Lily James has become a household name thanks to roles in productions like Downton Abbey, War and Peace, Mamma Mia! Here We Go Again, Rebecca and Yesterday.
Since first appearing on our screens in Just William on BBC One in 2010 Lily's hugely successful career has gone from strength-to-strength and seen her working with some of the biggest names in showbiz.
But what else is there to learn about the actress? Here are a few things you might not know...
Her name isn't Lily James
Lily was actually born Lily Chloe Ninette Thomson, however she is professionally known as Lily James after taking the name of her late father, James Thomson, after discovering there was already an actress with the stage name Lily Thomson. Lily's father sadly died of cancer when she was 18 and took his name in his memory.
Lily James had a very famous grandmother
Lily's paternal grandmother, Helen Horton, was a famous American actress, who enjoyed a career in New York before marrying Lily's grandfather Hamish Thomson. Helen appeared in numerous productions over the years and was probably best known for voicing the ship's computer 'mother' in the 1979 film Alien. Lily told The Guardian: "My grandmother acted her entire life. She died just before I started drama school, sadly. I wish I could talk to her about the business now, she was so glamorous and witty."
She breaks out into a rash whenever she is nervous
Lily has revealed that she has a nervous rash that gets so bad she has been known to wear polo neck jumpers to auditions! She told The Guardian: "There was a period of time where I was doing auditions and I wasn't ever quite sealing the deal. I would get so nervous that I had to wear a polo neck becasue I'd come up in this huge rash on my neck. I get it when I'm excited, or turned on, or anything, it's ridiculous!"
She had to live in a filming bubble while shooting The Pursuit of Love
Lily's recent BBC hit period drama, The Pursuit of Love, was filmed in 2020 after the first lockdown restrictions eased. There were still strict rules and regulations on set, however, and Lily and the rest of the cast entered into a filming bubble so that they could continue production without social distancing. Lily told The Guardian: "There was a covid policeman called Ollie who would go around the set saying 'Mask on!' He managed to do it with some humour, thank god!"
Lily James is an amazing singer
It's not just acting that Lily is good at, she is also a brilliant singer and can often be found showing off her skills in movies that she is making. You can hear Lily sing in Mama Mia, Baby Driver and Cinderella to name just a few productions.
She would love to appear in BBC genealogy show Who Do You Think You Are?
There have been rumours flying around for years that Lily is distantly related to the two President Bushes, but Lily is adamant that this isn't true. She does however have American family, and admits that she doesnt know her family tree all that well... so perhaps Who Do You Think You Are? could get to the bottom of the debate once and for all?!
She got through lockdown by doing jigsaws and drinking wine
Like much of the rest of the world, Lily discovered a passion for puzzles during lockdown. She told The Guardian: "I did jigsaws and watched Schitt's Creek. I also drank too much wine and woke up at midday!"
She is a huge Spice Girls fan
Lily has been a life-long fan of the Spice Girls and there is even a home video of her singing along to one of her favourite tracks. More recently Lily has been to see the band in concert and even got to meet Emma Bunton back stage.
Lily James's fact file
Answers to the most frequently asked questions about the actress....
How old is she?
Lily James is 32 years old. She was born on 5th April 1989.
Is she married?
Lily James isn't married.
Does she have children?
Lily James doesn't have any children.
Where was she born?
Lily James was born in Esher, Surrey.
How tall is she?
Lily James is 5ft 7in.
Instagram: @lilyjamesofficial
We work hard to ensure that all information is correct. Facts that change over time, such as age, will be correct, to the best of our knowledge, at the time of the last article update.
