''.
58	** She's also twice acted closely with Creator/TessaThompson, first voicing over Thompson's character in ''Film/SorryToBotherYou'' then playing her half-sister in ''Film/LittleWoods''.
59	* TimeShiftedActor: She plays the younger version of Creator/MerylStreep's character in ''Film/MammaMiaHereWeGoAgain''.
60	* TypeCasting: Usually as an EnglishRose or TheIngenue in a PeriodPiece CostumeDrama.

Context Creator / LilyJames