Lily James

A British actress who ascended remarkably quickly in her screen career, Lily James solidified her "one to watch" status with her memorable role on the hugely successful period drama "Downton Abbey" (ITV, 2010-16). After studying drama in London and appearing in various stage productions, James swiftly landed a regular part on the English sitcom "Just William" (BBC One, 2010). With her alluring model-like features, James eased into a recurring role on the sleek dramedy "Secret Diary of a Call Girl" (ITV, 2007-2011), and made her leap to Hollywood with a bit part in the big-budget fantasy/adventure sequel "Wrath of the Titans" (2012).

Continuing her fast rise in the film and TV ranks, she became a featured guest star on "Downton Abbey" just as the show was hitting new heights in its popularity. James subsequently made headlines when she was cast as the title character in Disney's live-action remake of the classic "Cinderella" tale. Further work in romantic drama "Burnt" (2015), undead period piece "Pride and Prejudice and Zombies" (2016) and action comedy "Baby Driver" (2017) showcased her impressive range.

Born in the London suburb of Esher as Lily Thomson, James took to performing at an early age, keen on following in the footsteps of her actress grandmother, Helen Horton. After her graduation from Guildhall School of Music and Drama, James, who adopted her surname from her father's first name, quickly won notable parts on the British stage, including playing Desdemona opposite Clarke Peters' Othello in a high-profile version of William Shakespeare's tragic play. Given her innate talent for drama and strikingly beautiful looks, it was not long before she landed television roles, initially playing big sister to the young lead character on the English family comedy "Just William" (BBC One, 2010).

Moving to more adult-oriented fare, James portrayed Poppy, the nice-girl roommate of Billie Piper's Belle on the final season of the decadent drama series "Secret Diary of a Call Girl" (ITV, 2007-2011), which had more than a passing resemblance to "Sex and the City" (HBO, 1998-2004). Soon thereafter, she won her first Hollywood role as a supporting character in the critically trashed blockbuster "Wrath of the Titans" (2012). Despite her relatively minor part, James enjoyed her time on the massive star-studded production, which featured English acting giants such as Ralph Fiennes and Bill Nighy.

The same year, she appeared in the lead part of highly competitive sprinter Lisa Temple in the British sports drama "Fast Girls" (2012), which proved to be a word-of-mouth hit in the United Kingdom.

With a starring film role under her belt, James had garnered enough attention to attract the interest of the producers of "Downton Abbey." Cast as the troublemaking young Lady Rose MacClare, James succeeded in stirring things up on the esteemed hit drama during the show's third season. After only a few appearances as the party-loving Rose, James made such an impression that Disney came knocking on her door. In the spring of 2013, the Mouse House announced that she was selected for the lead in a major live-action reboot of the iconic, rags-to-riches "Cinderella" story, with Cate Blanchett as her wicked stepmother and Kenneth Branagh in the director's chair. The film debuted to solid notices and an impressive box office take in the spring of 2015. Later that same year, James co-starred opposite Bradley Cooper in romantic drama "Burnt" (2015), followed by a role as Elizabeth Bennet in the mash-up "Pride and Prejudice and Zombies" (2016). After co-starring in World War II drama "The Exception" (2016), James next appeared as the female lead in Edgar Wright's car-chase thriller-comedy "Baby Driver" (2017) opposite Ansel Elgort.