HAVING A BALL
Downton Abbey star helps update Cinderella fairy tale
LLOS ANGELES ily James has yet to suffer for her acting art.
The 25-year-old won the role of the rebellious Lady Rose in the popular TV series Downton Abbey almost fresh out of acting school. Now, she plays Cinderella in the Disney live-action film version of the fairy tale, directed by Kenneth Branagh.
“I’m sure its going to come, but I hope not yet,” said James of career disappointments.
In the meantime, James is front and centre in the movie playing the iconic Cinderella, who finds herself coping with the mean stepmother (Cate Blanchett) and taunting stepsisters (Holliday Grainger and Sophie McShera) after the death of her father.
Only a chance encounter with a handsome stranger in the woods leads Cinderella to a royal ball and the opportunity for a better life.
Richard Madden plays Prince Charming, Helena Bonham Carter is the Fairy Godmother, Derek Jacobi portrays the King and Stellan Skarsgard is the manipulative Duke. Based on the classic 1950 animated movie musical, the film is modestly updated for a modern young audience but still includes the fantasy flair of the cartoon through state-ofthe-art special effects.
Branagh said he hoped to keep a delicate balance of being loyal to the story while refining the message through James’s portrayal.
“We felt Cinderella was invited by the changed world to present a strong, empowered woman who is spirited and powerful, and Lily brought that to her performance,” the director said.
“What I really like is that Cinderella is being defined by (Branagh) through her strengths of kindness and courage, and that’s her superpower,” James said.
When in doubt, she relied on the director to temper her performance in the appropriate way, which allowed her to experiment with variations.
“I trusted (Branagh) completely and he believed in me, which is the most freeing experience because I could do anything, and he would guide me through it,” James said. “He’s such a remarkable director, and I think it’s because he’s a remarkable actor.”
She needed those wits to survive the gruelling ballroom sequences, which required James as Cinderella to waltz in a floor-length gown. Patience and perseverance were necessary for hours at a time.
Before the shoot, James and Madden (her dancing partner as Prince Charming) rehearsed the choreography at London dance studios every weekend for months. James said she felt quite accomplished until she arrived on set.
“Suddenly, we were like, ‘Oh, yeah, the dress,’ ” said James, who had rehearsed without it. “I was having a complete nervous breakdown.”
As beautiful as it was, the costume is a cage-like contraption with 12 layers of gossamer-thin silk “that basically ripped when you looked at it.” So Madden had to navigate around the edges of the delicate apparel without tripping or ripping the gown. And the corset required for the gown meant the actress couldn’t breathe that easily through it all.
“So there were accidents and (dress) casualties, and the dance is quite long and quite athletic, but somehow, through Disney magic, it came together,” she said.
Another challenge arrived with the singing of A Dream is a Wish Your Heart Makes, one of the signature songs from the animated musical.
“I love singing so much, and as a kid that was kind of what I wanted to do, but I was out of practice,” James said. Some vocal training boosted her confidence and by the time the recording sessions came around, she was prepared for the task — although the sessions were a bit unorthodox.
Branagh “was filming somewhere and he had to be on Skype, so he was there (by Skype) when I recorded the song, giving me notes as I did,” she said. Daunting, too, was the thought of acting opposite her idols Blanchett and Bonham Carter, whom she revered while a student at the Guildhall School of Music and Drama in London.
When James successfully auditioned for Cinderella, she couldn’t help but be anxious. Needlessly, as it turned out.
“It was an unbelievable and very surreal experience, and I’m so grateful,” said James of her scenes with Blanchett and Bonham Carter.
Blanchett “is one of the great actresses of all time, and she is so easy to work with because she is so layered and multi-dimensional.”
And Bonham Carter “is one of the coolest, kindest women I’ve ever met and she has the best sense of humour. When she first came on set during a night shoot, she was like this bright light over the horizon.”
Next month, James starts filming the sixth season of Downton Abbey, but she’s coy about what the future holds for her Lady Rose character.
She’s also unsure how much longer the series will run. Rumour has it the sixth season will be its last.
“I actually don’t know what’s happening, but I hope it won’t be the last (season),” said James. “I want it to keep going forever.”