Lily Chloe Ninette Thomson (born April 5, 1989), better known by her stage name Lily James, is an English actress. She studied acting at the Guildhall School of Music and Drama in London and began her career in the British television series Just William (2010). Following her role in the period drama series Downton Abbey (2012–2015), her film breakthrough was the title role in Cinderella (2015). James went on to portray Countess Natasha Rostova in the television adaptation of War & Peace (2016) and Pamela Anderson in the biographical series Pa…