TEEN VOGUE – “Growing up, I was always prancing around and singing…and I just never really stopped,” remembers Lily James. The 25-year-old stars in Disney’s live-action remake of Cinderella, the same beloved classic that kept her spellbound as a child. “I got completely carried away in the magic,” she explains. “The romance, the beauty, the music, the anything-is-possible feeling. It’s so special.”

The actress (and her charming British accent) has also graced Downton Abbey in the role of Lady Rose MacClare, but don’t let her delicate English-rose appearance fool you. Lily is a bit of a thrill-seekershe requested to perform her own horseback-riding stunts for Cinderella! That adrenaline-seeking attitude lends itself nicely to her upcoming role in the much-anticipated Pride and Prejudice and Zombies. “Elizabeth Bennet is this badass zombie slayer in Hertfordshire, wielding a sword and dispensing of the unmentionables,” Lily says with a laugh. (A slightly different tune from a glass slipperwearing princess, to be sure.)

But Lily’s already on the prowl for her next challenge: “I want to do more theater, which allows you to take bigger risks and experiment.” She may be having a Cinderella moment, but her promising career is just getting started.