Lily James' Most Notable Movie and TV Roles, From Cinderella to Pam & Tommy
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Walt Disney Studios Motion Pictures/courtesy Everett; Erica Parise/Hulu; Universal Studios /Courtesy Everett
When it comes to acting, Lily James has range.
James first stepped into the spotlight in 2010 and got her big break in 2012's Downton Abbey. Since then, she's done everything from musicals to period pieces to zombie thrillers and went above and beyond for Pam & Tommy, where she played Pamela Anderson (and looked uncannily like her) opposite Sebastian Stan as Tommy Lee.
Her role in the Hulu series was unlike anything we've ever seen from her.
"I've never worked so hard," James told Net-a-Porter's Porter about preparing for the Pam & Tommy role. "I read the books [Anderson] has written, I read her poetry, I can parrot along to all her interviews."
"Slowly, our incredible team found a balance where I resembled Pamela but also felt like I could act through it," she said about the hair and makeup process. "I've never done anything where I look very different from myself before. And I'd really like to continue in this vein, because I felt there was something very freeing and liberating in it. There was a bravery that came from that. A courage that came from… disappearing."
Read ahead for more of James' most notable films and shows and where to watch them online.
RELATED: Pam & Tommy: Where Are the Real-Life People Featured on the Show Now?
Downton Abbey
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James played Lady Rose Aldridge, a Crawley cousin, on the British historical drama series, Downton Abbey, from season 3 to season 5, after which she exited the show to focus on her movie career. She eventually returned for the series finale in 2015 but didn't return for the 2019 movie, nor its 2022 sequel.
Where to watch Downton Abbey: Peacock
Cinderella
Walt Disney Studios Motion Pictures/courtesy Everett
Though James gained recognition for Downton Abbey, her breakout film role came in 2015 when she starred as the titular Disney princess in the live-action adaptation of Cinderella.
Where to watch Cinderella: Amazon
Pride and Prejudice and Zombies
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In 2016, James starred in the film adaptation of Seth Grahame-Smith's 2009 novel, Pride and Prejudice and Zombies, which parodies Jane Austen's Pride and Prejudice. James played Elizabeth Bennet opposite Sam Riley as Colonel Fitzwilliam Darcy.
Where to watch Pride and Prejudice and Zombies: Amazon
Baby Driver
Wilson Webb/ TriStar /Everett
James starred alongside Ansel Elgort in the 2017 action film, Baby Driver, about a getaway car driver. The film gained critical acclaim, including three Academy Awards nominations. In November 2021, writer and director Edgar Wright confirmed he has written a script for a second film.
Where to watch Baby Driver: Amazon
Mamma Mia! Here We Go Again
Universal Studios /Courtesy Everett
In 2018's Mamma Mia! Here We Go Again, which served as both a prequel and sequel to 2008's Mamma Mia!, James played the younger version of Meryl Streep's character, Donna. The film also showed James' musical talents as she sang and danced in the movie.
Where to watch Mamma Mia! Here We Go Again: Amazon
The Guernsey Literary and Potato Peel Pie Society
Netflix/ Everett
James certainly has a flair for period pieces. In 2018, she starred in Netflix's The Guernsey Literary and Potato Peel Pie Society, which is based on the 2008 historical novel of the same name by Mary Ann Shaffer and Annie Barrows. Set in 1946, the film follows a writer who gains interest in a book club on the island of Guernsey.
Where to watch The Guernsey Literary and Potato Peel Pie Society: Netflix
Pam & Tommy
Erica Parise/Hulu Lily James as Pamela Anderson
In December 2020, it was announced that James would play Pamela Anderson opposite Sebastian Stan's Tommy Lee on Hulu's Pam & Tommy. The series, which premiered in February 2022, follows Anderson and Lee's whirlwind marriage in the '90s as well as the controversy surrounding their leaked sex tape.
Where to watch Pam & Tommy: Hulu
