Where You've Seen the 'Cinderella' Stars Before — on TV
You don’t have to go to your local multiplex to gaze upon the stars of Disney’s new live-action Cinderella. That’s because the cast is filled with actors who are best known for their appearances on popular TV shows, including Downton Abbey and Game of Thrones. Here’s a rundown of their most memorable small-screen credits so you won’t spend the entire film thinking, “Wait… where have I seen that person before?”
Related: Cinderella as Superhero: How the Timeless Heroine Keeps Casting Her Spell
Lily James
Who She Is in Cinderella: The fairest (and blondest) of them all: Cinderella.
Where You’ve Seen Her on TV: Downton Abbey. After beloved Crawley sibling Lady Sybil shuffled off this mortal coil in Season 3, James joined the Downton clan full-time as the manor’s resident young ingénue, Lady Rose.
Richard Madden
Who He Is in Cinderella: Fairy tale-dom’s most charming prince.
Where You’ve Seen Him on TV: Game of Thrones. Madden’s brief reign as King in the North Robb Stark was cruelly cut short by a very, very bloody wedding. Here’s hoping he enjoys a longer run as King Charming.
Sophie McShera
Who She Is in Cinderella: Drisella, one-half of the wicked stepsister duo that plagues poor Cinderella.
Where You’ve Seen Her on TV: Downton Abbey. As kitchen maid-turned-assistant cook Daisy, McShera has been slinging hash for the Crawley family for over a decade. But she’s recently made big strides toward climbing the career ladder, brushing up her book learning and pondering life beyond the Downton kitchen.
Holliday Grainger
Who She Is in Cinderella: Drisella’s equally wicked sibling, Anastasia.
Where You’ve Seen Her on TV: The Borgias. Lucrezia, the scheming daughter of scheming 15th century clergyman Rodrigo Borgia, who watches her dad attain the papacy in much the same way that Frank Underwood would, centuries later, attain the presidency: through lots of double-crossing and double-dealing.
Derek Jacobi
Who He Is in Cinderella: The dying king of Cinderella’s realm and kindly father to his son and heir.
Where You’ve Seen Him on TV: I, Claudius. One of the most popular (and replayed) miniseries of all time, this 1976 BBC serial, which aired stateside on PBS, chronicles an especially troubled period in the Roman Empire through the eyes of Jacobi’s emperor, Claudius.
Nonso Anozie
Who He Is in Cinderella: Prince Charming’s loyal right-hand man and a captain in the king’s army.
Where You’ve Seen Him on TV: Game of Thrones. As two-faced Qarth merchant Xaro Xhoan Daxos, Anozie inspired Daenerys to unleash her immortal cry: “Where are my dragons?”
Hayley Atwell
Who She Is in Cinderella: The heroine’s beloved mother, whose sudden death casts a shadow over her daughter’s life.
Where You’ve Seen Her on TV: Agent Carter. Atwell expanded Marvel’s roster of TV heroes with an eight-episode adventure that revealed Peggy Carter’s post-Captain America exploits.
Rob Brydon
Who He Is in Cinderella: A mouthy painter who clearly doesn’t think that a little sarcasm is going to cost him his commission.
Where You’ve Seen Him on TV: Gavin & Stacey. Brydon is a staple of British television, but this 2007-2010 comedy series (which also gave new Late Late Show host James Corden his big breakthrough) was one of his most high-profile hits on both sides of the pond.
Alex MacQueen
Who He Is in Cinderella: The palace crier, responsible for delivering all the latest news in an extremely loud voice.
Where You’ve Seen Him on TV: The Thick of It. During the first three seasons of Armando Iannucci’s pre-Veep political satire, MacQueen’s Julius Nicholson was often on the receiving end of Malcolm Tucker’s profanity-laden tirades.
Cinderella is showing in theaters now.
