Lily gave an interview for The Times magazine and it’s definitely a must-read. I thought it was impossible to be more admirative that I already was but I was clearly wrong as she proves once again how down-to-earth and absolutely adorable she is. It also means new photoshoot and an outtakes in high quality can now be found in our gallery as well as the cover. Enjoy!
THE TIMES – Is Lily James a bit of a diva? With a big-bucks action blockbuster coming up, three series of Downton Abbey, the starring role as a Disney princess, not to mention dating Matt Smith, all by the age of 28, she might be entitled to a bit of hair toss and foot stamp.
And given the effort it’s taken to get to the point that I am sitting opposite her (Lily can do Wednesday. No wait, Thursday. Morning. No, afternoon. Venue: a pub in Kentish Town. Scratch that, a café in Mayfair), I was prepared for this possibility. This is an actress, after all, whose star is hugely in the ascendant – a scriptwriter friend in the industry says he can’t move for scripts touting her as their most desired lead.
So I’m surprised to find her alone, twisting her hands, dark eyes surfing the room, cheeks blotching almost like a shy child. It’s as if she’s up for the magistrate. Even the way she talks is coy. As she echoes my request for a coffee, she admits she’s very nervous. “Is it obvious?” It is.
“I am a nervous person. I go red at anything, the drop of a hat. I also get a rash, on my neck and chest,” she says.
This is borne out early on when I ask her about her boyfriend, Matt Smith (former Doctor Who star and a heart-throb to billions of young girls, including my own) and she glows in abashed agony.
Later she apologises for this, and then sort of apologises for apologising, saying that she needs to learn to be more assertive and to stop apologising. So not at all a diva. This is all charming in a delightful café filled with grannies and small dogs behind the Royal Academy, but surely a little fragile for the hard-arsed, sharp-elbowed world of Hollywood?
James is aware of this. She says Alli Shearmur, one of the producers of Cinderella, tried to coach her to be more forceful. “Alli is amazing, a force of nature and she’s only 5ft 2in.” Apparently there are three golden rules. “Never apologise. Never repeat yourself.” She forgets the last. “Oh yes – and don’t explain yourself.”
“It’s so boring to apologise all the time, isn’t it? I have to slap myself out of it.”
It’s also really important to learn how to say no, she adds. “When someone says, ‘Can you stay late tonight and do an extra meeting?’, you say, ‘No,’ and leave it at that.”
Would she be tempted to add an apology? She smiles. “Desperate.”
For interviews, her “trick” to overcome anxiety is a “glass of wine” (perhaps the reason for the initial suggestion of a pub), but she doesn’t “hate” the process exactly, just feels that, “It’s hard to talk for ages about yourself. A lot of actors are like that, aren’t they?” she asks, hopeful. If only.
There’s no arrogance or vanity or cynicism about her. It’s a refreshing change from the posturing and potty-mouthed excess of so many who catch their first snort of power.
I can’t imagine her throwing a tantrum or being rude, or even drunk (although she assures me this is the only way she can sleep through the noise in a tepee at Glastonbury).
Lily is currently in Paris with her co-star Ansel Elgort to promote ‘Baby Driver’ and they stopped by Melty for a Q&A.
Yesterday (June 13), Lily stopped by FOX 11’s talk show “Good Day L.A.” to discuss ‘Baby Driver’ and her character, Debora.
Public Appearances > 2017 > Visits “Good Day L.A.”
Lily was on “The Late Late Show with James Corden” yesterday (June 13) to promote ‘Baby Driver’. We’ve updated the gallery with stills and behind the scenes pictures from the talk show. We don’t have the full appearance yet but you can enjoy the (really funny) clips below!
Public Appearances > 2017 > Visits “The Late Late Show With James Corden”
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Lily is featured in the July issue of British GQ. The first outtakes have been added to the gallery and below, you’ll find an excerpt of her interview. We will add the scans as soon as they become available so stay tuned!
Studio Photoshoots > Outtakes & Sessions > 2017 > Session 001
BRITISH GQ – Throwing her corset to the wind, the darling of period dramas Lily James is a force to be reckoned with as she changes gear in Baby Driver. Read this extract from the full interview in the July 2017 issue of British GQ.
Lily James on criticism of her Cinderella costume
“The press were saying I’m a bad role model. I’ve always been healthy. I eat! I do have a tiny waist and quite big hips so it looks in proportion, you know? I have an hourglass shape.”Lily James on hearing of women on set being asked to lose weight
“Yeah, I’ve heard that story. And you hear those stories all the time. It’s so disheartening. I hope it’s not getting worse, because people are talking about it and people are aware.”Lily James’ role models
“I love Michelle Williams. I’ve watched every film Michelle Williams has ever done. I probably love her because she’s the opposite of me, such stillness, such mystery.”
When there is a new photoshoot, it’s always great news and we’re definitely not disappointed as Lily looks absolutely beautiful for Harper’s Bazaar Arabia. She is on the cover of this month issue and outtakes have been released. We will add the scans as soon as they become available so please, make sure to follow us on twitter to be the first to know. Enjoy the pretty!
Studio Photoshoots > Outtakes & Sessions > Session 078
HARPER’S BAZAAR – ON CINDERELLA
“In Cinderella we really wanted her to be a strong heroine in charge of her own destiny despite adversity. She lived by her mother’s words ‘have courage and be kind and all will be well’. And that allowed her to be in charge of her happiness and to try and rise above the cruelty. I think that’s a beautiful message. These classic princesses are often also free-spirited, brave, kind and long for more from life then what is conventionally planned for them, and that’s much more important for young girls then the part about the handsome prince saving the day.”ON PRINCE CHARMING
“There is also nothing wrong with old fairy tale romance. You just want to have both. You must always follow your heart and your own dreams, and you don’t need a prince for that.”ON FUTURE ROLES
“I’d like to do something totally different, modern, more raw and stripped back. It’s important to keep challenging yourself and pushing yourself in different directions, then you have to start really using your imagination so you’re not just relying on what you know and your own instincts. I want to feel terrified and totally out of my depth in my next role.”
