Lily James wants to shed Cinderella image, says sweet image is ‘so not me’
Actor Lily James says playing the title role in Cinderella (2015) was a “happy association” but she has reached a point where she wants to get rid of the image one associates with the heroine.
The actor, who starred in Kenneth Branagh’s live action retelling of the classic fairytale, said she is actively seeking out different characters now.
“Cinderella was a gift, and I will treasure it for the rest of my life. But I wore a dress for the Mamma Mia! premiere that was blue and white and quite pouffy, and when I got out on the red carpet, all anyone said was ‘Oh it’s Cinderella’,” James told Harper’s Bazaar UK.
“It’s a happy association, but also something that you want to shed at some point... The blonde, sweet thing is so not me. I’m actively seeking characters from now on that are different, who don’t rely on charm or the qualities that I think I’ve explored quite a lot,” added the Baby Driver (2017) actor.
The actor will next be seen in the theatrical version of All About Eve (1950) as the twisted eponymous character of Eve Harrington. She hopes the audience will get a glimpse of her versatility with the part.
“She’s definitely a pathological liar, and there’s a lot of nastiness in her — I can’t wait. It will be good if I can really surprise the audience. But I hope our roles don’t seep into real life. I did hear from someone who worked with Ivo (van Hove, the play’s director) that he encouraged a sense of the character in their real relationships,” James said.