The latest in Disney’s increasingly long line of live-action remakes of animated classics is here. While most critics weren't wowed by the new movie, our own Snow White review was much more positive. Fans have been equally mixed, with some audiences enjoying Snow White and others not caring for it. There are several reasons that the film may not have connected with audiences, but one reason may have been that, when compared to other live-action remakes, Snow White just didn’t look as nice.

A post has gone viral on Threads, which puts two of Disney’s live-action princesses side by side and asks the question, why does Cinderella look so much better than Snow White? Looking at the two official images of the movie, one showing Lily James in her gown and the other Rachel Zegler and the dwarfs, it’s difficult to argue that the older film, which cost a fraction of Snow White’s reported budget, looks better.

Post by @currlyman

View on Threads

While there are plenty of defenders of Snow White in the comments and plenty of gross comments that focus on Rachel Zegler’s casting above all else, the vast majority stay on topic and agree that the one certainly looks a lot better than the other. Comments include…

• Maybe a hot take but the live action Cinderella is much better than the original and still remains the best remake to date
• The year CGI reached its ultimate peak, filmmakers got lazy with practical effects.
• Ok I was giving a chance to Snow White but I've never seen anything so poorly executed! Like did they swallow the 300 mill?
• The hardest part for me to fathom is that the same woman designed both the Cinderella dress and the Snow White dress…

The reason one of the movies cost as much as $300 million while the other had a reported budget of just $95 million is right there in the picture. Snow White had significantly more CGI than Cinderella. That fact also likely impacted the look of Snow White as the entire look of the movie would need to be adjusted in order to make the CGI look as good as possible.

But whatever the reason, the fact of the matter is that Snow White’s extreme budget is a problem, and not simply because it didn’t make the movie look perfect. Cinderella went on to make over $500 million worldwide on its small budget, a massive hit. It's also seen as one of the best Disney live-action remakes to date.

Even if Snow White were to match that number, which is unlikely considering its mediocre opening, that likely would not be enough to make the movie a success. Especially once you add in the costs of marketing and distributing the film to its inflated budget.

Whatever you think of the two movies overall, what's clear is that a movie doesn't need to break the bank to look great, and spending more money doesn't always mean a better result.

Months before Anyone But You was released and became a surprise box office success, rumors swirled around the rom-com’s two leads. Glen Powell and Sydney Sweeney were believed to be dating, and that notion was furthered after Powell’s then-girlfriend unfollowed Sweeney. Now, that the dating rumors have long been debunked, it looks like the Twisters actor is the center of more gossip involving another actress, and it feels like history is repeating itself a bit.

One of Glen Powell’s best movies is 2018's The Guernsey Literary and Potato Peel Pie Society, which co-stars Lily James. And, as it so happens, Page Six reports that James recently attended the Charles Finch and Chanel BAFTA Party with a friend and left with Powell. The laid-back-looking actor was the first to leave the private party, with the British actress following him and wearing his jacket draped over her shoulders. While the duo walked out separately, they climbed into the back of a waiting SUV and sat close with photos showing the two breaking out in laughter.

This certainly reminds me of the Sydney Sweeney situation. Fans were quick to jump to conclusions after reports circulated that Powell and Gigi Paris broke up in the aftermath of the latter unfollowing Sweeney on social media. Additionally, a photo of Sweeney's fiancé, Jonathan Davino, leaving their house with bags surfaced around that time. However, Sweeney and Davino are still engaged, and the Texas native’s breakup was said to have occurred weeks before the scandalous rumors began.

Powell has since described his working relationship with the Euphoria actress as similar to Julia Roberts and George Clooney's. It’s clear that the Anyone but You stars just have natural chemistry.

After his breakup with Gigi Paris, Glen Powell got real about the challenges of dating in Hollywood, explaining that celebrity splits are particularly painful because of media exposure. When asked about his assumed romance with Sydney Sweeney, Powell admitted how “disorienting and unfair” it all was but also that he knew it would come with the price of fame. Still, Powell eventually wants a romance similar to his own parents that’s “goofy and really fun.”

As for Lily James, she’s been seemingly living the single life herself. Beginning in 2021, she was in an on-and-off again relationship with musician Michael Shuman. However, this past December, the actress was seen leaving Chiltern Firehouse with Airbnb chief executive Brian Chesky.

Nothing has been confirmed regarding any kind of relationship between Glen Powell and Lily James, as of this writing. Still, that may not stop fans from speculating just as they did with Powell and Sydney Sweeney. You can watch Powell’s undeniable chemistry with his leading ladies in The Guernsey Literary and Potato Peel Pie Society and Anyone But You, which are both available to stream with a Netflix subscription.

Great actors don't need a lot of makeup or total body transformations to improve their performance, but when you get the combination of a great and those things, the effect can be amazing. Sometimes the effect is so good the actors become completely unrecognizable, like the examples in this list where actors like Jared Leto and Gary Oldman were completely transformed for roles.

Jared Leto - House Of Gucci

It's fair to say that House Of Gucci was, at best, an uneven movie. It was a daunting challenge for everyone involved and none more so than Jared Leto. Leto played the legendary Paolo Gucci, and while his accent was a little shaky, his look and his mannerisms were completely on point. It's one heck of a transformation.

Charlize Theron - Monster

There is no more intense transformation for a role than Charlize Theron's performance as real-life serial killer Aileen Wuornos in Monster. Theron completely embodies the monster that Wuoronos was, while also subtly allowing the audience to understand how the killer became the way she was. Theron rightfully won an Academy Award for her portrayal of the brutal murderer.

Christian Bale - Vice

Christian Bale is one of the best actors of his generation and he's never been afraid to alter his look for a performance. The Machinist is one excellent example, but even that transformation pales in comparison to the way he completely became Dick Cheney in Vice. Not only does he look just like the former vice president, but he nails his speech pattern and mannerisms as well. It's remarkable.

Lily James - Pam & Tommy

When Lily James was cast as Pamela Anderson in Pam & Tommy it raised a few eyebrows. The actress seemed like a complete opposite in every way, especially her looks, as the blonde bombshell. Yet, when the movie came out, people were amazed at how well James pulled it off. No, it's not the best movie, but James was the spitting image of Anderson.

Gary Oldman - True Romance

One actor who is truly a master of disguise is Gary Oldman. He seemingly looks completely different in almost every role he plays. One of the most astounding transformations was early in his career when he played a pimp in True Romance. He literally looks and sounds nothing like himself in the film, to the point where if you didn't know it was him, you'd never guess.

Jessica Chastain - The Eyes of Tammy Faye

You know when a film wins the Academy Award for Best Makeup and Best Actress, the role is going to be special. Such is the case for Jessica Chastain in The Eyes of Tammy Faye. Chastain is completely unrecognizable in the role of the wife of the infamous Jim Bakker and is simply incredible in the movie.

Margot Robbie - I, Tonya

Turning Margot Robbie into a street tough figure skater like Tonya Harding is no easy feet. Through a combination of incredible makeup work and even better acting, Robbie completely disappears into the notorious skater made famous for her part in attacking her rival Nancy Kerrigan before the 1994 Olympics.

Glenn Close - Hook

Steven Spielberg's 1991 Hook isn't generally remembered as the legendary director's best work, but it is chock full of fun cameos and one of the hardest to spot is Glenn Close. The actress plays one of the pirates on Captain Hook's ship and if you don't look closely, you'll never notice the multiple Oscar nominee under the beard and makeup turning her into a male pirate.

Tilda Swinton - Trainwreck

The most remarkable thing about Tilda Swinton's transformation in the rom-com Trainwreck is just how conventional she looks. Swinton has one of the most unique looks in Hollywood and most of the time that look is enhanced by the roles she plays, it's part of what makes her so great. Her "normal" look in Trainwreck is made remarkable by that,

Mike Myers - Bohemian Rhapsody

Mike Myers took a long hiatus from acting in the 2010s and when he returned in Bohemian Rhapsody, audiences had to do a triple-check to make sure it was him in the role of a record executive arguing with Queen about the song that the movie is named after. With sunglasses and a full blonde beard, Myers looked nothing like his normal sense and his performance was excellent.

Colin Farrell - The Batman/The Penguin

When the trailer first dropped for The Batman, people were astounded at how Colin Farrell looked as Penguin. When the movie came out and we all watched his performance, it was even more shocking (in a great way). When he took the role to HBO for the TV show named after the character, we were all completely lost in it, because he was just so great. Though he says the suit and makeup aren't worth it, we have a feeling he'll be back as the Gotham-based villain.

50 Cent - All Things Fall Apart

50 Cent has proven to be quite the actor. The rapper has branched out into producing, even. Perhaps his best performance was as the fallen football star in All Things Fall Apart. His body transformation to play a pro athlete in peak physical condition who falls victim to cancer is incredible

Sarah Paulson - Impeachment: American Crime Story

Sarah Paulson knows how to completely disappear into a role. She was as incredible as Marsha Clark in The People Vs. OJ Simpson and she was even more remarkable as Linda Tripp in Impeachment: American Crime Story. Seriously, if you didn't know it was her, you'd never guess. She looks more like Tripp than Paulson in every way.

Billy Bob Thornton In U-Turn

Billy Bob Thorton is one of the most fun actors to watch in everything he is in. Take, for example, his role in Sling Blade, in which he looks completely different from himself. Another fine example is as the mechanic in U-Turn with Sean Penn. If it wasn't for his distinctive voice, you'd never know it was him.

Eddie Murphy - Coming To America

For a while there, Eddie Murphy made it his job to look completely different in his movies like The Nutty Professor, but at no point in any of those movies did he transform quite like he did to play the Jewish guy who hung out in the barbershop in Coming To America. Even his role as the barber in the movie was more recognizable. We also have to give props to Arsenio Hall for his various roles in the movie as well.

Mia Goth - X

Mia Goth playing the elderly Pearl in X is fantastic. Though you can tell it's her as Maxine, if you just walked in on the movie as those scenes of her as the older Pearl was playing, you'd never know who it is.

Tom Hardy - Bronson

Tom Hardy has never been shy about taking on challenging roles that require him to transform completely. He changes so much, that you almost feel like you don't know what he actually looks like in real life. Bronson is one of his finest transformations as he looks way more like the notorious British prisoner than like himself in the movie. It's so much more than just a mustache, that's for sure.

Donnie Wahlberg - The Sixth Sense

Mark Wahlberg may be the more famous brother, but Donnie Wahlberg also has some incredible acting chops and his performance comes in his minor-ish role in The Sixth Sense. It's clear that the former (and current) New Kid On The Block lost a ton of weight for his haunting performance in the movie.

Steve Carell - Foxcatcher

Murderer John du Pont of the famous du Pont family was a unique-looking guy. In Foxcatcher, Steve Carell completely embodies that uniqueness, It's almost unsettling how much Carell looks like du Pont and not like himself in the disturbing movie about the murder the scion of the wealthy family committed in 1997.

Cate Blanchett — I’m Not There

The legendary Bob Dylan has been played on screen a few times and remarkably the actor that pulled off his look and mannerism best is the amazing Cate Blanchett in I’m Not There. Of all the actors who play a version of the folk singer, Blancett is the most convincing and she looks nothing like herself in the movie.

Zac Efron - The Iron Claw

Early in his career Zac Efron was kind of typecast as the goofy good-looking guy. In 2023's The Iron Claw he completely upends that as he embodied the late Kerry Von Erich in the fantastic biopic about wrestling's first family, the Von Erichs

Renée Zellweger - The Thing About Pam

After a little bit of a career lull that included a four-year break from acting, Renée Zellweger returned in a big way in the late 2010s, culminating in an Oscar-winning performance as Judy Garland in 2019's Judy, which completely revived her career. Her best was yet to come because despite not getting the same accolades in the press, her performance as murderer Pam Hupp in The Thing About Pam was a complete transformation

Jared Leto - Chapter 27

Turning someone as good-looking as Jared Leto into someone as despised as the man who killed John Lennon is no easy feat. Leto's performance as Mark David Chapman is incredible and even though the movie has flown under the radar for years, it's worth seeking out just to see how different Leto can look from himself.

Missi Pyle - Dodgeball: A True Underdog Story

How do you take a beautiful woman like Missi Pyle and make her look like a deranged Eastern European dodgeball player? Ask the makeup department for Dodgeball: A True Underdog Story. The work they did, along with Pyle's acting, was amazing. There's no way to know it was her in any way unless you double-check the credits.

Sebastian Stan - A Different Man

A Different Man tells the hilarious and heartwarming tale of a struggling actor with a condition known as neurofibromatosis. Sebastian Stan plays the actor under a whole ton of wonderful makeup and despite the obvious limitation that makeup puts on the actor, Stan puts in a career-defining performance.

Chris Hemsworth - Furiosa: A Mad Max Saga

While it isn't the most extreme example on this list, Chris Hemsworth's look in Furiosa: A Mad Max Saga is amazing. The only reason you really know it's him is that he uses his natural Aussie accent in the movie, which he doesn't do all that much these days. He's even won awards for the performance!

Ryan Reynolds - Blade: Trinity

Okay, we'll admit this isn't the biggest transformation on this list, but you can't deny that Ryan Reynolds has a completely different, more sinister look in Blade: Trinity. It's way different from what you expect from a standard Reynolds performance.

Nicole Kidman - Birth

Nicole Kidman is an amazing actress, but she's not one of those actors you expect to completely change her look for a role. Her part in Birth shows that she certainly can do that, and do it in spectacular ways.

Robert De Niro - Raging Bull

Robert De Niro famously put on a ton of weight for his role as Al Capone in The Untouchables. He also got completely jacked for Cape Fear. He did both for his incredible performance in Raging Bull. As a young Jake LaMotta he was cut and fit and as an older version of the boxer, he was flabby and overweight. Either way, De Niro looks less like himself and more like the real-life boxer. He certainly deserved the Oscar he won for the role.

Margot Robbie - Mary, Queen of Scots

Mary, Queen of Scots had a unique look that was only enhanced by the odd style of 16th Century Scotland. Still, Margot Robbie nails the look of the queen in a way that leaves the audience squinted to see if it's really the Australian actress.

Gary Oldman - The Darkest Hour

No one transforms quite like Gary Oldman. He's completely different in every role he plays and in The Darkest Hour, he completely embodies his role as Winston Churchill. It's not just the makeup, though that is perfect, it's also the voice and mannerisms he brings to the role that makes you believe you're actually watching the legendary prime minister.

Charlize Theron - Bombshell

Bombshell is one of those movies where you might think you're watching the real-life characters that the cast of Bombshell are playing. Charlize Theron's portrayal of former Fox News reporter Megyn Kelly tops the performances. It's pitch-perfect in every way.

There are plenty of celebrity fashion looks that have been immortalized on the big screen, but there are also plenty of other famous dresses that never hit a red carpet. Maybe they should have. We've compiled a list of some of the best gowns (and looks) from films that could totally have worked on a red carpet, if given the chance. Here are some of the coolest takes.

Lily James In Cinderella

When I think of a ball gown, to me the 2015 Cinderella look of Lily James is a great example of a dress that’s carpet ready. It’s somehow timeless and modern, it’s an indescribable blue color, and it brought an animated concept to life in just the perfect way. A top-notch stunner for any era.

Emma Watson In Harry Potter And The Deathly Hallows Part 1

I know you thought I was going to bust out Hermione’s iconic Yule Ball gown look here, even though she’s said the scene was uncomfortable in the past. While it’s a sweet dress for a teenager, it’s the stunning red number Watson’s character wears to Bill and Fleur’s wedding I deem to be most red carpet-worthy.

Jennifer Lopez In Maid In Manhattan

Jennifer Lopez played a maid who borrowed a gown for a night out on the town in Maid in Manhattan. While the flick may not make anyone's list of best rom-coms, the dress is perfect for any best list. It was a peachy pink and very on trend in the early aughts, and its silhouette – and the iconic jewelry she paired it with – would very much still be on point on the carpet today.

Halle Berry In Die Another Day

Halle Berry may be more known for an iconic bikini scene in Die Another Day, but it's her purple dress that really stands out when she's playing Jinx. The color and silhouette are stunning years later, but this is one dress that's also even more brilliant once you see it from behind.

Julia Roberts In Pretty Woman

A far cry from the look we meet her in, Julia Roberts’ Vivian Ward dons a romantic red dress for a night out with Richard Gere’s Edward. The two end up entangling their lives in myriad ways, but the dress is still the most memorable moment from the movie for me.

Margot Robbie In The Wolf Of Wall Street

Black dresses will never go out of fashion, and Margot Robbie looks like a cool woman in a little black dress in Wolf of Wall Street. It's not the only fashionable moment in Scorsese's film, but it's the look I would choose if I were having to go to a fun event. The earrings amp the look up considerably, too. Her whole vibe has me rethinking my wardrobe.

Aubrey Hepburn In Sabrina

One of the most iconic ball gowns of all time, Hepburn’s famous Sabrina dress may never have happened if she hadn’t pushed and befriended designer Givenchy. They made movie history together, and red carpet history in other cases. This dress would not have been out of place there.

Natalie Portman In Black Swan

Black Swan may be one of the best psychological films, but the costume design is also superb, from outfits worn on the stage to everdaywear. The white gown Portman’s character wears from Rodarte has one of the coolest backs I’ve ever seen. Nearly 15 years later, I wish she or someone would bust it out again.

Lady Mary In Downton Abbey

Lady Mary was a bit of a fashionista across the entirety of the Downton Abbey series and its two subsequent movies, but this lush sapphire blue Prussian gown from 2019’s Downton movie stands out as a favorite and also the one that’s most red carpet worthy. Maybe in this day and age I’d drop the gloves, though (even if celebs like Taylor Swift and JLo are bringing gloves back).

Billy Porter In Cinderella (2021)

The Cinderella cast all had amazing outfits, but Billy Porter's fabulous godmother (Fab G) dress in the 2021 Cinderella is all bold colors and lush satin. It's very much a Porter-perfect look that still stands out years later.

Keira Knightley In Atonement

Keira Knightley’s green dress in Atonement is very much a dress of the era it is portraying, but it’s also the sort of classic look in the perfect color and fabric that could be worn by anyone, in any formal situation, in any time period. If I had to choose a dress to rock to a movie premiere or a wedding or pretty much any occasion, this look from the 2007 (but period) movie would be it.

Charlize Theron Snow White And The Huntsman

Hear me out: Charlize Theron looks so extra in Snow White and the Huntsman but she never looks more extra than when she’s wearing the dress with the extravagant shoulders. Puff sleeves come in and out, but I’m really ready for some avante garde looks to hit the red carpet and this is a great take on a totally unique style.

Kate Hudson In How To Lose A Guy In 10 Days

The early aughts were a prominent time for formalwear gowns dominating movie posters, and the Kate Hudson rom-com era was no exception. The good news is the gold dress she sported opposite Matthew McConaughey still holds up more than 20 years later and is a color she should continue to sport on the red carpet.

Grace Kelly In Rear Window

Grace Kelly had a lot of iconic dresses in a lot of movies that could have fit the criteria of this list, but my favorite has to be her tulle look from Alfred Hitchcock's Rear Window. It's no wonder the ballet-inspired look has come back in 10 Things I Hate About You and other movies.

Jennifer Lawrence In Catching Fire

The Hunger Games has some solid fashion design, particularly when it comes to characters like Snow, Effie and others living in the capital. But if you really want to make a statement, how about a dress that catches fire and turns into a second fashion statement? Tell me you wouldn’t like to see this on the red carpet!

Kate Winslet In Titanic

When Jack and Rose meet in Titanic, she’s dressed for dinner in a gorgeous red and black beaded dress that would stand out in any crowd. It’s a good thing she catches Jack’s eye in this dress, or Titanic would have been a different movie.

Angela Bassett In Jumping The Broom

Listen: Paula Patton’s character has a lovely wedding dress in Jumping The Broom (not to mention a really cute purple plaid dress at the beginning of the movie), but Angela Bassett is the actress to keep your eye on. As the matriarch in a wealthy family, Bassett’s character is the one with the polished, structured looks I’d feel most confident in on the red carpet.

Rita Hayworth In Gilda

I’m not sure how many people revisit Rita Hayworth’s Gilda these days, but when I think of old Hollywood glamor, her satin gown and matching gloves always come to mind. This was the role that made Hayworth a household name and that dress would still have a moment if it debuted today.

Sonoya Mizuno In Crazy Rich Asians

There's a lot of just epic fashion in 2018's Crazy Rich Asians, but the stellar standout moment is Araminta's wedding, which just has so many great looks from the main cast. At the end of the day, despite the gorgeous setting and shiny, happy people, it's the dress that's to die for.

Vivien Leigh In Gone With The Wind

Leigh gets the opportunity to wear a lot of lovely fabrics in 1939’s Gone with the Wind but none seem as carpet worthy (somewhat ironically) as the dress made out of curtains. It's a memorable color combo and an all-time great movie look.

Hilary Duff In A Cinderella Story

While allegedly Sam is wearing an "old" wedding dress when she shows up in this gorgeous white number, the tulle look is a classic one. Hilary Duff wore the dress with pink Chuck Taylors on the cover for the film, and casualizing a dress with sneakers has become a popular trend in the time since.

Emma Watson In Beauty And The Beast

A Disney ballgown that really hits the mark, Emma Watson’s yellow Belle dress does the animated character justice while fitting the actress like a glove. The color might not work on everyone, but it’s such a perfect fit.

Whitney Houston In The Bodyguard

I think Whitney Houston’s Queen of the Night costume is probably the one we all think about first when we think about The Bodyguard, but it’s her simple black halter dress and beaded hair and bracelet accessories that would really stand out on a red carpet and give something a little special.

Aubrey Hepburn In My Fair Lady

Eliza may have made a bet with Professor Higgins to help her sound like a lady, but it's not hard to believe Audrey Hepburn at least looks like a lady in this dress. The thick, sparkling necklace gives it an additional upgrade. Beautiful.

Ariana DeBose In West Side Story

Ariana DeBose's yellow dress in Spielberg's West Side Story is a direct nod to the 1961 movie musical, but it's an updated take on the look. Originally, Rita Moreno wore a famous lavender dress, but DeBose's is an upgraded color and has a little more swish in it. It's gorgeous and the type of look I hope is popularized again.

Marilyn Monroe In How To Marry A Millionaire

Marilyn Monroe rocked lots of iconic gowns over the years, but the thing I like about this satin dress is the one shoulder strap. It's fitted like a glove and the pink color is fabulous. It's hard to pick one thing about this dress that is most successful. It's just perfect.

Barbara Bach In The Spy Who Loved Me

Plenty of Bond girls have had great outfits over the course of more than 50 years, but when Bond meets Anya Amasova, her navy gown really pops thanks to the Swarovski crystal trim. I love that it's not a flat color, and the leg slit adds a sweet extra touch.

Lana Condor In To All The Boys I've Loved Before: P.S. I Still Love You

Lana Condor has a lot of beautiful clothing in the To All The Boys movies. Of all her sweet looks, my favorite is the one in the sequel that Stormy lends her from her impeccable collection. It's vintage perfect, and a lovely color to boot.

Lori Singer In Footloose

Lori Singer’s Ariel dress looks great on her, and it fits the character well. Despite the movie coming out in the eighties, the off-shoulder style comes in and out, and its simple silhouette would be perfect for a low-key movie premiere. As vintage is making a big comeback, perhaps it’s a style we’ll see back on the carpet in coming years.

Rachel Leigh Cook In She’s All That

Laney’s red makeover dress is on-trend now the ‘90s and early aughts are making a comeback. Its spaghetti straps and slim silhouette are simple, but would still really would turn heads on the red carpet today. I love the matching red pumps she pairs the look with as well.

Margaret Avery In The Color Purple

Shug Avery's bright looks in The Color Purple stand out. It may be more of a show dress, but if I had to kick it on the red carpet, I'd want something just as sequiny. Maybe I'd throw in some pearls to boot.

Anne Hathaway In The Idea Of You

A lot of people would say Ms. Hathaway's iconic fashion movies are either The Princess Diaries or The Devil Wears Prada, and while neither are wrong choices, my pick has to go to her character in The Idea of You. When Solene meets Hayes in her beautifully tailored, creamy Fendi number, his head was turned, but so was mine.

Luckily, we're likely to see many more red carpet-worthy looks on the big screen for years to come!

There are a lot of reasons that a young actor may change their name. Sometimes it's as simple as just wanting a cool new name. Often it's because someone is already in the union was using the actor's real name and they have to adjust. Here's a list of some of Hollywood's biggest stars and their real names. 

Ben Kingsley (Krishna Pandit Bhanji)

The great Ben Kingsley won an Oscar for his role in the great biopic Gandhi. It makes sense he would play the Indian freedom fighter, as Kingsley himself is Indian. Born to an Indian father and an English mother, Kingsley grew up in England and while his father was a practicing Shia Muslim, Kinglsey is not and considers himself a Quaker. He changed his name for that oh-so-common reason, that he feared a foreign-sounding name would hurt his career. 

Whoopi Goldberg (Caryn Elaine Johnson)

The story is both hilarious and heartfelt. She was born Caryn Elaine Johnson in New York, but when she started acting, she was accused of being flatulent, so Whoopi "short for whoopee cushion." Her surname came from a Jewish ancestor, Goldberg, so she could celebrate the diversity in her family line. 

Judy Garland (Frances Ethel Gumm)

Judy Garland first started in show business as a singer with her sisters, going by their names, The Gumm Sisters. After they were billed as the "Glum Sisters" for a show, it was suggested they change their name. Judy Gumm took her mother's maiden name, Garland, and the rest is history. 

Martin Sheen (Ramon Gerard Estevez)

Martin Sheen's real name is Ramon Gerard Estevez, but he changed it when he broke into the business for the same reason so many others have made the decision, to be less ethnic, as early in his career they said he looked Irish. One of his sons, Charlie Sheen, chose to use the same screen name, but one of his other sons, Emilio Estevez, chose to use his given name. Sheen's daughter, Renée Estevez, an occasional cast member of The West Wing with her father, also stuck with the family name. 

Vin Diesel (Mark Sinclair)

Vin Diesel took on that name after being born Mark Sinclair when he worked as a bouncer as he tried to break into show business. "Vin" comes from his adoptive surname, Vincent, and Diesel came simply because he wanted a cool name as a bouncer. 

Miley Cyrus (Destiny Hope Cyrus)

Though she was born Destiny Hope Cyrus, Miley Cyrus decided to go by the moniker she's best known as because that was simply what her family called her growing up. Her nickname in the family was originally "Smiley" which was eventually shortened to Miley. Her first couple of professional acting gigs, in the TV show Doc and the Tim Burton movie Big Fish, she was billed by her real name, Destiny Cyrus. 

Cary Grant (Archibald Alec Leach)

Early in his Vaudeville career, the great Cary Grant used his real name, Archibald Leach. When he got to Hollywood, as is so often the case, the studio didn't think the name wasn't "box office" enough, so he changed it to Cary Grant. 

Natalie Portman (Natalie Hershlag)

Natalie Portman's real name is Natalie Hershlag, but unlike so many others, she didn't change it because the name was "too ethnic" or not generic enough. As she explained to Vanity Fair in 2024, it was because she wanted to create a separate identity for her work and personal life. 

Portia De Rossi (Amanda Lee Rogers)

Portia de Rossi's name change came, at least originally, because she simply wanted a more exotic-sounding name when she started acting in her teens. Her given name, Amanda Lee Rogers, was just bland. She later revealed it may have been in part because she was struggling with her sexual identity as well. After marrying Ellen Degeneres in 2008, she changed it again, this time combining her real and stage names, Portia Lee James DeGeneres. Professionally she is still Portia de Rossi though. 

Joaquin Phoenix (Joaquin Rafael Bottom)

The Phoenix family has a fascinating history, one that includes time in the cult Children of God. When the family left that group, they made a collective decision to change their last name to one of rebirth, and Joaquin Rafael Bottom became Joaquin Phoenix.

Jamie Foxx (Eric Marlon Bishop)

Born Eric Marlon Bishop in 1967, Jamie Foxx took his stage name early when he was a standup. He says that he noticed women often got preferential spots during open mics, so he decided he wanted a more androgynous name, choosing Jamie. For his last name, he picked it as a tribute to his favorite comedian, Redd Foxx. 

John Wayne (Marion Robert Morrison)

It was a lot more common back in the day for actors to adopt cooler-sounding stage names and that was pretty much the case for Marion Robert Morrison, who ended up John Wayne. It's easy to see why he did it, whether it was a good idea or not. It worked for him. 

Tom Cruise (Thomas Cruise Mapother IV)

Top Gun: Maverick star Tom Cruise didn't change much, but it was a meaningful change. His real name at birth was Thomas Cruise Mapother IV, obviously named after his father, hence the suffix. Cruise had a very difficult relationship with his dad, so when he began his career, he dropped the Mapother in part to distance himself from his then-estranged father. The two later reunited when his father was on his deathbed. 

Olivia Wilde (Olivia Cockburn)

Actor and director Olivia Wilde's story about why she changed her name is pretty simple. She decided she wanted to stage name, and at the time was acting in Oscar Wilde's play The Importance of Being Earnest, which she loved. So she went with Wilde as a homage to the legendary playwright. 

Meg Ryan (Margaret Mary Emily Anne Hyra)

It's pretty easy to see why Meg Ryan chose to simplify her name when she started acting. Margaret Mary Emily Anne Hyra sure is a mouthful, so cutting a 25-letter name down to a seven-letter one makes sense. Meg is short for Margaret and Ryan is the maiden name of maternal grandmother. 

Kirk Douglas (Issur Danielovitch)

In another example of early Hollywood stars fearing their given names would hold them back for sounding too ethnic, Kirk Douglas changed his name from Issur Danielovitch. He told People it was because he feared it would hold him back and it sounded "too Semitic." 

Mahershala Ali (Mahershalalhashbaz Gilmore)

Like others on this list, it's easy to see why Mahershala Ali changed his name from Mahershalalhashbaz Gilmore. Not only is Mahershalalhashbaz really hard to spell and pronounce, but the Green Book actor also converted to Islam as a teenager, taking Mahershala Ali as his Muslim name. 

Marilyn Monroe (Norma Jeane Mortenson)

One of the most famous name changes in Hollywood history is Norma Jeane Mortensen changing her name to Marilyn Monroe. There is no big story behind it, it simply was a snazzier name and Monroe was her mother's maiden name. 

Michael Keaton (Michael Douglas)

This one is easy to understand. Beetlejuice Beetlejuice star Michael Keaton's real name is Michael Douglas. Obviously with an actor already in the union (Romancing The Stone star Michael Douglas), Keaton had to come up with a new name for billing. He chose the last name out of respect for early Hollywood star Buster Keaton. 

Michael Caine (Maurice Joseph Micklewhite)

If you think Maurice Micklewhite is a bit of a mouthful, you're not alone. English legend Michael Caine thought so too. In 2016, he legally changed his name from Micklewhite to Caine, because, according to the Batman Begins actor says it caused too much confusion at airports. 

Winona Ryder (Winona Laura Horowitz)

This one is a little in dispute - though not really. Charlie Sheen once claimed he gave Winona Horowitz her new name, Ryder, after listening to The Doors song "Riders on the Storm." Ryder says she got it when her father asked if she wanted a stage name while they were listening to Mitch Ryder. 

Demi Moore (Demetria Gene Guynes)

The story of Demi Moore's stage name (changed from Demetria Guynes) is both mundane and unique. Before she started appearing in acting roles, Moore married musician Freddy Moore when she was 18. So while Moore was her married name, it was a new name, just as her career was taking off. Demi is simply short for Demetria. 

Dove Cameron (Chloe Celeste Hosterman)

Dove Cameron has never explained why she chose Cameron as her stage name, but her reason for choosing Dove is bittersweet. Dove was her father's nickname for her and after he took his own life, she decided she wanted to go by that, in tribute to him. 

Cher (Cherilyn Sarkisian)

It takes a lot of gall and a lot of talent to decide you're going to go with a one-name moniker, and Cher has oodles of both. It's not hard to see what she did, she simply shortened her first name, Cherilyn, and dropped her last. 

Olivia Colman (Sarah Caroline Colman)

Like others on this list, Olivia Colman couldn't join the actors union with her birth name, Sarah Colman, so she changed it. As she explained in 2013, Colman chose Olivia because it is one of her best friends from college's name and she loved it. 

Carmen Electra (Tara Leigh Patrick)

There aren't many people who can claim the legendary Prince gave them their name, but Carmen Electra can. Way back at the start of her career, when she was working with the Purple One, he decided Tara wasn't good enough and named her Carmen. In 2023, Tara Leigh Patrick officially changed her legal name to Carmen Electra, because who wouldn't?

Lily James (Lily Chloe Ninette Thomson)

Like others here, Lily James renamed herself in honor of her late father, James. Though Thomson was also her father's name, of course, she wanted to do more, deciding taking on the stage name "James" to do so. 

Nicolas Cage (Nicolas Kim Coppola)

Nicolas Cage's first movie role was basically just a background character in Fast Times At Ridgemont High. He is billed in the credits by his legal name, Nicolas Coppola, and yeah, it's that Coppola. While on the set of Fast Times, his co-stars would endlessly quote his famous uncle's (Francis Ford Coppola) movies. He decided then and there he needed to distance himself from his famous family (Talia Shire is his aunt, and Sophia Coppola and Jason Schwartzman are cousins).

Julianne Moore (Julie Anne Smith)

Julie Smith is a pretty common name, and when the great Julieanne Moore hit Hollywood, she soon discovered the name was already taken in the union. She tried different combinations, but they were all spoken for. In the end, she combined her first and middle names, and took her father's name, Moore, as her surname. It's like having to go through dozens of combos to find the right vanity plate, but in the end, it's hard to imagine the actor with any other name. 

Mindy Kaling (Vera Mindy Chokalingam)

It seems Hollywood is still getting people to change their names if they or people around them fear a real name is too complicated or foreign. Indian actor and writer Mindy Kaling is a recent example when she simplified her name from Vera Mindy Chokalingam to Mindy Kaling. 

David Tennant (David John McDonald)

Former Dr. Who and Jessica Jones star David Tennant has a tried and true story as well, his real name, David McDonald, was taken. He explained some years ago on James Corden's show, where he also explained that he chose "Tennant" because he saw the name from a music magazine in an article about Neil Tennant of The Pet Shop Boys. 

Chevy Chase (Cornelius Crane Chase)

Chevy Chase comes from a very blood-blue family who can trace their roots in America back to the Mayflower. Cornelius Crane Chase, the Vacation star's real name, reflects this perfectly. The reason he goes by "Chevy" is because his grandmother started calling him that when he was a kid. So, not much of a story here, but he's real name is just so posh, that we had to include it here. 

Helen Mirren (Helen Lydia Mironoff)

Like others, this one is just a technicality. Helen Mirren was born Helen Lydia Mironoff in London to an English mother and a Russian father. When Mirren was 10 years old, her father anglicized the family name to "Mirren." 

The upcoming A24 movie The Iron Claw may not have Lily James showing off her wrestling moves, but she still had to be around Zac Efron and the rest of the cast as they wore their ‘80s wrestling garb. It's a tough job, but someone has to do it. If you look at Efron’s insane body and hair in the film’s trailer, you can either swoon at what you see, chuckle or maybe both. The British actress shared what her funny reaction was to seeing all of her male co-stars wearing tight spandex on set.

Lily James’ character, Pam Adkisson, is based on the real-life wife of world champion wrestler Kevin Von Erich. He and his brothers created a dynasty that popularized the iron claw wrestling hold. The Mamma Mia actress told TODAY with Hoda & Jenna how thankful she was not to squeeze her body in those itsy-bitsy spandex speedos like her male co-stars had to for the sports drama:

This time around for The Iron Claw, it looks like men will be the objectified parties here having to wear ‘80s spandex for the world to see. Zac Efron humorously compared his Iron Claw hair and “speedo” look to Magic Mike! I can definitely understand the comparison of being in the limelight while wearing tight, sexy attire as if you were about to perform a lap dance. All in all, the High School Musical actor took it like a champ, truly grateful to the hair and makeup team for helping him and his castmates look good. Fans, on the other hand, couldn’t help but compare his Kevin Von Erich look to Shrek’s Lord Farquaad. That comparison, I’d have to say, is totally undermining Efron’s monster looks for the biopic.

While the spandex and tiny pants brought some humor to Lily James, the Baby Driver actress still really liked what she saw in her male co-stars, saying:

It really was a lot of hard work for Zac Efron and his co-stars to look like one of the most important wrestling families. Not only did they all get a full body shave, but the Baywatch star got ripped for The Iron Claw by coming up with his own fitness routine that worked well for his body. Other than the cast working those muscles, they had to change their diets around too. Jeremy Allen White, who plays Kerry von Erich, spoke about the gross struggles of bulking up, like consuming as much as he could in waffles, almond butter, turkey patties and avocados. As the critics have been praising the A24 flick, it looks like all of that hard grunt work truly paid off.

The Downton Abbey star was lucky she didn’t have to go through any grueling workout training like everyone else on set had to. But it didn’t mean James didn’t try to blend in with the cast while scoping their wrestling moves on set. As she explained:

It's really cute that the Cinderella actress was trying to fit in with the boys with her tiny dumbbell. That would be the only way I’d be able to contribute on that front as well. When talking about how Zac Efron got all “muscly” for their movie together, she admitted his beefiness and that ‘80s bowl haircut was distracting for her.

However, another distraction for James came from the Neighbors actor’s transformative performance in the role. She’d be in total agreement with fans who saw the initial screenings and said the same thing. I have a feeling we’re all going to be blown away not only by the brawn of the male actors but their extraordinary talent in telling this deep true story.

Lily James may not have had to wrestle, but she still had a tough job keeping a straight face towards Zac Efron and the cast of The Iron Claw wearing their spandex speedos. While there was no hiding those tight outfits and holy abs, I’m sure there was also no covering their incredible performances either. 

James, those spandex speedos and the actors wearing them will all be featured in the critically acclaimed 2023 movie release when it hits theaters on December 22nd. 

Zac Efron became a superstar thanks to the High School Musical franchise, growing into an accomplished actor and sex symbol right before the public’s eyes. The 35 year-old actor is known for being super ripped, although he goes through cutting and bulking seasons. Efron got super muscly again for A24’s upcoming sports drama The Iron Claw, and his co-star Lily James has spoken about the distraction of working with him on set. Hey, muscles can be distracting!

In the years Zac Efron has spent as a public figure, folks are often making comments about his appearance. That includes online rumors about plastic surgery, which he personally had to refute with tales of a harrowing accident. While he has been open about how he got overly ripped for Baywatch, he had to bulk up to play professional wrestler Kevin Von Erich in The Iron Claw. Lily James is also in that movie, and recently spoke to The Sun about filming with Efron in that state, saying:

Talk about the power of hair and make-up… as well as tons of hours at the gym. The set photos of Zac Efron in The Iron Claw that are circulating online show just how spot-on he looks as Kevin Von Erich. And as such, you can’t blame Lily James from sometimes getting distracted while acting opposite the Firestarter actor in full regalia. 

Professional wrestlers are known for being absolutely massive, and Zac Efron seemingly took this responsibility very seriously prior to and during filming for The Iron Claw. He made a huge physical transformation, gaining a ton of muscle in order to play the real-life wrestling figure. You can see just how big Efron was looking in the role thanks to a post from the movie shared on his Instagram account. Check it out below:

Holy flying Efron. Not only is Zac Efron going to look the part as Kevin Von Erich in The Iron Claw, it also looks like he’s going to be putting those muscles to use in the movie’s wrestling sequences. A24 has built up a stellar representation lately thanks to acclaimed projects like The Whale and Everything Everywhere All at Once, both of which are Awards Season favorites this year. Could this upcoming drama be the opportunity for this type of recognition for Efron? Only time will tell.

As previously mentioned, Zac Efron has likely become somewhat used to fielding questions about his appearance. Fans theorized online that he might have gotten plastic surgery, with the chatter getting so loud that he had to address them personally. And that’s apart from the ongoing discourse about how he ripped he is at any point.

The Iron Claw doesn’t currently have a concrete release date. Be sure to check out the 2023 movie release dates to plan your next movie experience. 

Lily James starred in one of 2022’s best true crime series, portraying Pamela Anderson in Hulu’s Pam & Tommy. Despite its success, however, the show was controversial, in large part because its subjects — the Baywatch star and Mötley Crüe drummer Tommy Lee — refused to be involved in the retelling of the crime committed against them in 1996. It wasn’t for lack of trying, as James and showrunner D.V. DeVincentis said they reached out to Anderson and never heard back — a fact that the Playboy model confirmed, as she explained why she never even read the letter James sent.

Pam & Tommy, which can be streamed with a Hulu subscription, is the story of Pamela Anderson and Tommy Lee’s infamous sex tape. According to those involved, the series sought to show how the couple’s lives were affected by the theft of their tape — and to clarify that they had nothing to do with the leak. Regardless of intention, Anderson said it just felt like more exploitation, and she told the New York Times why she never opened the handwritten letter that Lily James sent: 

She did tell the Times a scanned copy of the letter is still in her inbox, unread. 

If anyone should be able to understand where Pamela Anderson is coming from, you’d think it would be Lily James and those who made Pam & Tommy. The series showed how the Barb Wire actress was repeatedly victimized by the theft of the private tape, warning over and over about the negative effects that would befall her, while Tommy Lee was rendered a hero. This, apparently, felt like yet again people were capitalizing on her trauma.

It wasn’t just Pamela Anderson who had things to say about the Hulu show. Courtney Love refused to allow her image to be shown in the series, calling it a “piece of shit” and saying the scandal destroyed her friend’s life. Former Mötley Crüe member John Corabi took issue for a different reason, as he said the way Tommy Lee and the band were portrayed was “criminal.”

Lily James has shared her thoughts on her subject’s refusal to watch or be involved in any way with the show. She said it’s Pamela Anderson’s choice, and if she ever did watch it, James hopes she would feel how much the series was on her side. 

Pam & Tommy has gained critical acclaim since its release in early 2022. It’s been nominated for multiple awards, winning a Primetime Emmy for character makeup for the transformations of Lily James and Sebastian Stan into the ‘90s icons. It was up for a 2023 Golden Globe for Best Limited Series, with James, Stan and Seth Rogan — who attended the ceremony in a powder pink suit — all receiving acting nods. There could be more accolades to come, as well, with several more nominations in the 2023 awards season.

Pamela Anderson, meanwhile, is taking her story back. Pamela: A Love Story is set to be released on Netflix on Tuesday, January 31, in which she’ll tell her story in her own words with the use of her personal videos and diaries. You’ll be able to catch that with a Netflix subscription, and here are some other movies and shows to watch if you like Pamela Anderson. 

The Pam and Tommy limited series for Hulu has been a subject of much controversy since its inception. The Lily James and Sebastian Stan-led series was generally well-liked, but also received backlash for its portrayal of a sensitive subject matter. The time period that the show captured was one of much pain for Pamela Anderson, and neither she nor Tommy Lee were involved with the show’s production. Lily James, was recently asked about Pam Anderson's feelings, and shared her perspective on the matter. 

Anderson has allegedly expressed her disdain for the series, and reports have indicated she refuses to watch it. Responding to this rumor in an interview, the actress reflects on her fondness of the Baywatch star, and what she hopes Anderson takes away from the series. She told The New York Times: 

Hulu's Pam and Tommy follows Pamela Anderson and Tommy Lee’s relationship during the '90s, and the discovery of a private, pornographic video of the two. The video was stolen by an electrician (played by Seth Rogan), who distributed the film on the internet. The series is based on a true story, but how “true to life” Pam and Tommy is has been up for debate. Former Mötley Crüe member Vince Neil called out the Hulu series for its inaccuracies, and Courtney Love expressed her anger towards the show, and her refused participation, in a now-deleted Facebook post. Anderson apparently agrees, as she has opted to take control of her own narrative in a Netflix documentary she will be helming. 

 Despite aversion to the series from those close to the story, Pam and Tommy also received lots of praise, especially for performances by James and Stan. Both actors 2022 Emmy nominations for their work on the series, and the show is nominated for Outstanding Limited Or Anthology Series. The show first garnered buzz for pictures released from the show's production, and the uncanny similarities between Stan and James and the stars they were portraying. 

Lily James in particular was committed to making her portrayal of Pamela Anderson as authentic as possible. She understood the responsibility associated with portraying such an iconic woman, and clearly has a lot of reverence for Anderson, and what she went through during this time. James also felt the pressure involved in Pam and Tommy, particularly in portraying such a sensitive subject matter with real people involved. 

You can check out Lily James’ portrayal of Pamela Anderson in Pam and Tommy which is still streaming exclusively for Hulu subscribers. For more information on what else is coming to streaming and beyond, check out our 2022 TV release schedule. 

Lily James has proven herself as a very versatile actress, going from Lady Rose on Downton Abbey to Cinderella opposite Richard Madden to the younger version of Meryl Streep’s Mamma Mia character for the 2018 sequel. Earlier this year, she transformed herself into Pamela Anderson for the Hulu miniseries Pam & Tommy, and now she has revealed a wildly different look. The actress went goth for a new ad, and she’s barely recognizable. 

James – who has been nominated for the Outstanding Lead Actress in a Limited Series Emmy for her work as Pamela Anderson – went for black hair, long black gloves, and a striking black dress for a Versace ad that may have fans doing a double take or two. Take a look at her Instagram photo:

If that photo hadn’t been posted by Lily James herself, I probably wouldn’t have realized she was the one under the black hairdo, wearing the dark lipstick, and dressed all in black to show off the Versace purse. Based on her caption, the experience of the photoshoot was a good one, and took place in Italy. I’d say that there aren’t many places better suited for somebody to channel their inner goddess!

Of course, Lily James is no stranger to sporting looks that are outside of the box of what fans might expect from her. To play Pamela Anderson, a surprising number of fake breasts were made for her to wear, and those who had their doubts about her looking the part after her casting was announced were proved wrong. 

She’s not the only one in the cast with some wild costume additions, as her co-star (and fellow Emmy nominee) Sebastian Stan wore bare steel balls to play Tommy Lee. Still, James has gone from period dramas to a fairytale princess to the “surreal” experience of recreating the Baywatch icon herself, so seeing her in the Versace ad is just further proof that she can transform herself to perfectly look the part of whatever job she’s working. She may not sport this look on a regular basis, but it’s impressive all the same!

What will be even more impressive is if Lily James goes on to win an Emmy for her work on her most recent TV show, which would just cement this as an especially eventful year for her. Her Emmy nomination for Pam & Tommy was the first of her career, and only one of the nominations for the Hulu series that she co-led with Sebastian Stan. 

In addition to the stars earning noms for Outstanding Lead Actress and Actor, the show itself is in the running for Outstanding Limited or Anthology Series (up against Dopesick, The Dropout, Inventing Anna, and The White Lotus), and Seth Rogen has a shot at winning Outstanding Supporting Actor. The competition is stiff in all of these categories (even though Midnight Mass fans protested that the Netflix horror series was snubbed among the Limited Series nominations), so it’s not guaranteed that James or any of the others will win.

If you haven’t already, you can find Pam & Tommy streaming with a Hulu subscription now, and there are plenty of other options to check out if you want to see more of Lily James on screen.

Every acting job presents its own unique set of challenges, to be sure, but portraying a real-life person — not to mention someone who’s well-known for their on-screen endeavors — is the challenge Lily James faced in her role as Pamela Anderson in the Hulu series Pam & Tommy. Not only did James spend hours in the makeup chair every day to replicate the actress’ iconic look, but she also had to capture Anderson’s voice and demeanor. It was a learning experience for James, who spoke about her big takeaway from the role.

Pam & Tommy told the story of Pam Anderson and Tommy Lee, whose whirlwind romance took a dark turn when an intimate tape they’d made was stolen and distributed in the early days of the Internet. While neither Anderson nor Lee was a part of the project (the Baywatch star recently announced her own project coming to Netflix), the Pam & Tommy cast hoped to show how the famous couple were victims of a terrible crime. When Laverne Cox asked Lily James on E! at the Oscars red carpet if she wanted to portray more real-life icons, James responded:

It’s not hard to imagine the intricacies that went into Lily James’ preparation for the role. Portraying a living legend is challenging, and then to try to capture the emotions of what was likely one of the most difficult times in her life would be a lot of work and a lot of pressure.

Lily James mentioned the pressure of the role and the responsibility she felt when she spoke to CinemaBlend in February, saying that creating Pam Anderson’s iconic roles on Barb Wire and Baywatch was “surreal.” As much fun as she had, she said there was a certain amount of pressure that came with recreating such well-known characters:

Lily James and co-star Sebastian Stan also dealt with some backlash regarding the series. Some of Pamela Anderson and Tommy Lee’s friends from that time spoke out against the series, saying it just revictimized the former couple all over again. Courtney Love refused to allow her likeness to be used in the series, and took a direct shot at James for agreeing to portray her:

Former Mötley Crüe frontman John Corabi also had a lot to say about the series as a whole, calling it “so full of bullshit,” and said the series showed a complete lack of compassion for Pam Anderson, Tommy Lee, their spouses and sons. 

Whether it was the hours in the makeup chair, the dozens of prosthetic boobs, the pressure to live up to the real-life woman or some combination of those, it seems like the Pam & Tommy star might be happy to focus on portraying fictional characters for the moment. The series is available with a Hulu subscription, and be sure to check out our 2022 TV Schedule to see what shows are coming soon. 

Hulu’s series Pam & Tommy has caused some controversy over the fact that its subjects, and primarily Pamela Anderson, refused to be involved. The series — starring Sebastian Stan and Lily James as the ‘90s icons — sheds light on the crime committed against Anderson and Tommy Lee in which an intimate tape from their honeymoon was stolen from their home and then distributed in the early days of the Internet. The Baywatch star has since announced she’s working on a documentary of her own to stream on Netflix, and Pam & Tommy’s Stan shared his thoughts. 

The documentary, announced last week by Pamela Anderson and Netflix, will be directed by Ryan White and co-produced by her son Brandon Thomas Lee. Anderson scrubbed her Instagram account, leaving just a single post announcing the upcoming documentary, which has reportedly been in the works for years.

In the photo of a handwritten note on Netflix letterhead, the actress describes herself as “not a victim, but a survivor” and “alive to tell the real story.” Both of her and Tommy Lee’s sons — Brandon Thomas Lee and Dylan Jagger Lee — commented on their mom’s announcement with heart emojis. 

Pamela Anderson may have no interest in the dramatized version of her and the Mötley Crüe drummer’s story, but Sebastian Stan, who plays Tommy Lee on the Hulu series — and used a very interesting costume addition to help him get into character — had only kind words for Anderson’s upcoming project, telling Variety.

It’s been the goal of Pam & Tommy from the beginning to clear up misconceptions about the couple’s infamous sex tape, according to showrunner D.V. DeVincentis. In today’s world it’s not unheard of for someone to leak a sex tape in a grab for fame or followers, but DeVincentis wanted to inform or remind people that wasn’t the case for Pamela Anderson and Tommy Lee. Sebastian Stan said he’s grateful if the Hulu series met its intended goal of furthering the conversation. 

Still, Pam & Tommy shows the way Pamela Anderson — more so than Tommy Lee — was repeatedly victimized by the tape’s distribution, including by the people who were supposed to be helping them. The former couple’s refusal to be involved with the series has caused some to question if the show is causing them more pain. Friends who were around the couple when the crime was originally committed have also spoken out against the Hulu series. 

John Corabi, who fronted Mötley Crüe from 1992 to 1996 during Vince Neil’s hiatus, didn’t appreciate a fictional detail the Hulu series added, in which the band Third Eye Blind bumped the band from their studio. He called the series as whole “so full of bullshit” and said the fictional take on Pam Anderson and Tommy Lee’s lives was “criminal.”

Courtney Love, as well, didn’t mince her words when explaining why she wouldn’t allow her image to be used in the Hulu series. She called the project a “piece of shit” and said her heart went out to Pamela Anderson, as the show was “further causing her complex trauma.” 

Stay tuned for more news on Pamela Anderson’s Netflix documentary. In the meantime, Pam & Tommy’s finale will be available for streaming Wednesday, March 9. Be sure to check out our 2022 TV Schedule to see what new and returning shows are premiering soon.

As a longtime admirer of Lily James, I honestly believe that she has never been better than in the Pam & Tommy cast as Pamela Anderson. She not only gives a convincing portrayal of the former model, star of the original Baywatch TV show, and social activist, but completely embodies her with a spot-on vocal impersonation and uncanny makeup and prosthetics that make it nearly impossible to tell the difference between the two.

Admittedly, though, the otherwise stunning and transformative performance is not the only one I would recommend to audiences who want to be properly acquainted with the British actress. So, for any fans of the fact-based Hulu exclusive miniseries who want to get to know the “real” her, I put together a list of some of the best Lily James movies, along with a tip for where to find them on streaming or available to rent. Our first recommendation, however, is actually a hit TV show on which James first broke out into the mainstream.

Downton Abbey (Netflix, Amazon Prime, Peacock)

A chronicle of the lives of a wealthy, extensive family and their relationships with their loyal servants at their lavish estate in early 20th-Century England.

Why it’s worth checking out if you like Lily James: In Season 3 of creator Julian Fellowes’ blockbuster British series, Lily James joined the Downton Abbey cast as the charmingly rebellious Lady Rose MacClare - which, essentially, saw the beginning of the actress' long and successful streak of roles in Victorian costume dramas.

Stream Downton Abbey on Netflix.
Stream Downton Abbey on Amazon Prime.
Stream Downton Abbey on Peacock.

Buy Downton Abbey on Amazon.

Cinderella (Starz)

A meek young woman (Lily James), cruelly neglected by her stepmother (Academy Award winner Cate Blanchett) and her daughters, goes to the local ball and captures the heart of a prince (Richard Madden) with help from her fairy godmother (Helena Bonham Carter).

Why it’s worth checking out if you like Lily James: In one of the biggest (if not THE biggest) period drama role of her career so far, Lily James absolutely soars as the titular lead of 2015’s Cinderella - director Kenneth Branagh’s surprisingly captivating live-action update of Disney’s animated classic based on the quintessential fairy tale.

Stream Cinderella on Starz.
Rent/Buy Cinderella on Amazon.

Pride And Prejudice And Zombies (Tubi)

Five sisters from an aristocratic family struggle with the expectation of their male suitors and spar with flesh-eating corpses in an alternate 19th Century England overrun with the undead.

Why it’s worth checking out if you like Lily James: A year after leading Cinderella, Lily James began to show her worth as an action star, while still honing her penchant for period dramas, in a film that inventively combines both genres: Pride and Prejudice and Zombies - based on Seth Grahame-Smith’s thrilling, Romero-inspired reinterpretation of Jane Austen’s classic romantic satire.

Stream Pride And Prejudice And Zombies on Tubi.
Rent/Buy Pride And Prejudice And Zombies on Amazon.

Baby Driver (Amazon Rental)

A young man (Ansel Elgort) with an incredible talent for making a clean getaway and a passion for hip tunes is torn between his reluctant position as a mobster’s wheelman and his desire for a normal life with the woman he's come to love (Lily James).

Why it’s worth checking out if you like Lily James: While not quite an action star role, Lily James made an undeniably lasting impression as the beautiful waitress, Debora, in 2017’s action-packed Baby Driver - a high-octane and highly unique heist thriller set to music, from writer and director Edgar Wright.

Rent/Buy Baby Driver on Amazon.

Fast Girls (Tubi, IMDb TV)

A talented, yet rebellious, track runner (Lenora Chrichlow, star of one of the best Black Mirror episodes, “White Bear”) finds her aspirations to compete in the World Championships interrupted when she develops an intense rivalry with her equally ambitious teammate (Lily James).

Why it’s worth checking out if you like Lily James: Years before capturing the heart of a fast boy in Baby Driver, Lily James landed her first starring role in a feature film with the 2012 sports drama, Fast Girls, as the extremely competitive track runner, Lisa Temple.

Stream Fast Girls on Tubi.
Stream Fast Girls on IMDb TV.
Rent/Buy Fast Girls on Amazon.

Little Woods (Hulu)

A young drug dealer (Tessa Thompson) struggling to go legit is forced back into the game due to her own financial situations and a desperate plea from her estranged sister (Lily James).

Why it’s worth checking out if you like Lily James: Before sharing the screen with Bucky Barnes actor Sebastian Stan in Pam & Tommy, James starred alongside fellow Marvel movie star Thompson, and was directed by future Marvel movie helmer, Nia DaCosta, in 2018’s Little Woods - a riveting, brutally realistic modern-day take on a Western outlaw stories.

Stream Little Woods on Hulu.
Rent/Buy Little Woods on Amazon.

Yesterday (Amazon Rental)

A young, British musician (Himesh Patel) struggling to make something of himself finds success beyond his wildest dreams after he suddenly becomes one of less than a handful people in the world familiar with the Beatles' music, and begins passing the Fab Four’s greatest hits off as his own creations.

Why it’s worth checking out if you like Lily James: In 2019, Lily James would star alongside future Marvel TV show star Sophia Di Martino in Yesterday - a clever “what if?” story for Beatles fans from Oscar-nominated screenwriter Richard Curtis and Oscar-winning director Danny Boyle.

Rent/Buy Yesterday on Amazon.

Mamma Mia! Here We Go Again (Amazon Rental)

As she is about become a mother herself, Sophie (Academy Award nominee Amanda Seyfried) learns more about her mother (Academy Award winner Meryl Streep), specifically what happened when she first met the three men that Sophie now calls her dads.

Why it’s worth checking out if you like Lily James: A year before playing the female lead in Yesterday, Lily James made her cinematic musical debut (unless you count Baby Driver) as a younger version of Meryl Streep’s character, Donna, in Mamma Mia! Here We Go Again - a fun sequel to the cinematic adaptation of the hit musical featuring the songs of Abba.

Rent/Buy Mamma Mia! Here We Go Again on Amazon.

Darkest Hour (Netflix)

In 1940, Winston Churchill (Gary Oldman) is torn by a situation that may determine the fate of the British Empire: deciding on an attempt to make a peaceful negotiation with Adolf Hitler or enter his nation’s Army into the second World War.  

Why it’s worth checking out if you like Lily James: A year before sharing the screen with several Oscar darlings in Mamma Mia! Here We Go Again, Lily James starred opposite a man about to win his long-awaited first Oscar (Oldman) for his own transformative performance in Darkest Hour - director Joe Wright’s intense World War II-era biopic in which James plays the famed British Prime Minister’s personal secretary.

Stream Darkest Hour on Netflix.
Rent/Buy Darkest Hour on Amazon.

The Guernsey Literary And Potato Peel Pie Society (Netflix)

A British woman (Lily James) struggling to see her writing career really begin to take off finds inspiration in a book club whose members bond over their experiences living on a formerly Nazi-occupied island.

Why it’s worth checking out if you like Lily James: A year after starring in a World War II-era drama, Lily James led the cast of the post-World War II drama The Guernsey Literary and Potato Peel Pie Society - a powerful, romantic Netflix exclusive drama based on the novel by Mary Ann Shaffer and Annie Barrows.

Stream The Guernsey Literary And Potato Peel Pie Society on Netflix.

Rebecca (Netflix)

A young woman (Lily James) is brought by her new husband (Armie Hammer) to live on his luxurious estate in the English countryside, where she soon learns that the memory of his late former wife lingers heavily, especially through the intimidating head maid (Kristin Scott Thomas).

Why it’s worth checking out if you like Lily James: Lily James’ next Netflix exclusive romantic period drama was director Ben Wheatley’s 2020 adaptation of Rebecca - author Daphne Du Maurier’s seminal thriller that director Alfred Hitchcock had previously adapted into a Best Picture Oscar winner in 1940.

Stream Rebecca on Netflix.

The Dig (Netflix)

A wealthy, widowed woman (Academy Award nominee Carey Mulligan) enlists an archeologist (Academy Award nominee Ralph Fiennes) to dig up what lies beneath the burial mounds on her British estate, which leads to a discovery of historical proportions.

Why it’s worth checking out if you like Lily James: Less than a year after starring in Rebecca, Lily James starred as real-life English archeologist Peggy Piggot (otherwise known Margaret Guido) in yet another Netflix exclusive, romantic period drama called The Dig - director Simon Stone’s beautifully shot, beautifully told, and beautifully acted adaptation of John Preston’s fact-based novel.

Stream The Dig on Netflix.

Next up, Lily James stars in the upcoming romantic-comedy What’s Love Got to Do with It?, which is now in post-production. In pre-production currently is her international thriller, The Paris Trap, in which she plays a woman whose European vacation is jeopardized by a case of mistaken identity.

While you wait for those new Lily James films to debut, however, you can take your pick of her previous hits to keep you entertained, or take a look at the 2022 movie releases to see what else you can watch in the coming weeks.

With her stunning, transformative performance as Pamela Anderson in Pam & Tommy, Lily James has proven that she is the kind of actress who is, pretty much, capable of doing anything. Actually, in retrospect, she has been doing a bang-up job proving this to the world already for years, from her breakout role on Downton Abbey to her pivotal scene in Edgar Wright’s 2017 action thriller Baby Driver, but Hulu’s biographical miniseries has rendered it indisputable, if you ask me.

So, from my perspective, it looks like superhero movies are the next natural step in the actress’ evolution. Now, to be clear, I am not just saying that because her onscreen husband from Pam & Tommy is played by a Marvel movies’ star - namely Bucky Barnes actor Sebastian Stan. However, the Falcon and the Winter Soldier cast member’s iconic role did give me an idea for one of the Marvel characters below whom I believe Lily James should be considered to play.

Gail Richards 

As we have established, Lily James and Sebastian Stan lead the Pam & Tommy cast as the titular power couple and display some dynamite chemistry in the roles. It almost makes you want to see them share a romance onscreen again. There is a character from Marvel Universe (or Marvel Multiverse, I should say) who would actually make such a reunion between the actors possible in the MCU.

In the alternate reality of Earth-1610, Steve Rogers became engaged to a woman named Gail Richards, but their relationship was cut short when a mission ended with Captain America being presumed dead. Richards would accept a marriage proposal from Rogers’ lifelong friend and fellow soldier, James “Bucky” Buchanan Barnes, with whom she had four children. We could have Lily James’ Gail and Bucky meet in any upcoming Marvel movies through an inter-dimensional crossover, but I would actually opt for reinventing her for modern times in the MCU for the sake of giving Sebastian Stan’s badass version of the Winter Soldier a love interest.

Clea

Speaking of love interests, while Benedict Cumberbatch’s cinematic version of Dr. Stephen Strange has a soft spot for Christine Palmer (Rachel McAdams), in the comics he forms a professional and romantic relationship with a fellow sorcerer named Clea. The former ruler of the Dark Dimension has also been a part of Valkyrior’s all-female iteration of the Defenders with Valkyrie, who is portrayed in the MCU by Tessa Thompson, and whose “white voice” in Sorry to Bother You was played by Lily James.

So, we have an opportunity for James to actually share the screen with her co-star from Boots Riley’s surreal 2018 satire and another for the actress to share the screen with Cumberbatch for what would be the first time, which I think I would like to see even more. The closest she and the fellow Brit have come to crossing paths is the time her character in the 2019 Beatles-inspired fantasy dramedy, Yesterday, mentioned that it was a miracle he became known as a sex symbol.

Rachel Van Helsing 

A more prominent leading role from Lily James’ resume saw her both continuing her growing reputation for acting in period pieces and proving her worth with horror movies and action, too. The character was Elizabeth Bennet from Jane Austen’s Pride and Prejudice, but reimagined as a 19th Century warrior against the undead in the 2016 adaptation of Seth Grahame-Smith’s Romero-style reinterpretation, Pride and Prejudice and Zombies. If the actress was ever interested in fighting other legendary creatures like vampires and werewolves, there is a Marvel character who would grant the perfect opportunity.

Legendary monster hunter Mortdecai Van Helsing exists in the Marvel Universe and has a descendant who would follow in his footsteps named Rachel. She is actually especially equipped for this job, having been given vampiric abilities by a scratch on the forehead from her parents’ murderer: Dracula himself. Another predator of the undead with abilities similar to his bloodsucking prey is Blade, who is being rebooted for the MCU with a Mahershala Ali-led movie that sounds like the perfect way to introduce this underrated character.

Lifeguard

Not only does Lily James play Pamela Anderson on Pam & Tommy, but she gets to play the model and actress as her iconic Baywatch character, C.J. Parker. She even embodies the role within a role so well that it almost makes you wish you could see more of her playing one of the protective watchers of the Los Angeles beach. Once again, there is a Marvel character who could make that a reality.

The golden-haired (and golden-skinned) mutant, Heather Cameron, is a real, certified lifeguard, but her nickname among the X-Men is also inspired by her special ability to sense any dangerous threats nearby. In such an event, she can also automatically shapeshift into whatever might help her adapt to the situation the best. Not to mention, Lifeguard is also an Australian native, meaning that James would not have to divert too far from her natural accent if cast in the role when the X-Men movies are rebooted for the MCU.  

Silver Sable

On Pam & Tommy, Lily James also impressively embodies Pamela Anderson’s first big leading movie role from the 1996 sci-fi movie Barb Wire, which also stars The Book of Boba Fett’s Temeura Morrison. The title character of the film, which was adapted from a Dark Horse comic book series of the same name, is a bounty hunter in a dystopian society overrun with evil cybernetic organisms. I searched far and wide for a character who could be considered Barb Wire’s Marvel Comics equivalent and the closest that I could find is Silver Sable.

Instead of an alternate dystopian reality, Silvija Sablinova operates on good, ‘ol Earth-616, and instead of hunting cyborgs, her prey are typically human. Yet, she is an undisputed badass, nonetheless, who has come to the much-appreciated aid of other heroes like Spider-Man or Daredevil. Maybe James could join Tom Holland if he returns to play Peter Parker in a fourth Spider-Man movie or Charlie Cox if and when his Daredevil movie becomes a reality.

For someone as talented as Lily James, the potential characters she could play in upcoming Marvel movies are practically in endless supply. However, these are my top choices, for now. 

When you're talking about a TV show that's inherently based around the existence of a sex tape, it's logical to think that the show would involve some nudity. Which is definitely the case with Hulu's star-studded limited series Pam & Tommy, meaning its lead Lily James needed to add body prosthetics to the otherwise already lengthy makeup process needed to transform the Cinderella star into Pamela Anderson. Of course, the prosthetics were also needed even when nudity wasn’t involved, which meant James had to go through several dozen pairs of fake breasts throughout the production process.

To be precise, it was just over four dozen pairs of prosthetic boobs that were utilized throughout Pam & Tommy’s shoot, and there was apparently a daily turnaround for how long the individual pieces were useful. Here’s how it was explained by Jason Collins, the streaming series’ head of make-up, in an interview with The Sun:

Such is the delicate nature of realistic-looking prosthetic breasts in the modern era, as well as the physical energy Lily James brought to her many scenes within Pam & Tommy, that it was more logical to just use a different piece each and every day rather than repair and reuse those that were worn before. So when the actress was first seen rocking the Baywatch swimsuit behind the scenes? She was likely wearing one of the prosthetic pieces. During the show’s actual sex scenes? Definitely wearing one then.

As attention-grabbing as Pamela Anderson’s breasts have been over the years, I think it’s safe to say her face has received even more attention. And so the make-up team on Pam & Tommy also had a lengthy daily process when it came to turning Lily James’ face into that of the model and actress across time. Jason Collins also shined a little light on that process, saying: 

Lily James talked with CinemaBlend about recreating scenes as Pamela Anderson for Baywatch and Barb Wire, with both projects making cameos of their own during the eight-episode season. Even though the series didn’t get any input from Anderson herself, James certainly put a lot of effort into researching the role, watching hours upon hours of TV show and film performances, as well as interviews and other footage.

Not that Sebastian Stan wasn’t wearing his own prosthetics for Pam & Tommy. It was obviously necessary for the scene in which he carried on a conversation with his penis. And what’s more, the actor recently opened up about wearing a pair of heavy metal balls in his crotch area during filming (which he gave to Jimmy Fallon), as a way of making him feel more manly, as it were. It’s unclear, however, how much more feminine Lily James felt while wearing 50 different gelled-up busts. 

100 or so fake boobs would probably be a gold mine in and of itself to a lot of people who have held Pamela Anderson in high esteem over the years. But instead of waiting on that pile to show up on anyone’s front step, it’s probably easier just to stream new episodes of Pam & Tommy when they hit Hulu every Wednesday morning. It’s not hard to sign up for a new subscription, and for those who already have one, be sure to check out our 2022 TV premiere schedule to see what other new and returning shows are on the way. 

Sebastian Stan and Lily James went through amazing transformations to embody the ‘90s icons Tommy Lee and Pamela Anderson for the new Hulu limited series Pam and Tommy. Not only did the actors nail what the celebrities looked like, but they had to fully embrace the characters’ libidos and personalities. It turns out, Stan had a little extra help in the costuming department that viewers — and even James — didn’t get to see, as Stan recently let fans in on the wild addition to his wardrobe that helped him “feel like a man.”

Tommy Lee partied hard back in the day as the drummer for Mötley Crüe, and if you’re going to portray a rock star in a series about a sex tape, you’ve got to really feel like a rock star. What better way to do that than a pair of steel balls? Sebastian Stan revealed the costume addition on Jimmy Kimmel Live!, saying his acting coach actually gave him the idea. 

Well, I mean, if it worked for Helen Hunt … Sebastian Stan said Tommy Lee was “carrying some luggage around,” and, much like the tattoos he sported, the prop balls helped him get into character — a character who regularly walked around in a Speedo.

Lily James apparently had no idea about Sebastian Stan’s steel wardrobe addition, and her jaw dropped as Stan showed the balls to Jimmy Kimmel. She laughed and said she was glad she didn’t know about that on set. Stan defended the choice, saying it really helped to have “a little weight when you walk into a room.”

Surely Lily James can understand, as she recreated Pam Anderson's classic Baywatch look in a blonde wig with bleached eyebrows and fake teeth — not to mention she had to change her accent. They acknowledged that all of those things helped them become their characters and get past any potential awkwardness in their more intimate scenes.

Pam and Tommy tells the story of Pam Anderson and Tommy Lee’s whirlwind romance and how they were victimized by the theft and subsequent release of a private sex tape that they’d filmed on their honeymoon. 

Showrunner D.V. DeVincentis said people have forgotten or don’t know that Pamela Anderson and Tommy Lee were victims of a terrible crime that affected their careers and their relationship, making it an important story to tell. That same reason has kept at least one of Anderson’s friends from being involved in the project, as Courtney Love spoke out about how her friend’s life was destroyed in the aftermath of the sex tape’s distribution.

Pam and Tommy is available now to stream on Hulu, and alongside Sebastian Stan and Lily James, stars a mullet-sporting Seth Rogan — who developed the series with partner Evan Goldberg — as disgruntled contractor Rand Gauthier, who stole the tape from the famous couple’s house. Be sure to check out some more of the best shows on Hulu, as well as our 2022 TV Schedule to see what series are premiering soon.  

Mild spoilers below for anyone who wants to stay completely clueless about Pam & Tommy.

As high quality as everything is within the world of Hulu's new limited series Pam & Tommy, inarguably its biggest strength is the combined acting prowess of its two stars Lily James and Sebastian Stan. (Sorry, Seth Rogen’s butt-nasty mullet, you came in second.) As the titular coupling of Pamela Anderson and Tommy Lee, the two actors make an absolute meal out of every scene they're in across the based-on-real-life saga. And for James, some of those scenes required performances wrapped up inside of other performances, as it went in episodes that recreated moments from Anderson's most high-profile projects in the '90s: the global smash TV drama Baywatch and the cult fave Barb Wire.

No one is going to argue that there were leagues of performatory distance between Pam & Tommy's "Pamela Anderson" and "C..J. Parker" or "Barbara Kopetski," but it still created an interesting acting situation for Lily James to put her acting skills to work in trying to show off Anderson's own talents. When CinemaBlend spoke with James (and co-star Sebastian Stan) about Hulu's already acclaimed new series, I asked her to talk about taking that multi-level approach, and as seen in the video above, she told me:

Without getting into spoilers on everything that happens in the show regarding Lily James blowing minds in Anderson’s iconic Baywatch swimsuit, nor how Barb Wire fully factors into the on-screen tale, it inspired my desire to see Lily James fronting a shot-for-shot Barb Wire remake, even though I know literally no one in the universe has enough spare time (or anything else) to make that a logical plan.

It’s almost strange to call Lily James’ work in Pam & Tommy a performance, since she essentially just becomes creator Robert Siegel’s version of Pamela Anderson, with the show’s version of events being adapted from journalist Amanda Chicago Lewis’ 2014 article. I'm sure Anderson's closest friends would beg to differ, given their closeness to the phenom being depicted, especially since the former Playboy Playmate opted not to be involved with the production.

 Sebastian Stan had something of a similar layered performance going with his portrayal of Tommy Lee, in that he also had to portray the rock star’s musical stylings behind a drum set. As the actor told CinemaBlend, working on that element of his performance was key to helping him guide the role. Had Stan also provided the voice for his talking dong, maybe that would have put him somewhere in the vicinity of James' efforts. But kudos to Jason Mantzoukas for nailing that role.

Check out the Pam & Tommy trailer below for a quick tattoo-covered taste of what to expect from the Hulu series.

One of Hulu’s many new releases in February 2022, the eight-episode Pam & Tommy dropped its first three installments for its premiere, and will debut new eps every Wednesday morning. While waiting to see where the crime-driven dramedy goes next, head to our 2022 TV premiere schedule to see what other big releases are on the way. 

I will admit, when I saw the first image of Lily James and Sebastian Stan in full costume for Pam & Tommy, I honestly had no idea it was them. They physically embodied the roles of Pamela Anderson and Tommy Lee so authentically that I was convinced I was looking at a real vintage photo of the since divorced celebrity couple.

James and Stan are not the only familiar faces in the Pam & Tommy cast who made themselves look a little less familiar to portray the most notable people involved with the titular lovers’ sex tape scandal for Hulu’s biographical miniseries. Allow us to help you spot who is playing whom (and what other movies or TV show you may recognize them from) in the following breakdown.

Lily James (Pamela Anderson)

As model and actress Pamela Anderson in Pam & Tommy is a completely unrecognizable Lily James, who joined the Downton Abbey cast in 2012 before giving a captivating lead performance in Disney’s live-action Cinderella remake in 2015. In 2017, she captured Ansel Elgort’s heart in Baby Driver after proving her worth as an action star in Pride and Prejudice and Zombies the year before.

Speaking of, period dramas are the British actress’ bread and butter, from the Oscar-winning Darkest Hour to Netflix’s Rebecca adaptation from 2020. She also starred in two flicks inspired by pop-music back-to-back - namely 2018’s Mamma Mia! Here We Go Again as a young Meryl Streep, and Yesterday in 2019.

Sebastian Stan (Tommy Lee)

Former Motley Crüe drummer Tommy Lee is the second real-life person involved in an infamous ‘90s scandal to be played by Sebastian Stan, after Jeff Gilooly in 2017’s I, Tonya (also helmed by Pam & Tommy director Craig Gillespie). The actor was also stealing scenes in movies like Hot Tub Time Machine and TV shows like Gossip Girl, before playing Bucky Barnes in the Marvel movies made him a household name.

Outside of superhero movies (and TV shows), Stan went to space in The Martian in 2015, drove for NASCAR in 2018’s Logan Lucky, and had a fling with Denise Gough in Monday in 2020. He would cross paths with fellow MCU stars in Netflix’s The Devil All The Time cast (namely Tom Holland) and in spy thriller, The 355 (Lupita Nyong’o).

Seth Rogen (Rand Gauthier)

Rocking a mullet as Rand Gauthier, who profited from stealing the titular couple’s personal footage, we have Seth Rogen, who also has a producing credit on Pam & Tommy. He has certainly come a long way from his debut in the Freaks and Geeks cast (which led to several more collaborations with series co-creator Judd Apatow), having become one of the busiest and most surprisingly versatile talents of his time.

For instance, Rogen has leant his voice to family friendly projects like Disney’s new The Lion King cast, but also to something as raunchy as Sausage Party. He has made fun of real people (himself included) as the star and co-director of This is the End and The Interview, but has also been known to honor real people - namely with his great performance as Steve Wozniak in Steve Jobs in 2015. The guy can do it all, which I’m sure no one expected to say about the dude on the Knocked Up poster.

Nick Offerman (Milton Ingley)

Another comedic actor who has greatly exceeded expectations is Nick Offerman, who plays porn producer "Uncle Miltie” on Pam & Tommy. He previously played a person from then past on Season 2 of Fargo, played a real person (the true co-founder of McDonalds) in The Founder in 2017, and donned one equally (or, perhaps, even more) wild hairdo on FX’s sci-fi miniseries Devs in 2020.

Offerman has made it look easy to naturally flip back and forth between comedy and drama or even combining the two, like he does in Me and Earl and the Dying Girl or Hearts Beat Loud. Of course, his most iconic claim to fame is, and may remain, his endlessly quotable role in the Parks and Recreation cast as Ron Swanson. 

Taylor Schilling (Erica Gauthier)

As Rand Gauthier’s wife, Erica, we have Taylor Schilling, whose most iconic claim to fame to date is her Emmy-nominated role in the Orange is the New Black cast as Piper Chapman. Before joining the Netflix series, the actress played Zac Efron’s love interest in The Lucky One in 2013 and Ben Affleck’s estranged wife in the Oscar-winning, fact-based thriller, Argo, in the previous year.

Since OITNB had its final curtain call, Schilling played the mother of a possession victim in 2019’s The Prodigy, and the subject of a strange case of magical resurrection in Hulu’s original horror anthology series, Monsterland, in 2020. In 2021, she starred on a Covid-19-inspired zombie miniseries called The Bite.

Andrew Dice Clay (Butchie)

As an ill-tempered loan shark with mob connections named Butchie, we have Andrew Dice Clay, who rose to fame as one of the most unapologetically off-putting comedians of his day. His notable early film roles include a bouncer in Pretty in Pink and the title character of the cult action comedy, The Adventures of Ford Fairlane, in 1990.

After his acting career slowed down a bit in the early 2000s, he began to make a comeback by playing himself on Entourage in 2011 (just like he did five years later on his own semi-autobiographical Showtime series, Dice), which led to roles in acclaimed films like 2013’s Blue Jasmine, and TV shows like The Blacklist and Hap and Leonard. The performance that really showed Dice’s worth as a serious actor was in A Star is Born as Lady Gaga’s loving onscreen father, Lorenzo.

Pepi Sonuga (Melanie)

Playing Pamela’s best friend, Melanie, is former teen model Pepi Sonuga, who debuted in the Cuba Gooding Jr.-led drama Life of King, followed by a recurring role on General Hospital in 2013. However, her breakthrough came in 2016 with notable roles in both Freeform’s The Fosters and the Ash vs. Evil Dead cast - the latter of which set off her modest Scream Queen reputation.

Freeform made her a series regular on Famous in Love in 2017 and, the following year, she appeared opposite Andrew Garfield in Under the Silver Lake. Most recently, she played pop star Lil Muffin on the ABC dramedy, Queens.

Spenser Granese (Steve Fasanella)

As Rand and Miltie’s associate, Steve Fasanella, we have Spenser Granese, who made his major motion picture debut in the 2017 dramedy, Landline, after starring mostly in shorts. Several increasingly noteworthy TV guest appearances would follow, including an episode of Jessica Jones (which, supposedly, makes him MCU canon like his Pam & Tommy co-star, Sebastian Stan). 

In 2020, Granese did two episodes of the Breaking Bad spin-off Better Call Saul, but the following year, he die a trio of huge spin-offs. He had a recurring role on Mayans M.C., a small walk-on role in The Many Saints of Newark, and a two-episode stint on Fear the Walking Dead.

Mozhan Marnò (Gail Chwatsky)

Playing Pamela Anderson’s publicist, Gail Chwatsky, is Mozhan Marnò, who made her major motion picture debut opposite a trio of Oscar-winning legends (Tom Hanks, Julia Robert, and Philip Seymour Hoffman) in 2007’s Charlie Wilson’s War. What followed was more notable TV guest spots, but 2014 saw her make a real breakthrough with three major gigs.

She starred in the acclaimed vampire thriller A Girl Walks Home Alone at Night, joined Netflix’s House of Cards cast, and became a series regular on NBC’s The Blacklist. She also leant her voice to a DC animated movie (Wonder Woman: Bloodlines) in 2019 and has small parts on acclaimed TV series Madame Secretary, The Affair, and Ramy under her belt.

I am not sure if there has ever been a truer sign of how nostalgic the ‘90s have become than the extreme lengths the Pam & Tommy cast have taken to represent the decade with their physical transformations. See just what I mean by streaming the biographical miniseries, which is now available on Hulu.

In today’s world of OnlyFans and purposely leaked sex tapes, where celebrities can try to use their sexual escapades to boost their online clout, it can be hard to remember that the couple behind one of the most famous sex tapes of all time were actually victims of a crime. That’s the story that D.V. DeVincentis says he wants to tell in the new Hulu series Pam & Tommy, which stars Lily James and Sebastian Stan as the titular couple Pamela Anderson and Tommy Lee. The former Baywatch star had nothing to do with the limited series, which may or may not surprise viewers, but the showrunner had no ill will against her for not doing so.

Pam & Tommy is a big February premiere for Hulu, as it dramatizes the story of how model-turned-TV star Pam Anderson and Mötley Crüe drummer Tommy Lee’s unauthorized sex tape — recorded privately on their honeymoon — was stolen and distributed to the public. In discussing the show's creative point of view, showrunner D.V. DeVincentis told EW they reached out to Anderson to explain their intentions with the project but didn’t hear back. 

Regardless of Pam Anderson’s opinion of the series, it seems like it was still important to D.V. DeVincentis that she know that the creative team and Lily James herself made attempts portray her in a positive light, and as the victims that she and Tommy Lee were. Like DeVincentis said, it’s completely understandable that Anderson wouldn’t respond, as the release of that sex tape caused such turmoil in Anderson’s life, career and marriage to Lee. To this very day, obviously. 

D.V. DeVincentis said he thinks even without either Pam Anderson or Tommy Lee’s involvement in the series, it’s still an important story to tell, especially in today’s world. As well, he feels it's important to reintroduce the details to an audience that might have forgotten or not known that the couple wasn’t behind the release of that very private video. DeVincentis said he hopes people will see the level that Anderson and Lee were victimized.

Regardless of D.V. DeVincentis’ good intentions, it’s still without question some sensitive subject matter being discussed and depicted in the Hulu series, and ‘90s rocker Courtney Love made her feelings on Pam & Tommy known in an expletive-filled explanation of why she refused to allow her image to be used in the series. She said she remembers what her friend Pam Anderson went through when the sex tape got out, and that it utterly “destroyed” Anderson’s life. 

Pam and Tommy premieres on Hulu on Tuesday, February 2. Sebastian Stan and Lily James made amazing transformations into the ‘90s icons, and a mullet-sporting Seth Rogan — who developed the series with partner Evan Goldberg — co-stars as disgruntled contractor Rand Gauthier. Be sure to check out some more of the best shows on Hulu, as well as our 2022 TV Schedule to see what series are premiering soon. 

The Pamela Anderson and Tommy Lee sex tape was one of the most infamous videos of its kind upon its controversial release in 1995, and became a topic no one could escape. The story about the tape and how it ended up being released on the internet more than a quarter-century ago will soon be dramatized in the Hulu limited series Pam and Tommy. Over the course of eight episodes, Lily James, Sebastian Stan, Seth Rogen, and others will portray the major players involved in the tape, its theft, and ensuing media circus that followed in the wake of its release. 

Here is everything we know about the show, including its release date, cast, and what those involved in the real-life story have to say about it.

Pam And Tommy Premieres February 2, 2022 On Hulu

The wild ride that is to be Pam and Tommy will kick off February 2, 2022, exclusively on Hulu. The streaming service announced the release date of the highly anticipated docudrama limited series with the release of the show’s first teaser trailer in November 2021, a video that introduced the major characters and how they all fit into the “true fucking scandal.” 

The Pam And Tommy Cast Includes Lily James, Sebastian Stan And Seth Rogen

There have been quite a few series based on actual events in recent years with shows like the various seasons of FX’s American Crime Story, with each featuring outstanding actors, but the Pam and Tommy cast is truly something special. Lily James, star of everything from Downton Abbey to Rebecca, will play Pamela Anderson, one of the biggest TV stars of the mid-1990s. Stepping in as Motley Crüe drummer Tommy Lee is The Falcon and the Winter Soldier star Sebastian Stan, who, judging by the show’s teaser trailer, has got the look nailed down. Taking on the role of Rand Gauthier, the man responsible for the release of the infamous sex tape, is portrayed by Seth Rogen, who has had a hand in some of the best comedies of the 21st Century.

The supporting cast of Pam and Tommy consists of Nick Offerman, Taylor Schilling, Pepi Sonuga, Andrew Dice Clay, Mozhan Marnò, Fred Hechinger, and several others.

Pam And Tommy Centers On The Events That Led To The Theft And Release Of Their Infamous Sex Tape

When Pam and Tommy makes its streaming debut in February 2022, it will center on the theft and release of Pamela Anderson and Tommy Lee’s sex tape, which was filmed over the course of their honeymoon in 1995. The show will follow Rand Gauthier, a disgruntled electrician who stole a safe from the couple’s home, a safe that contained several items including the tape. It looks like the series will also dive into how the release of the tape on the internet forever changed the couple’s lives, especially Anderson, who was a massive star on Baywatch at the time.

Craig Gillespie, The Director Of I, Tonya, Is Helming Pam And Tommy

All eight episodes of Pam and Tommy will be directed by Craig Gillespie, according to Deadline. Gillespie is no stranger to biographical dramas focusing on controversial figures and drama in the 1990s as he previously directed the 2017 Tonya Harding biopic I, Tonya, a film that also featured Sebastian Stan in a starring role alongside Margot Robbie. The series was written by Robert Siegel whose screenwriting credits include The Wrestler, The Founder, and Big Fan.

Tommy Lee Has Said The Series Tells A Story People ‘Need To Know’

Tommy Lee wasn’t involved with Pam and Tommy, but he has apparently been in contact with Sebastian Stan, who is playing him in the retelling of one of the rock star’s most memorable episodes. At the 2021 MTV Video Music Awards in September 2021, Lee had this to say to ET Online when asked about the project:

Judging by that brief interview, in which Tommy Lee also said he hadn't seen the images of Sebastian Stan portraying him, Lee seems to be fully on board with Pam and Tommy, but is far from the case for other people involved with the real-life situation, including Pamela Anderson’s longtime friend Courtney Love, who refused to participate in the limited series.

Pamela Anderson Was Reportedly Approached To Consult On Pam And Tommy But Wanted No Part In It

Although Tommy Lee is supportive of the Hulu limited series, it appears that it may be quite the opposite for Pamela Anderson. In May 2021, The Sun published a report in which a friend of the Baywatch star spoke on the condition of anonymity and shared how Anderson reportedly felt about the situation. The friend said that Anderson felt the show was a “cheap knockoff” and alleged that the actress was not happy about how it will relive that episode of her life. According to the unnamed source, Anderson was contacted by the show’s producers and asked to consult before the start of production, but she wanted no part in it. 

Seth Rogen And Evan Goldberg Have Been Developing Pam And Tommy For Several Years

Pam and Tommy will debut on Hulu in February 2022, but the show has been in the works for several years. In December 2020, Collider reported that Seth Rogen and Evan Goldberg had been developing the project for quite some time, and at one point James Franco was attached to not only star as Tommy Lee but also direct the limited series. Those plans never materialized, and Rogen has since gone on the record to say he has not worked with his longtime co-star in several years and has no plans to work with Franco.

Be on the lookout for more about Pam and Tommy as we get closer to the show’s February 2022 debut. In the meantime, check out CinemaBlend’s 2022 TV schedule to get an early start on all the new and returning shows coming to the airwaves (and streaming services).

CinemaBlend participates in affiliate programs with various companies. We may earn a commission when you click on or make purchases via links.

In July 2021, The Pursuit of Love, which sounds a lot like a reality show that would be on VH1 around 2008, came out on Amazon Prime Video and gave everyone something to watch while we wait for Bridgerton Season 2 to arrive on Netflix. With standout performances from Lily James and Dominic West, who made a lot of news earlier in 2020, The Pursuit of Love cast is filled from top to bottom with amazing and talented actors and actresses who have made their mark in film and television on both sides of the pond.

Below is a quick yet comprehensive breakdown of the members of The Pursuit of Love cast and just about everywhere you’ve seen them before whether it be in musicals like Mamma Mia: Here We Go Again or gritty crime dramas like The Wire. If you’ve watched a movie or show in the past couple of decades, chances are you’ve see these faces at one point or another.

Lily James (Linda Radlett)

Lily James appears as Linda Radlett, the fearless, charismatic, and beautiful free spirit front and center throughout The Pursuit of Love and its adventurous story, set between the first and second World War. James is no stranger when it comes to the world of television, having become a massive star following her three-year run on Downton Abbey, where she portrayed Lady Rose Aldridge before leaving and appearing in the 2016 limited series War and Peace. The multi-talented James will soon be seen as Pamela Anderson in the Hulu series Pam and Tommy.

If you don’t recognize Lily James from any of her television roles, then you’ll certainly remember her from movies like Mamma Mia: Here We Go Again, Yesterday, and the Netflix adaptation of Rebecca. Prior to all of those performances, James starred in Baby Driver, Burnt, Darkest Hour, and probably most notably, the 2015 live-action remake of Cinderella.

Emily Beecham (Fanny Logan)

While Lily James’ Linda Radlett is the vibrant free spirited heart of The Pursuit of Love, Emily Beecham has the task of portraying her more reserved cousin and best friend Fanny Logan. Over the years, Beecham has appeared in numerous celebrated television programs, including Into the Badlands, where she portrayed The Widow in all 32 episodes. Her other TV credits included Damages, The Village, and The Musketeers to name only a few.

If you are a fan of the Coen Brothers then you will certainly remember Emily Beecham from her portrayal of Dierdre in the 2016 comedy, Hail, Caesar!, but if not, then Daphne, Berlin, I Love You, or Little Joe may ring a bell or two. More recently, Beecham had a prominent role in the 2021 Netflix science fiction action thriller Outside the Wire which she followed up with another great performance in Disney’s Cruella.

Dominic West (Matthew Radlett)

Taking on the role of the mustachioed Matthew Radlett, father to Linda and uncle to Fanny, is none other than Dominic West, who has one of the most impressive television filmographies of anyone on the list. There are the givens, like the HBO crime drama series The Wire, where he played Baltimore Police detective Jimmy McNulty, and The Affair which netted him a Golden Globe nomination, but there other additions to his resumé that are also worth mentioning. Those are the British drama The Hour and the 2018 television adaptation of Les Misérables. He will also soon join the cast of The Crown Season 5 as Prince Charles.

Dominic West’s film credits are also worth noting, as the actor has appeared in everything from Zack Snyder’s 300 to Chicago and Pride to Finding Dory. Before finding fame, West also had roles in movies like Spice World and Star Wars: Episode I — The Phantom Menace.

Andrew Scott (Lord Merlin)

Lord Merlin, the Radlett’s wealthy, eccentric, and artistic neighbor is Andrew Scott. You will probably remember Scott from his celebrated and award-winning portrayal of The Priest on Fleabag Season 2, but the talented veteran of television, film, and the stage has small screen credits going back as far as 1995. Previous TV work includes Band of Brothers, Black Mirror, His Dark Materials, and Sherlock where he portrayed the obsessive criminal mastermind James “Jim” Moriarty.

Over on the film side of things, Andrew Scott has given commanding performances in some of the most highly regarded movies of the past quarter-century including Saving Private Ryan and 1917. Prior to appearing in Sam Mendes' tense World War I drama, Scott worked with the director in 2015’s Spectre, where he took on the role of C, an intelligence official whose actually working for the titular criminal organization.

Emily Mortimer (The Bolter)

Portraying Fanny’s mother, The Bolter, on The Pursuit of Love is Emily Mortimer, who not only stars on the show but also wrote and directed the adaptation of Nancy Mitford’s novel of the same name. Over the years, Mortimer has put together a string of great television projects including The Newsroom and Doll and Em, a show she created and wrote in addition to playing one of the leads. Prior to that, she appeared in a few episodes of 30 Rock and various other shows and made-for-TV movies throughout her career.

Emily Mortimer has also appeared in dozens of feature-length films over the years including Elizabeth, Notting Hill, Dear Frankie, Match Point, and Shutter Island. If you have kids or just like watching Disney movies (not judging if you do), then you will recognize Mortimer from Mary Poppins Returns, or at least her voice from Cars 2.

Dolly Wells (Sadie Radlett)

Dolly Wells portrays Linda Radlett’s mother and Matthew Radlett’s wife Sadie on The Pursuit of Love. Throughout her career, Wells has appeared on dozens of television programs ranging from smaller roles on shows like The Mighty Boosh and The IT Crowd to more recurring roles on the likes of Some Girls, Blunt Talk, and Dracula, where she portrayed Sister Agatha Van Helsing.

No stranger to the silver screen, Dolly Wells has showed up in Bridget Jones’s Diary as well as its 2016 sequel Bridget Jones’s Baby, Home Again, Can You Ever Forgive Me?, and the horror spin on Jane Austen with Pride and Prejudice and Zombies.

Beattie Edmondson (Louisa Radlett)

Taking on the role of Louisa Radlett, Linda’s sister, is Beattie Edmondson, who has made a name for herself the past decade with performances on various British comedies, specifically sitcoms. Prior to landing a spot in The Pursuit of Love cast, Edmondson appeared on sitcoms like Upstart Crow, Patrick, and Josh, where she played one of the main characters by the name of Kate. Edmondson’s work on television goes all the way back to 2008, with a pair of episodes in the second season of the comedy Clatterford. She also had a small role in the 2011 Comic Relief short Uptown Downstairs Abbey.

Assaad Bouab (Fabrice de Sauveterre)

What would a sprawling romantic saga be without romance? That’s where Assaad Bouab comes in as Fabrice de Sauveterre, the man with his heart set on Linda Radlett in The Pursuit of Love. With film, television, and stage credits to his name, Bouab has done a little bit of everything throughout his career, including a recurring role on the Netflix thriller Messiah, the Netflix comedy Call My Agent!, and Homeland, which aired on Showtime.

Assaad Bouab’s film contributions include Made in France, Queen of the Desert, and Outside the Law, to name only a few. Prior to that, Bouab appeared in stage productions of everything from William Shakespeare’s Twelfth Night to Voltaire’s Zadig as well as multiple others.

Shazad Latif (Alfred Wincham)

Then, there is Shazad Latif, who takes on the role of Alfred Wincham, who has an eye for Fanny Logan on The Pursuit of Love. Prior to joining the show’s cast, he appeared in a number of popular television shows in recent years, including Penny Dreadful, The Dark Crystal: Age of Resistance, and Star Trek: Discovery. Oh, and like so many other actors, Latif lent his talents to an episode of Black Mirror in 2011.

Over on the film side of things, Shazad Latif has appeared in movies like The Man Who Knew Infinity, The Second Best Exotic Marigold Hotel, The Commuter, and Profile. He is set to share the screen with Lily James again in the upcoming What’s Love Got to Do With It?.

Freddie Fox (Tony Kroesig)

And, finally, our journey through The Pursuit of Love cast comes to an end with Freddie Fox, who plays the dashing Tony Kroesig. If you are a fan of The Crown, then you’ll most likely recognize Fox from his portrayal of Mark Thatcher, the son of Prime Minister Margaret Thatcher who went missing for a short time in 1982. Before that, Fox appeared on shows like Parade’s End, Year of the Rabbit, and Lewis.

Freddie Fox’s film roles include King Arthur: Legend of the Sword, Victor Frankenstein, and The Riot Club, to name just a few.

This is just the main actors in The Pursuit of Love cast, as there are multiple other memorable characters from the three-part Amazon series. If you have already binged all the episodes, why not take a look at CinemaBlend’s 2021 Summer TV Schedule to see what else is happening in the streaming world.

Former Disney kid Bella Thorne has been making a name for herself (and an absolute killing) on more mature platforms like Pornhub and OnlyFans over the past few years. As her fanbase continues to grow, it seems like she just keeps coming up with more creative ways to appease her massive following. Now, in her latest viral selfie, the actress, singer, and adult film director went full high-glam Baywatch.

Bella Thorne decided to break the internet last week by donning the iconic Baywatch red one piece swimsuit and posing for some pictures in the sand. It's honestly impressive how the series of shots in her viral Instagram post are so reminiscent of the sexy lifeguard series made famous by Pamela Anderson. You can check out Thorne and her lucky whistle below:

Despite the visor clearly reading “lifeguard”, Bella Thorne makes it pretty clear she’s not saving anyone from the ocean in that outfit. Her caption claims she’d rather take a selfie, and fans seem totally OK with drowning for the sake of her snapshots.

Bella Thorne has proven time and time again that she knows just how to work her body to get a response and, although some of those responses are hate-filled, she gets plenty of love too. Her Baywatch-inspired selfie has over 1 million likes, and thousands of positive comments. It would seem Thorne has plenty of celebrity fans full of support too, as icons like Paris Hilton and Ridiculous’ Chanel West Coast both left plenty of fire emojis in the comments.

As fire as Bella Thorne looks in her Baywatch ensemble, she’s not the only one channeling the spirit of ‘90s Pamela Anderson. Lily James is playing dress up too, and she looks nearly identical to Anderson’s CJ Parker.

But unlike Bella Thorne, Lily James isn’t just soaking up the sun in her red one piece just for some likes, as she’s currently working on the upcoming miniseries Pam & Tommy. She will portray Pamela Anderson opposite Sebastian Stan’s Tommy Lee, as the show tells the story of their heavily-covered relationship, during which they were married after only knowing each other a few days. The show will also tackle the controversy revolving around their leaked sex tape.

What was once a casting choice that raised a lot of eyebrows (especially since director Craig Gillespie has ties to seemingly perfect for the part Margot Robbie), Lily James as Pamela Anderson has, so far, turned out to be a pretty perfect fit. Bella Thorne’s Baywatch-inspired post may have gone more viral with more likes, but it’s pretty obvious that James has captured the spirit of the OG beach babe a bit more closely.

Pam & Tommy is still in production but is set to release on Hulu. There is not currently a release date for the eight-episode limited series but, ahead of its release, Bella Thorne is certainly making the wait worth it!

Between current fashion trends and revamped TV classics, nostalgia is becoming a major factor within the realm of pop culture. This couldn’t be any clearer than with Hulu’s Pam & Tommy, which depicts the tumultuous 90s-era marriage between model and actress Pamela Anderson and Mötley Crüe drummer Tommy Lee. In the limited series, the two stars will be portrayed by Lily James and Sebastian Stan, and the public has already been treated to a behind-the-scenes look at them in the roles. While many were enamored with their looks for the show, the public doesn’t seem to be giving as much shine to co-star Seth Rogen. And I’m here to remind you of his new look, which even includes a mullet.

Seth Rogen, who is also developing Pam & Tommy under his Point Grey Pictures production banner, plays a key role in the upcoming miniseries. The Invincible actor will star as Rand Gauthier, the electrician who managed to get his hands on Anderson and Lee’s sex tape. Said video came into Gauthiier’s possession after he stole a safe from the married couple’s home back in 1995.

It’s more than clear that Lily James and Sebastian Stan have committed to their roles, but the same can definitely be said of Seth Rogen. The actor really has transformed to play Rand Gauthier, even parting ways with his beard in the process. Check out Rogen’s look in an Instagram post from the Pam & Tommy’s official account:

I don’t think any of us had a beardless Seth Rogen with a mullet on our 2021 bingo cards. It’s honestly a bit jarring to see him without any sort of facial hair. Yes, he has gone clean shaven in projects in the past but, in recent years, he’s sported a pretty solid beard when he is and isn’t working.

As weird as it may be, Seth Rogen’s look is on the money, as it gives off plenty of ‘90s vibes. His look is just one example of how detailed he, Evan Goldberg and their collaborators want the show to be. Set photos have even revealed that the series will perfectly capture Pamela Anderson’s Baywatch look.

While some fans may be getting a kick out of the nostalgia, not everyone appears to be pleased with Pam & Tommy getting made. Courtney Love, a longtime friend of Pamela Anderson, shared some brutally honest thoughts on the matter, even dropping an F-bomb in the process. Love argued that the sex tape situation “destroyed” Anderson’s life and, in her message, she also sent well wishes to her friend in the midst of the miniseries’ production.

We'll have to wait and see how the creative team has chosen to approach Pamela Anderson and Tommy Lee’s story. But with Seth Rogen helping to tell what’s already an unusual story, it’s a foregone conclusion that things are going to get interesting. And based on looks alone, the cast seems game to take on the challenge.

Hulu has yet to announce a release date for Pam & Tommy. As you wait for it to drop, you can check out CinemaBlend’s 2021 summer TV premiere schedule to learn about the new and returning shows arriving in the coming months.

Lily James and Dominic West’s collaboration on The Pursuit of Love for BBC has been distracted by their alleged affair behind-the-scenes over a number of months. Back in October, photos were released of the pair vacationing in Rome, with their arms around one another and kissing while dining at an outdoor cafe. For the first time since the scandal, West’s wife, Catherine Fitzgerald, has commented on her relationship with her husband.

Dominic West and Catherine Fitzgerald have been married since 2010 and have three children together. The couple have remained married, even through the rumored affair the paparazzi snapped months back. While speaking to The Irish Independent, Fitzgerald had mostly delightful things to say about her husband, recalling the early days of their relationship when they met one another in college. In her words:

Catherine Fitzgerald gave the interview in light of their property Glin Castle once again becoming open to guests following COVID-19 lockdown protocols. Fitzgerald grew up in the castle and has been running it as a small hotel and event venue for the past seven years alongside West. While reflecting on her marriage to The Wire actor, she also said this:

Catherine Fitzgerald did not speak about the matter head on, but per her words to the Irish publication, she and Dominic West are still very much in their marriage and “devoted” to one another. It doesn’t clear up much in light of those Rome photos coming out, but she’s certainly not bad-mouthing West.

Recently Lily James was asked about the situation and remained tight-lipped about what was going on. She shared this while promoting The Pursuit of Love:

When the photos surfaced, Lily James was reportedly “horrified” by the leak and went on to cancel a few appearances while she was promoting her movie Rebecca. At the time, Dominic West and Catherine Fitzgerald released a joint statement to share that their “marriage is strong” and they are still “very much still together.”

Dominic West plays Lily James’ uncle in Pursuit of Love following their previous collaboration on the stage in 2011. While there’s not exactly any new developments on the affair front, the Baby Driver actress is turning heads for her incredible transformation as Pamela Anderson for the Hulu show Pam and Tommy.

CinemaBlend participates in affiliate programs with various companies. We may earn a commission when you click on or make purchases via links.

If you have at least one very good friend (and I certainly hope you do), you'll probably go pretty far and through a lot to protect and defend them whenever necessary. For most people, this usually involves sticking up for said friend when negative words come their way, or maybe even being willing to step in to shut down a physical altercation. While those can both be true signs of friendship, sometimes things are taken to another level when the friends in question are famous. Rock star / actress Courtney Love is dealing with this right now, as she's used a few F-bombs to explain why she's refused to participate in Pam & Tommy because of good friend Pamela Anderson.

Courtney Love, who's appeared on TV shows like Sons of Anarchy, Empire, and Revenge, has, apparently, been friends with former Baywatch star Pamela Anderson for many years. Even though the recent photos of Lily James and Sebastian Stan in character as the celebrity couple during their 1995-1998 marriage have had people saying very positive things for days now, you can rest assured that Love is not amused or pleased with the idea of Hulu's Pam & Tommy mini-series.

According to the Daily Mail, Courtney Love unleashed a, now deleted, rant on her Facebook page recently, which took aim at the series overall, and Lily James in particular for agreeing to star as the Playboy cover model. In the post, Love said:

You can definitely say that Courtney Love has a very different view of Pamela Anderson's tumultuous marriage to Mötley Crüe drummer Tommy Lee than many others would. From what Love said, she and Anderson were already close friends by the time Anderson and Lee's honeymoon sex tape was stolen and leaked to the public. And, Love's strong feeling, even now, is that the release of that footage "utterly" "destroyed" Anderson's life.

Love also revealed that she'd been asked to grant the production the right to use her image, by way of her one of her Rolling Stone covers, in Pam & Tommy somehow. Even though the magazine saw fit to approve the usage, Love disagreed and wouldn't sign off on it as a way to support Pamela Anderson by not helping a project she feels will further sensationalize a very difficult time her friend went through.

Right now, neither Pamela Anderson nor Tommy Lee appear to have said anything publicly about the mini-series. Back in December of 2020, when Deadline revealed that Pam & Tommy was in the works, the outlet noted that neither of them were involved with the series but were aware of its existence. I can only imagine that it would, at the very least, be weird to have a part of your life put on film without being involved in the process. But, Courtney Love continued in her post, accusing Pam & Tommy of doing something much worse, and took a very direct shot at Lily James:

It's obvious that Courtney Love doesn't want anything to do with Pam & Tommy, and she seems pretty angry that anyone else wants to be a part of the mini-series, too. It's possible she'd feel better about the project if the subject of the sex tape weren't going to be a part of it, but Seth Rogen is set to play the man who leaked that video, and it is said to be a strong focus of the series.

Pam & Tommy is filming right now, but until we know when it will debut on Hulu, check out what's coming to the small screen with our 2021 summer TV premiere schedule.

CinemaBlend participates in affiliate programs with various companies. We may earn a commission when you click on or make purchases via links.

I think it's probably safe to say that most of us raised at least one dubious brow at the news that Hulu's Pam & Tommy would star Lily James and Sebastian Stan as one of the 1990s most famous couples, Baywatch superstar Pamela Anderson and Mötley Crüe drummer Tommy Lee. But, then we saw the first pictures of the duo as they began filming, and we were blown away by how much James and Stan looked like the real-life people they were playing. Now, we've also gotten a look at James as she sports Anderson's iconic red Baywatch swimsuit, and the similarity is astounding.

Lily James has done a very good job of serving up some different looks as she's worked on movies in the time since she shot to stardom on Downton Abbey. She gave us the golden blonde look in Cinderella, and has switched back and forth from some shade of brilliantly light hair to brunette looks several times, but nothing will likely prepare you for her continued resemblance to Pamela Anderson in Pam & Tommy. Take a look at the photos of her which were posted to Instagram by the hair department head on the mini-series, Barry Lee Moe, so we can gab about James' new look!

WOW. I mean, honestly, if I didn't know that this wasn't an actual behind the scenes shot of the real Pamela Anderson during her time on Baywatch, there'd be nothing to keep me from saying that this image of Lily James is the original Pam. The hair, those paper-thin eyebrows which were maddeningly in style back then, her completely unnecessary daytime smolder smoky eye makeup...It's all totally on point.

In fact, why don't we go ahead and take a look at Anderson during her time on that amazingly popular beach-set series, so that we can all see just how closely the hair and makeup team on Pam & Tommy have gotten to the real woman. Behold:

I mean, it's uncanny. And, if you're saying to yourself, "Well, self, Lily does look good and a lot like Pam here, but why is this such a big deal?" It probably means that you're an adorably young person who missed all or most of Pamela Anderson's 1990s. That's right, I'm saying a whole decade belonged to Pam Anderson, and if you'd lived through it you'd know that I'm not far off.

Anderson made a major name for herself by modeling for Playboy, and appeared on more covers than anyone else during her 22 years working with the magazine. After her first cover appearance in 1989, she turned that into a two-season stint as part of the cast on the sitcom hit Home Improvement, then moving on to Baywatch, which cemented her as a worldwide sensation. During this career and popularity peak, Anderson met Tommy Lee, and after just four days of knowing one another, the pair married in 1995.

The couple had two sons, and a tumultuous marriage which was often tabloid fodder, including when their honeymoon sex tape was stolen and leaked to the public, and Pam & Tommy will follow the couple through these very public ups and downs. While their union only lasted about three years, word of their troubles and triumphs dominated the news and turned them into one of the most talked about couples of the decade.

Lily James is off to a strong start in her role as Pamela Anderson, and I can admit that seeing her in full Pam regalia has made me way more eager to watch her and Sebastian Stan in Pam & Tommy when it finally debuts.

We don't have a release date for Pam & Tommy just yet, but in the meantime, you can see what's new with our 2021 summer TV premiere schedule!

Mamma mia, Lily James has been on fire as of late with a handful of exciting roles. Between recent Netflix period pieces and her recent transformation into Pamela Anderson for Hulu, the British actress has been busy in the spotlight. However, Hollywood fame often means more interest in one’s personal life from the public and, last year, James was caught getting cozy with her married The Pursuit of Love co-star Dominic West.

In late 2020, the paparazzi caught pictures of 32-year-old with 51-year-old Dominic West in Rome, Italy with their arms around each other at the tourist sites and kissing while dining together. The puzzler here is the fact that West is married and “still together” with wife of over ten years Catherine FitzGerald and has four children with her. Now months after the pictures went viral, James has commented on it with these words:

Lily James was brief in her answer and kept details tight-lipped when The Guardian asked her about the media frenzy that came out of the pictures. The actress reportedly was “horrified” about the situation and decided to cancel appearances promoting Netflix’s Rebecca following the paparazzi pictures.

Based on her comments, it sounds like she may decide to address the situation at length at some point but is not willing to at the present moment. This decision makes sense considering she is currently promoting her TV show alongside Dominic West, The Pursuit of Love, which comes out this Sunday, May 9. In the adaptation of Nancy Mitford’s novel, James plays lead Linda Radlett, and West plays her character’s uncle and caretaker.

The actors have known each other for years, originally working together back in 2011 for a production of Othello. It’s still unclear what the situation was between the two, but James’ comments seem to indicate there is something to speak about regarding it, considering she shared that there is a “lot to say” rather than outright deny a relationship of some kind but is "afraid" to do so.

Prior to the alleged affair, Lily James also turned heads when pictures were also taken of her over summer in which she and Chris Evans were spending time together as well while the Marvel actor was in London. James reportedly faced a breakup with Doctor Who star Matt Smith in 2019 following the couple’s five-year relationship.

Lily James is currently filming Pam & Tommy with Sebastian Stan, Nick Offerman and Seth Rogen for Hulu. The series will tell the story of ‘90s icons Pamela Anderson and Tommy Lee and their whirlwind romance. The first episode of The Pursuit of Love premieres Sunday night on BBC One.

Movie and television stars Lily James and Sebastian Stan are coming to Hulu for a new project, but even some of their biggest fans might not have recognized them right away when it comes to their new looks. James and Stan will play Pamela Anderson and Tommy Lee for Hulu's Pam & Tommy series, and the first looks at them as Anderson and Lee confirm that Hulu isn't holding back in transforming the stars into the '90s icons.

Pam & Tommy will be a limited series based on the true story of the release of Pamela Anderson and Tommy Lee's sex tape as the first-ever viral video. And while the subject matter seems like it has the potential to get heavy, the series is going to be comedic, so Lily James and Sebastian Stan (not to mention their co-star Seth Rogen) will deliver some laughs to go along with their new looks.

Based on Lily James' look in the official images released by Hulu, I think it's already safe to say that any fans of James from The Guernsey Literary and Potato Peel Pie Society and Mamma Mia! Here We Go Again might have to do a double take at her Pamela Anderson ensemble:

Mamma mia! Between the outfit, the makeup, the hair, the nails, and even her body language and expression, Lily James is all but unrecognizable as she goes full Pamela Anderson. If I hadn't known that this was a new picture of James for a TV show, I might have thought that this was a very high-quality photo of the real Anderson from back in the day.

How Lily James handles the portrayal of Anderson remains to be seen, but so far I'd say that she and the Pam & Tommy team have absolutely nailed the look. Can Lily James as Anderson hang out with Shameless vet Emmy Rossum as Angelyne now? They seem like they'd get along swimmingly!

And Lily James isn't the only Pam & Tommy star to receive what looks like a full-body makeover to guarantee a whole new look for the show. Sebastian Stan, best known for his work as Bucky Barnes in the Marvel Cinematic Universe and fresh off the finale of The Falcon and the Winter Soldier on Disney+, couldn't look much less like the Winter Soldier if he tried. Check him out:

Hello there, Tommy Lee! Sebastian Stan is rocking the tattoos he needs to play the Mötley Crüe drummer for the Hulu TV show, along with a chain necklace, some eyeliner, and a couple of nipple rings for Lily James' Pam Anderson to bite on. This image of Stan also shows a bit more of James' look as well, as it proves that she'll be sporting an arm tattoo a la the real Anderson for the series too.

Hulu may have only released a couple of images from the series so far, but these two pictures prove that the show is going the extra mile when it comes to the details. Another star happened to share an image from the show, but Seth Rogen's peek at what he'll wear for Pam & Tommy reveals a look that is on the opposite end of the spectrum from what Lily James and Sebastian Stan are sporting. Take a look from Twitter:

Seth Rogen is playing Rand Gauthier, the man responsible for stealing and leaking the sex tape back in the '90s, for Pam & Tommy. While Lily James and Sebastian Stan got their photos snapped while striking some pretty cool poses, Rogen is rocking a pair of jean shorts, a long-sleeved striped polo shirt, and some white socks hiked up to snap a mirror selfie. Throw in the mullet, and it's not hard to understand why Rogen went for the caption that he did!

Hulu has not yet announced a premiere date for Pam & Tommy, but the limited series is clearly already in production with three big-name stars looking very different from how fans usually see them. Hopefully more details about the show will continue to release in the coming weeks. For now, keep an eye on our 2021 summer TV premiere schedule for what's on the way, and be sure to check out our calendar of upcoming 2021 TV finales.

Armie Hammer has stepped down from his latest movie after unconfirmed reports he may have been sending messages both sexual and cannibalistic in nature to women who were not his then-wife. Now, tabloids are reporting more about his alleged sexual preferences and possible flirtations outside his marriage, also noting that while married, he may have had an affair with Lily James while the two were working together on Netflix’s Rebecca. Ultimately, we don't know exactly what's going on. We may never know exactly what happened, but since the rumors are now out there, let's talk about what we know and what we don't know.

The reports come some months after Armie Hammer split with his wife Elizabeth Chambers in July of 2020, which is a fact; the two did split up and he came home to Los Angeles while she stayed in the Cayman Islands. The two had been married for a decade at the time of the split. About three months later, in October of 2020, Lily James was seen by cameras canoodling with married actor Dominic West in Italy. Those two hit it off while filming the projects The Pursuit of Love together.

However, prior to that Lily James was working with Armie Hammer on the Netflix film Rebecca, where rumors have indicated the two also allegedly hit it off. While no affair came out or was mentioned when Hammer and Chambers split earlier this year, over the last few months the rumor mill has been rampant with the idea that an affair between the two Rebecca actors may have been what split up the marriage.

Unconfirmed reports indicated that Elizabeth Chambers may have found texts from a woman mysteriously referred to as Adeline, which admittedly doesn’t mean much at face value. But The Daily Mail and other outlets stated that Lily James was referred to on the call sheets for Rebecca as Adeline, a nod to another Dauphne Du Maurier novel and the connective tissue between James and the rumors.

The rumor mill on this topic had died down more recently, but then this week Armie Hammer stepped down from the upcoming production of Shotgun Wedding, which would have starred himself and Jennifer Lopez and is also expected to be produced by Lopez and Ryan Reynolds. Ergo, it was a pretty big gig. His reason? He called unverified claims that he had sent sexual texts during his marriage that were cannibalistic in nature “bullshit,” but said he needed to take a step back to spend some time with his family.

Then, Page Six also unearthed some comments from 2013 in which Armie Hammer described himself as someone who did have a bit less vanilla taste in bedroom activities.

The new messages that have emerged -- but again have not been conclusively tied to the actual Armie Hammer -- have seemed to indicate multiple flirtations outside of his marriage to then wife Elizabeth Chambers. One such message reportedly thanked someone, calling them “kitten” before mentioning, “My wife is with me or else I’d have you come meet me, plug in and hungry for daddy.”

Armie Hammer has said the texts cannot be attributed to him, but another of his verified exes, Courtney Vucekovich -- whom he dated briefly -- said that this sort of sexually aggressive language was normal during the tenure of their relationship. She shared a look with The Daily Mail Hammer allegedly wrote that read, “I am going to bite the F K out of you.”

And so Armie Hammer has a bit of a pr nightmare on his hands. Did he cheat with Lily James? Did he send these messages with other women? Is some of this true and some of it false? It’s all pretty murky at this point, but unfortunately for James herself, people are all too willing to believe a rumor given the Dominic West stuff that came out earlier this year. Sexual preferences are no crime, of course, but if there's anything people on the Internet love, it's talking about the possibility of a juicy affair.

While Lily James has made a name for herself thanks to starring in a lot of projects requiring period wardrobes, the actress has landed a very different role coming up. In fact, she’s expected to play Baywatch actress Pamela Anderson in an upcoming Hulu miniseries based around Anderson and her former lover, Mötley Crüe drummer Tommy Lee, who will be played by Marvel’s Sebastian Stan. The only problem? Fans don’t really seem to get her casting, though there are some open minds.

In particular, the Internet had a lot of thoughts about Lily James’ casting as the news was announced. Some fans on social commented about the “bizarre” nature of the casting, though some people do seem open to what the oddball casting choice might entail, as one person noted on Twitter:

If, err, certain assets are the question, I don’t honestly think that will be a problem. We’ve seen Shameless’ Emmy Rossum take on the role of the busty Angelyne for the upcoming miniseries of the same name with no issue in her look whatsoever. However, some are calling Lily James playing the bleached and tanned Pam Anderson a “stylist’s challenge.”

Interestingly, it seems some fans have really thought this casting through and have their own ideas regarding who should and shouldn’t be allowed to play Pamela Anderson on the screen. In fact, multiple fans specifically think Margot Robbie would be a better fit for the gig, with one noting, “Anyone call Margot Robbie?" Well, I mean, Margot Robbie seems pretty busy, which may be part of the problem with thinking of her for a Hulu gig, but this didn't stop another said on Twitter:

Speaking of alternate casting for the Hulu project, I'm seriously really invested in another Twitter user's idea, which is to take two Hollywood stars who are already entangled and let them play out Tommy Lee and Pamela Anderson's story.

The good news is that Lily James does have myriad fans out there who think she is a “great actress” and can’t wait for the Cinderella and Rebecca actress to bring the American Baywatch star to life, with one championing her in a tweet.

The biopic on Hulu is tentatively rolling with the title Pam & Tommy and will follow Lily James and Sebastian Stan exploring the infamous relationship between Pamela Anderson and Tommy Lee. The two were a high-profile couple in the '90s and made a lot of headlines, thanks to famously marrying after only dating each other for four days. They were only married for three years, but in that time they managed to have two kids and even have a sex tape stolen and widely disseminated so there's a lot of directions the Hulu project could go in. Anderson later went on to have several other high-profile romances, including marrying Kid Rock. (A marriage Sacha Baron Cohen later said his movie Borat was responsible for breaking up.) Her most recent fourth marriage to Jon Peters ended in September of 2020.

As for Lily James playing Pamela Anderson, the actress has mostly avoided controversy outside of a romantic jaunt with her married co-star Dominic West a few months back. Whether or not she'll make a good Pamela Anderson Lee remains to be seen, but we'll continue to keep you updated as the project comes together over at Hulu.

A TV show all about the infamous relationship between actress Pamela Anderson and Mötley Crüe musician Tommy Lee, who are arguably most famous for the leak of their honeymoon sex tape in the mid-1990s, is on the way. The show, which is coming to Hulu, has already added an MCU star and one more to play Lee and Anderson, and there's a lot of absorb about the project. Prepare to see Sebastian Stan in a role that is definitely not the Winter Soldier!

Tentatively titled Pam & Tommy, Deadline reports that the Hulu show has cast Sebastian Stan as Tommy Lee and Rebecca and Mamma Mia! Here We Go Again star Lily James as Pamela Anderson. Director Craig Gillespie of I, Tonya is directing the series, making Pam & Tommy a reunion between Gillespie and Stan after Stan's role in the Tonya Harding biopic.

Although the marriage of Pamela Anderson and Tommy Lee, which lasted from 1995 - 1998, was relatively short-lived, the leak of their sex tape and subsequent scandal guaranteed their legacy as a couple. They also share two sons. The Hulu TV show will reportedly include the sex tape leak as a key element of the story, but episodes will also chronicle their romance that lasted for 96 hours in 1995 before they tied the knot.

Their honeymoon sex tape was famously stolen from their home back in 1995 and then leaked to the public, marking the beginning of a legal dispute as Anderson sued the video distribution company and started a conversation about celebrity privacy in the entertainment industry. Pamela Anderson and Tommy Lee are reportedly not involved in the Hulu project now starring Lily James and Sebastian Stan but knew that such a project has been developing.

Although Sebastian Stan and Lily James are seemingly the only big names currently attached to the production, Seth Rogen is expected to play the man who stole the sex tape. Rogen is already connected to the project, albeit in a production capacity. He is teaming with production partner Evan Goldberg once again for Pam & Tommy. Rob Siegel is on board to write the series.

Unsurprisingly considering the subject matter, Pam & Tommy is described as a limited series that will run for eight episodes. The show is expected to begin filming in the spring of 2021. The Hulu series marks another streaming venture for both Sebastian Stan and Lily James.

Sebastian Stan will make his highly-anticipated debut on Disney+ in 2021 with the March streaming premiere of the MCU's The Falcon and the Winter Soldier and appeared in the 2020 Netflix film The Devil of All Time. Lily James, who helped generate some real-life scandal earlier this year, has starred in two movies for Netflix: Rebecca in 2020 and The Guernsey Literary & Potato Peel Society in 2018.

With production on Pam & Tommy not slated to begin until spring of 2021, potential viewers are in for a wait before the show is ready to hit Hulu. For some viewing options in the meantime, be sure to check out our 2021 winter and spring premiere schedule.

It’s been more than a month since Lily James was caught with married actor Dominic West during a weekend jaunt to Rome. The two had been working together during the summer and early fall on The Pursuit of Love, a project based on the popular Nancy Mitford book of the same name. However, apparently Lily James knew Dominic West long before the trip to Rome in which they were caught canoodling and sightseeing together. James recalled how they had worked together early on in her career.

In The Pursuit of Love, Lily James is set to play lead character Linda Radlett, a flighty young woman growing up in Pre-World War II London, who misses the boat on love. In the project, Dominic West, who is 20 years her senior, will play Uncle Matthew, Linda’s eccentric uncle and caretaker. In an interview with The Guardian, James touched on her prior professional relationship with West, also mentioning a lively exchange from their upcoming project.

The two actually met on the set of Othello in 2011, actually playing leads Iago and Desdemona, two characters who come to fairly ill-fated ends, in the famous Shakespearean production. Playing Desdemona was an early role for Lily James, who received early notice at the time. She then went on to star in Downton Abbey in 2012 and in Disney’s Cinderella a few years later, before landing more recent roles in Netflix’s Rebecca and The Pursuit of Love.

Lily James’ comments on the Uncle Matthew character, her relationship with Dominic West and the “great line” we can expect from her character Linda came a few weeks before news broke about their weekend jaunt to Rome. The article was published after the two were seemingly caught out, despite the fact West is married with children. West and his wife addressed the press and said they are "very much still together," though James has not commented.

For her part, James had at the time recently broken things off with her longtime beau Matt Smith and was seen with Chris Evans over the summer. The rumor mill has been rampant with speculation that she might be looking to get back with the Doctor Who star following her short stint in the gossip rags, but I’d take that with a grain of salt. What is definitely true is that she has cut back on appearances in the time since the news broke, though she did touch base with Jimmy Fallon and The Tonight Show for a recent interview.

The Pursuit of Love is still coming together, but it will be interesting to see how that press is undergone once the series, which also stars Emily Mortimer and Emily Beecham, is ready to make its big debut. It’s a highly anticipated project, so we’ll be sure to keep you updated on that front.

Lily James has had a big year. Not only is she currently appearing in Netflix’s Rebecca, now streaming, she also filmed a project during Covid (The Pursuit of Love) and was seen out and about with two other major Hollywood names: Chris Evans and Dominic West. Recently, the actress was actually asked about the reported outing with the MCU star, which happened earlier this summer, and whether or not it constituted a fling, to which she had a coy reply.

In a new interview following the release of Netflix’s Rebecca, Lily James was asked about what she’d done over the summer. She told The Guardian she spent much of her time relaxing in London and doing homebody activities, such as reading poetry out loud. When asked specifically about Chris Evans, she demurred, noting,

It should be noted that paparazzi seemingly caught Lily James and Chris Evans out and about in London doing various activities over the summer. The two actors allegedly saw one another during a night on the town and again for a picnic in a park, though things seem to have fizzled -- or at least dropped off the paparazzi's radar -- after that. As for the "breaking laws" comment, the U.K. has complex rules related to bubbles and the people whom you should and should not be seeing right now.

It just so happens that’s also a pretty easy excuse to not answer when a journalist point blank asks you about a possible summer fling. In fact though, at the time Lily James and Chris Evans were reportedly spending some time together in the U.K., there was some question regarding whether or not they were in each others’ bubbles or if there was some bubble rule-bending going on. For his part, Chris Evans had reportedly quarantined before his jaunt across the pond, but after he got to London there are lots of question marks regarding what happened and didn't.

Lily James allegedly broke up with her longtime partner Matt Smith – of Doctor Who fame – over the summer, though she’s also remaining coy about whether or not that break-up is official too. For now, we’ll just have to assume rather than state. Meanwhile, she allegedly spent the time with Chris Evans before filming The Pursuit of Love.

Then, it was during the BBC and Amazon project that she worked with Dominic West, who plays her character’s uncle and father figure in the TV series. After filming on the upcoming show wrapped, Lily James allegedly boarded a plane for a weekend jaunt with the married actor, whom she told the Guardian she’s known for over a decade. The two were allegedly caught canoodling, though she didn’t touch on that during this interview.

Meanwhile, Lily James’ plate is still rather full. While she admitted earlier this month she’s wrapped work on The Pursuit of Love, she also has plenty of ongoing press for Rebecca, a movie in which she stars opposite Armie Hammer, right now. She’s also completed work on The Dig with Carey Mulligan and Ralph Fiennes, which is expected out in 2021 and she also has a few more projects expected to start filming soon. In the meantime, if she’s tied to another actor, we’ll be sure to keep you posted. Maybe next time around she won’t be quite so reticent to touch on the matter.

In the making of Rebecca, director Ben Wheatley arguably worked for three masters. One was the need to honor Daphne du Maurier's original novel; the second was respecting the previous adaptation by Alfred Hitchcock; and the third was providing modern audiences with something new and unique. That's a balancing act that is present throughout the film, but one particular area explored within the final department is the ending of the movie – which stands out by featuring some notable choices.

SPOILER WARNING: The rest of this article contains major spoilers about the ending of Rebecca (which is now streaming on Netflix). If you have not yet seen the film, read on at your own risk!

Unlike the source material or the previous adaptation, the new version of Rebecca makes two specific changes to the conclusion of the movie, namely with the fate of Kristin Scott Thomas' Mrs. Danvers, and a kind of coda that looks into the future for Lily James' as Mrs. de Winter and Armie Hammer's Maxim. They're respectively interesting deviations from previous versions versions of the story, and Ben Wheatley recently discussed the reasons behind those moves in conversation with Entertainment Weekly.

The "Death" Of Mrs. Danvers

As shown in the film, Mrs. Danvers is the one responsible for burning Manderley to the ground, but the fact that she has a scene after the fire has started is the big change in Rebecca. In Daphne du Maurier's book it's left ambiguous whether or not she still is still on the grounds of the estate when it crumbles, and Alfred Hitchcock's version features her stay in the mansion to be destroyed with it. Ben Wheatley's version provides one final confrontation between the new Mrs. de Winter and the head housekeeper before the latter takes a step off of a cliff.

Explaining why the new version of the story went with an alternate ending for Mrs. Danvers, Wheatley explains that the idea is to link her fate with Rebecca's. For the majority of the movie it's believed that the former Mrs. de Winter died drowning after her ship capsized, and Danvers' leap to the sea is her way to reconnect with the woman she loved. Said the director,

Adding an extra twist to the mysterious film, Ben Wheatley added that Mrs. Danvers may not even actually be dead (which certainly fits with the movie tradition of no character being officially gone until you've seen the body). Could she have survived the step off that cliff? The director doesn't totally rule out the possibility, and says that at the very least her spirit isn't gone, as she will continue to take up residence in Mrs. de Winter's mind forever:

The "Romantic" Ending

As specifically shown at the end of Rebecca, the memory of Mrs. Danvers most definitely does continue in Mrs. de Winter's dreams... but other than that things are pretty good for the film's lead character and her husband. As described in narration, they continue searching for a new permanent home, but they certainly aren't living in squalor, and the protagonist seems to be self-assured in all of the decisions that she made. It's a happy ending... right?

Per Ben Wheatley, you can look at Rebecca's ending with those rose-colored glasses, but he additionally offers that there is another way to look at the circumstances and the perspective from which the narration is coming. Said the filmmaker,

With the revelation of Rebecca's terminal cancer, there is some suggestion by the story that Maxim is innocent in that he spared her a great deal of pain by shooting her... but that also discounts the amount of hate that Maxim had for his ex-wife. Rebecca basically gave him permission to kill her, but that doesn't absolve him of the desire he had to do it (not to mention the fact that he had no clue about the cancer diagnosis).

How do these comments change your reading of the new version of Rebecca? Hit the comments section with your thoughts, and if you have the desire to watch the movie again, it's currently streaming exclusively on Netflix.

As Lily James has been open about the “emotional turmoil” of playing a character in Netflix’s new movie Rebecca, the actress has seen a bit of additional turbulence in her personal life. After photos came out revealing she’d spent an intimate weekend in Rome with married actor Dominic West, James ultimately decided to cancel some of her Rebecca press appearances. Now, following her exit from this week’s The Graham Norton Show, her co-star has stepped in.

In Rebecca, Kristin Scott Thomas plays the housekeeper for the de Winter family. When James' character enters the fold as the second Mrs. de Winter following the death of first wife Rebecca de Winter, the housekeeper does not make it easy on the newcomer. In real life, however, it seems that Kristin Scott Thomas is a sweetie and did a solid for her co-star this week.

For Friday’s appearance on The Graham Norton Show, Kristin Scott Thomas stepped into the red hot seat to talk to Graham Norton about Rebecca. Obviously, Norton’s a man known for asking cheeky questions, but with no Lily James around, the two stuck to the Netflix movie in terms of topics, at least mostly (Four Weddings and a Funeral was touched on). Kristin Scott Thomas gleefully talked about being a good antagonist and not realizing how frightening she could be before she saw her performance in Rebecca. Per The Daily Mail:

Lily James’ brief interlude with married actor Dominic West came earlier this month when the two were seen canoodling in Rome. They had been working on a project together, a BBC production of The Pursuit of Love, before their romantic jaunt. Obviously, Kristin Scott Thomas wasn’t involved in that project with James, so her stepping in was really a solid under the circumstances, likely both for James and The Graham Norton Show, which still needed a guest.

Also set for the episode is The Boss himself Bruce Springsteen, Matthew McConaughey – who is promoting his new book Greenlights – Sam Smith, Stephen Mangan, and Mawaan Rizwan. The episode comes after Lily James also canceled at least one other appearance, though she did keep a gig on The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon earlier this week.

Press for Rebecca should be dying down soon and Dominic West and his wife have already presented a united front in terms of the liaison, so this story may be winding its way to an end. Meanwhile, as Lily James recently broke up with her partner Matt Smith, she may be keeping her options open in the future. Though we’ll let you know if she’s spotted out with someone like Chris Evans again.

Lily James was supposed to be out and about promoting her brand-spanking new Netflix movie with Armie Hammer this week, but instead headlines have been caught up in the PDA she was caught in with married actor Dominic West. Most of the dust has settled there, but now a source close to the actress says she’s “horrified” about the news being made public.

It’s been a few days since the images dropped on the Internet, showing Dominic West and Lily James spending time with one another in Rome. The two are co-stars in an upcoming project The Pursuit of Love, so the fact they might be spending time together isn’t all that odd. However, they “kissing and cuddled” on the plane to Rome and later were scene engaged in PDA while dining in the city.

Now a source speaking to US Weekly says Lily James and Dominic West’s wife are “horrified” about the photos. The source is unnamed, however, it is true that Lily James has cancelled a couple of appearances since the interviews were made public. She currently has not spoken out about the images taken by paparazzi, but she still made a scheduled appearance on The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon to talk Mamma Mia 3 and more. Fallon did not ask about The Pursuit of Love or West.

For Lily James’ part, the actress recently broke up with her longtime boyfriend Matt Smith, an actor known for Doctor Who. The two had dated for five years as Lily James’ star was on the rise. She was also seen with Chris Evans over the summer. Seemingly, she was untethered when she embarked on the trip with Dominic West.

The Affair actor, on the other hand, is married to Catherine FitzGerald, though he’s seemingly had a laissez-faire attitude toward affairs of the heart in the past. As for FitzGerald, she and West have put up a united front, telling the press they are “still very much together.”

The BBC and Amazon project that brought Dominic West and Lily James together is The Pursuit of Love, a series based on the Nancy Mitford novel of the same name. Filming may have begun as early as July, though some reports also indicate the series has been in production since August. It will follow Lily James as Linda Radlett in a family drama about love and relationships. In it, Dominic West will play the father figure to Linda, Uncle Matthew. Given their working relationship, the age gap, his marriage and more, there has been public interest around what happened.

Lily James wrapped on her role in the series earlier in October, sharing the lovely time she had with the cast and crew on set. Her female co-stars, but not West, were both specifically mentioned.

Lily James can be seen currently in Netflix’s Rebecca, now streaming as part of the service's October offerings.

Lily James has had a big week. Not only did she star in a big Netflix release opposite Armie Hammer, the actress was also seen on a weekend getaway with married actor Dominic West, her co-star in another upcoming project. While she had done some press for Rebecca, she apparently took a step back this week in regards to some major TV appearances after the news with Dominic West broke.

In fact, Lily James cancelled not one but two major TV appearances. The Rebecca and Yesterday actress was expected to appear on an episode of Today this week and ultimately cancelled. Armie Hammer also bowed out of the publicity event, as they both were expected to appear together during the show's third hour, per Page Six. The news comes as James was also expected to appear on The Graham Norton Show this week, though that was allegedly cancelled as well, per The Daily Mail.

Lily James and Armie Hammer had done some of the press circuit for Rebecca even after photos circulated around the internet showing James spending time with married actor Dominic West, recently known for playing a cheater on the TV series The Affair. The two spent time dining and scootering around in Rome together and were spotted kissing by cameras while dining al fresco during the getaway.

Since the news broke, Dominic West and his wife Catherine FitzGerald have faced the press head-on and said they are “very much still together” via a sign to explain their marital situation. For his part, West had also previously told the media he believes people should be "more indulgent" of affairs. Marriages and entanglements can be complicated, but there's certainly still a curiosity around the getaway, given the age gap, Lily James' recent break-up from her own longterm partner, West's marriage, and the fact the two were co-stars.

Earlier in the summer, Lily James had been spotted in London spending a little bit of time with Chris Evans, who left Boston and headed to the U.K. shortly after the quarantine. The two were spotted out one night and later seen having a picnic together, but that short stint hanging out didn't last long. Lily James has only recently split from her longtime partner, Doctor Who actor Matt Smith, after five years of dating one another.

While Lily James has cancelled a couple of appearances, she currently has not cancelled an appearance with softball late night host Jimmy Fallon. She’s scheduled to appear on The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon on Thursday. I’m just saying, you may have seen her in Yesterday and expected her on Today, but you may still be able to catch her in an interview the day after tomorrow.

Next up, you can see Lily James in Netflix's Rebecca, or you can wait for her big project The Pursuit of Love, based on the book by Nancy Mitford and also starring Dominic West, to come out. That project will see James playing lead character Linda Radlett. Dominic West will play the father figure in the movie, Uncle Matthew.

Remakes have a terrible reputation, and the reason for that is simple and has nothing to do with the ratio of good versus bad ones that have been made over the years. Rather, it’s because each one suffers from the same inescapable issues, which are pre-established expectations based on the quality of the predecessor, and a necessity to establish a kind of raison d’etre. They are judged on different terms than original stories, and it’s often that the bar is set too high to ever reach.

Keeping this in mind, one recognizes that there is crazy pressure on director Ben Wheatley’s Rebecca – a film that is not just a remake, but a remake of a thriller from the filmmaker that cinema history recognizes as the Master of Suspense. Released in 1940, the Alfred Hitchcock movie starring Laurence Olivier and Joan Fontaine stands the test of time, and is still fondly remembered as one of the filmmaker’s best. Wheatley, however, had his own vision for what the story could be made with modern techniques, and the finished product proves him right for making the leap. The Netflix release is an atmospheric and well-constructed adaptation of the original Daphne Du Maurier novel, and particularly pops thanks to its stylistic flair and excellent performances from leads Lily James and Armie Hammer.

Set in the 1930s, the story introduces its unnamed protagonist (James) working as a traveling companion for the wealthy Mrs. Van Hopper (Ann Dowd) while she staying for a spell on the French Riviera. She is regularly belittled and abused for her lower class standing, though it winds up being through her employer that she is introduced to wealthy widower Maxim de Winter (Hammer). Their courtship is kept hush-hush, as Maxim quietly gets messages to her so that they can meet up without Van Hopper being aware, but everything is nearly destroyed when the relationship is exposed and Van Hopper attempts to sabotage it by planning to leave for New York.

Rather than lose the woman he’s quickly falling in love with, Maxim makes the rash decision to propose and make his lover the new Mrs. de Winter, and together they travel back to England to live at the palatial de Winter estate known as Manderley.

The newly married Mrs. de Winter is completely overwhelmed by the life of extreme wealth and luxury, receiving regular dagger glances from the head housekeeper, Mrs. Danvers (Kristin Scott Thomas), but that’s nothing compared to the “ghost” of Rebecca, Maxim’s departed ex-wife. Everybody in her husband’s circle remembers the woman as a perfect saint, and all her belongings remain throughout the mansion – each marked with a scripted “R.”

Not only must Mrs. de Winter try to survive the pressure put upon her by the former Mrs. de Winter, but simultaneously she finds herself unraveling the mysterious circumstances surrounding Rebecca’s death, with shocking results.

It’s not a reinvention of Rebecca, but it certainly is well told.

Based on this plot description, those familiar with either Daphne Du Maurier’s book or Alfred Hitchcock’s original film will recognize that Ben Wheatley’s adaptation doesn’t totally reinvent the narrative, but it’s a case where it doesn’t need to be altered because the material itself is superb. The script by Jane Goldman and Joe Shrapnel & Anna Waterhouse is taut and well-paced, and does a particularly exceptional job transitioning through the different segments of the shifting story.

Rebecca is structured with three different genres in its three acts – it’s a romance, then a gothic mystery, and then a courtroom drama – and each is as compelling as the last. With this kind of story it would be easy for things to get scattered and for the focus to be lost, but what anchors it is the strong script that keeps the relationship at the core of everything.

Lily James and Armie Hammer are captivating, and have wonderful paired charisma.

Obviously only helping in this circumstance is that Rebecca employs two of the best young actors working today, and they are both at the top of their charisma game in this one. You fall in love with them as they are falling in love with each other in the first act, particularly drawn to their individual spirits: Lily James has a particularly striking and wonderful innocence, while Armie Hammer evokes a warmth that hides a haunting pain. They are amazing individually, and even better together.

Rebecca’s plot tests the strength of their relationship, as Mrs. de Winter’s discoveries about the titular ex-wife lead her to question what she doesn’t know about Maxim, and James and Hammers’ performances both do a fantastic job evolving with the material and evoking different emotional responses from the audience.

Ben Wheatley adds wonderful stylistic flourishes that beautifully enhance the story.

Completing the hit trifecta is the director’s aesthetic vision for Rebecca, accented not just with eye-opening cinematography, but also clever and well-executed flair in the editing that digs into films themes. In the case of the former, Ben Wheatley makes marvelous use of contrasting photography as the story changes. The first act is so sumptuous, lush and gorgeous that you would trade your right arm for the chance to be sucked into your screen – and it’s impressive to watch how all of the color and vibrancy starts to get sucked away as Mrs. de Winter lives at Manderley beneath a shadow.

Accentuating the influence of memory and the past’s impact on the present, Rebecca is also brilliantly constructed with slick style by Wheatley and editor Jonathan Amos. While the plot plays out sequentially, there is a kind of non-linear methodology in the edit that sees the movie jump forward before the end of a scene so that a character’s reaction can be intercut with the conclusion. It’s fresh and makes an impact.

Ben Wheatley’s Rebecca won’t be able to escape comparisons between it and the version made by Alfred Hitchcock, but it should be recognized that the new film stands on its own merits. There is a specific vision at play that enhances the story being told, and there are excellent and memorable performances that further prove the immense talent of the stars. It doesn’t have the hallmark of being entirely fresh, but it’s an impressive presentation of the familiar story.

In a moment of life imitating art, The Affair’s Dominic West was spotted with Cinderella actress Lily James. That in itself would not be unusual, as the two are expected to appear together in the upcoming project The Pursuit of Love, but they were also seen pursuing romance outside of set when paparazzi nabbed photos of the two.

According to reports, Lily James and Dominic West were caught snogging together while on a quick trip to Rome. The couple were scene “dining al fresco,” according to the Daily Mail when they were seen publicly flirting and kissing. They later were also seen sightseeing together on their little jaunt away from their working lives.

For her part, Lily James, 31, has been spotted out and about with other actors several times over the past few months. In July, she was seen picnicking and partying with MCU actor Chris Evans, who was in the U.K. for work. At the time, there was a question of social distancing and she was still allegedly in a relationship with Doctor Who actor Matt Smith, though they hadn’t been publicly seen together in a while. They’ve now reportedly officially split after a five-year stint as a couple.

Dominic West, on the other hand, shares four children with wife Catherine FitzGerald. They’ve been married for a decade and together for longer. FitzGerald is standing by her man following the "entanglement," with The Mirror reporting they left their home carrying a sign to reconfirm their commitment toward one another. It read:

Back in 2016, Dominic West, now 50, actually shared his feelings on affairs with the Evening Standard, noting at the time that an affair should not be such a big deal.

Dominic West and Lily James are both set to appear in the upcoming BBC production of The Pursuit of Love. Filming for that project began back in July. Lily James shared on social media that it had wrapped earlier in October, thanking collaborators Emily Mortimer and Emily Beecham, as well as Nancy Mitford, who wrote the original book.

The Pursuit of Love is about a young woman who is married multiple times, at one point becoming the mistress of a French Duke, an affair that ends poorly. The popularity of the wartime-based novel, first published in 1945, led to two sequels, Love in a Cold Climate and Don’t Tell Alfred. A 2001 version of the same story directed by Tom Hooper already exists.

The Madonna biopic is officially back on track and it feels just like a dream. The Queen of Pop is directing, producing and co-writing the movie about her rise to fame with Juno’s Diablo Cody working on the script with her. Madonna is reportedly leading the search for the perfect actress to play her in the film being produced by Universal. Before the casting decision is made, let’s weigh in on who could be in the running.

Who can play Madonna… and be directed by Madonna as Madonna? It’s not an easy task for an actor to take on, but in the past few years performances such as Rami Malek’s Freddie Mercury in Bohemian Rhapsody and Taron Egerton’s Elton John in Rocketman prove it can be done. Check out our casting ideas and then vote for your favorite:

Florence Pugh

Our first choice for the Madonna movie is last year’s Little Women Oscar nominee Florence Pugh. The 24-year-old actress is coming off an incredible performance that had her starring in standout performances in WWE true story Fighting For My Family, horror masterpiece Midsommar and is set to star in Black Widow next year. Pugh has shown she can pull off a variety of roles, is the perfect age to play an up-and-coming Madonna and Pugh can sing too (just check out her old YouTube channel). She’s a fabulous character actor and we’re ready to see her take on a role that allows her to let loose, but also bring weight to the Vogue singer.

Chloë Grace Moretz

Whoa, doesn’t she look like Madonna? Chloë Grace Moretz is a natural pick for the role because of their passing similarities, but the actress has been showing off her acting chops since breaking out in 500 Days of Summer and Kick-Ass when she was twelve. After additionally starring in more mature roles in Carrie, If I Stay, Suspiria and Greta, moving to a biopic like the Madonna film feels like an organic step for the 23-year-old actress. She has a combination of wit and intenseness that could be perfect for the role.

Sabrina Carpenter

Next up is Work It’s Sabrina Carpenter, who is a bonafide pop singer in her own right, with four albums on the books already at the age of 21. The actress got her big start on Disney Channel in the Boy Meets World sequel Girl Meets World from 2014 to 2017. Check one of her music videos below:

Sabrina has since started to break out with a stint in Quibi series Royalties and the Netflix dance movie hit Work It. She’s already trained in song and dance, she could undoubtedly recreate some of Madonna’s iconic music videos.

Lily James

Another great choice for Madonna is Lily James, who not only showed off her vocals for Mamma Mia! Here We Go Again, but did an amazing impression of Meryl Streep’s Donna Sheridan in her younger form for the musical sequel. It’s basically an audition tape:

Therefore, she’s got all the elements of a great Madonna pick. James has an entrancing way about her that she has also shown off in Baby Driver, Yesterday and Disney’s live-action Cinderella that she can bring to the Material Girl.

Julia Garner

Are we spending too much time on the singing voice of the actress to-be in front of the role? Since Madonna is directing, she may want her own voice to shine through a-la Bohemian Rhapsody, which primarily had Rami Malek lip syncing Freddie Mercury’s voice. No idea if Ozark’s Julia Garner is a singer, but she just did some amazing impressions of Britney Spears and Gwen Stefani on Jimmy Fallon. The actress already likes to pay tribute to pop’s finest, and she’s been really incredible on the Netflix hit drama (she’s won two Emmys for) and received buzz for The Assistant early this year.

Kiernan Shipka

Another Netflix star Madonna should look out for to play her is the Chilling Adventures of Sabrina’s Kiernan Shipka, who is 20. The actress got her start as Sally Draper in the legendary drama Mad Men from 2007 to 2015 and since made a name for herself on the fantasy series, which was sadly cancelled earlier this year. What Shipka has shown on Sabrina is her youthful charisma that can be carried over to a more mature role with Madonna. What inspired me to think of Shipka of Madonna is the series’ decision to have her star in a music video in character earlier this year called Straight To Hell.

Samara Weaving

We’ll just keep rolling with Netflix actresses, ok? Samara Weaving has been a bright star, particularly this past year with the release of horror comedy Ready or Not, Ryan Murphy’s Netflix series Hollywood and in Bill & Ted Face The Music recently. The Aussie actress is the niece of Matrix actor Hugo Weaving and just getting started in the industry. She’s 28, but easily can pull off Madonna in her younger years. She’s even got those baby blues.

Taylor Momsen

Another singer who could fill Madonna’s shoes is Taylor Momsen, who you may recognize from Gossip Girl or as Cindy Lou Who in How The Grinch Who Stole Christmas. Momsen is a 27-year-old punk rocker who has been the lead in the rock band The Pretty Reckless for over a decade. She may not be active as an actress in recent years, but this could be an awesome comeback for her. Momsen has a cool edge to her that could enhance the Madonna movie, plus she’s super experienced being on stage and performing live.

Lady Gaga

Alright this is a strange pick sure, but have you seen A Star Is Born? Put Lady Gaga in everything! In Gaga’s early years, the pop singer was certainly emulating Madonna and it might be awesome to see her pay tribute to the ‘80s legend by bringing those killer vocals and Oscar-nominated acting chops to the biopic. The couple downsides to a hot pick like Lady Gaga as she's a true artist and doing a rerun of someone else’s life might not be in her favor or overshadow the legacy Madonna is trying to leave.

Madonna

The final pick we have for the Madonna biopic is… Madonna. Yes, the woman herself! Hey, she’s directing, producing and co-writing, might as well go all in right? The Irishman style, de-aging tech if she’d like it and just let her act out her life! This likely won’t happen considering the report detailed she is looking for a young actress, but we hope it does some of the time. Current Madonna could be this fourth-wall breaking Deadpool-like character who comes in and out throughout the movie to tell her story in hindsight. We don’t see an artist take the reigns of their own biopic very often (ever?), so why not lean all the way into this?

What do you think? Which actress is your top pick for Madonna in the biopic? Vote in the poll below and stay tuned here on CinemaBlend for more movie and TV news.

This poll is no longer available.

Some actors are well known for, among being talented performers, looking absolutely stunning in period appropriate costumes. When it comes to director Ben Wheatley’s modern adaptation of author Daphne du Maurier’s romantic thriller Rebecca, the leads in the film both fit the bill, as Downton Abbey and Cinderella star Lily James is about to court The Man from U.N.C.L.E. heartthrob Armie Hammer. And the results are as torridly fascinating, and beautifully dressed, as you’d think. See for yourself in the first trailer for this Netflix original:

Based on the iconic 1938 novel of the same name, Rebecca sees what looks like a simple whirlwind romance between our beautiful protagonist (Lily James) and wealthy widower Maxim de Winter (Armie Hammer) turn into something seemingly much more sinister. As their love leads to marriage, the new Mrs. de Winter finds that she still as some competition from her husband’s late wife. Naturally this leads to all sorts of intrigue, the presence of a kind but shadowy housekeeper (Kristen Scott Thomas) and some appropriately cryptic imagery.

On top of the fact that both Lily James and Armie Hammer are dressed in the resplendent sort of costuming you’d expect in an adaptation of Rebecca, this new spin on the classic tale of Maxim de Winter’s deadly secret is an absolute wonder to behold visually. Much as he did with his 2015 adaptation of J.G. Ballard’s novel High Rise, Ben Wheatley has once again exercised his unique visual stamp upon a book that fans have come to know and love over decades.

It also helps that Wheatley and Hammer are reteaming for Rebecca, after first collaborating on the off-kilter 2017 comedy Free Fire, which saw Armie Hammer dressed in the fashions of the ‘70s. With that comparison in mind, as well as his upcoming role in Kenneth Branagh’s Death on The Nile, you can see where Hammer built his bona-fides when it comes to wearing classic fashions well. And then, of course, there’s Lily James’ expertise of several seasons worth of beautiful Downton Abbey garb, which saw her dressing in the height of 1920s fashions. So when we mentioned James and Hammer’s clothing as a selling point for Rebecca, it was to hammer home just how fit for these characters our leads seem to be.

What’s going to be most interesting with Rebecca is seeing how Ben Wheatley deals with this new film’s own particular set of ghosts. Most notably adapted by the master of suspense himself, Alfred Hitchcock, the 1940 version starring Laurence Olivier and Joan Fontaine has stood as the landmark adaptation of Daphne du Maurier’s literary source. Now, a new version of this dangerously gorgeous tale will hit Netflix subscriber’s screens, as well as some limited theatrical venues, when Rebecca haunts audiences of a new generation on October 21st.

Just a short while ago, Chris Evans was keeping busy in his Massachusetts home during quarantine, doing promotions for his Apple TV series Defending Jacob and generally trying to stay in the public eye, with additional interviews with his Marvel pal Paul Rudd and more. Most recently, he was spotted across the pond spending time with Yesterday actress Lily James and leaving lots of questions in the wake of the interlude.

The two were seen leaving a private club in London on Saturday. The Daily Mail caught them leaving the club, after which the former Downton Abbey star Lily James, 31, and recently retired from Marvel actor Chris Evans, 39, left in the same taxi and headed back to The Corinthia Hotel, where the actor has been staying during his jaunt across the pond. During normal times, none of this would be worth remarking on beyond the fact the two were seen together in a possibly romantic context, bu we’re in the pandemic and nothing about this jaunt is normal.

First and foremost, there’s the whole travel ban on American citizens in the U.K. right now. The country has already made some exceptions, particularly in the realm of entertainment, so it’s not a huge shock Chris Evans is in London right now as he has several projects on his upcoming slate, including Little Shop of Horrors and more. However, even for U.S. travelers who have been allowed to head to the U.K. there’s supposed to be a two-week quarantine period. Which leads us to the question: Is Chris Evans in Lily James’ bubble?

If they are in a “ bubble” together, that would mean the two may have a project together coming up, though it’s equally possible there’s some bubble rule-bending going on. Lily James was previously romantically connected to Doctor Who actor Matt Smith and while the two reportedly split, they had been seen with one another back in May when they went on a bike ride.

People reports the actor isolated in the U.S. before heading to the U.K., but that seems different than the rules previously outlined by Variety about how the “bubble” is supposed to work. In fact, the "support bubble" has been a big deal since it was first outline in the U.K. Parties in bubbles for family or other personal life interactions are not supposed to shift bubbles from week to week. There are also bubble environments for work, which the U.K. government and the British Film Institute classified. Those in a work bubble are expected to stay in said work bubble. including film productions. Or as the government noted in a statement:

So, if this is all true, obviously there have been some crossed wires or crossed expectations somewhere with someone. We’ll have to wait and see if this was a one-off event for both Chris Evans or Lily James or if there’s a personal or professional reason they are spending time with one another. This could be anything from forming a new bubble to flaunting the rules. We'll have to wait and see if this story pans out further.

In the meantime, it is worth noting that when the couple got to the hotel, they met inside, but Chris Evans allegedly went through the front door while an employee reportedly helped Lily James to slip in the back. So, there was at least the attempt at discreetness here, though clearly it didn’t work super well.

In Yesterday, the question of what the world would be like without the music of The Beatles takes a sort of backseat to the notion of what it might be like if those classic songs were debuting in a modern context. Through the eyes of the film’s main character Jack Malik, played in his feature film debut by Himesh Patel, we see how the world of 2019 reacts to the music of The Beatles for the very first time.

Taking that premise one step further during interviews on behalf of CinemaBlend, I asked members of the cast, as well as Yesterday writer Richard Curtis, about how they felt the band would fare if they had made the scene in our modern era, rather than back in the 1960s. Looking at those responses, starting with that of Himesh Patel himself, the picture painted is a clear one. Patel’s feelings on whether The Beatles would still be relevant have to do with the "magic" of the band's music. He said:

Songs such as “I Wanna Hold Your Hand” and “I Am The Walrus” are part of the amazingly unique catalog The Beatles released into the world during the band’s 1960-1970 run. Certainly, you have fans who prefer the more pop-friendly songs that saw the Fab Four donning mop tops and holding their guitars higher than most players ever would.

Meanwhile, other Beatles fans are definitely more into the psychedelic beats inspired by musical stylings from around the world. Those years saw John Lennon, Paul McCartney, George Harrison, and Ringo Starr shifting into more of an experimental stage, while also developing a message of universal understanding at the same time.

It’s because of that combined legacy that Lily James, the actress who plays Jack’s supportive best friend Ellie in Yesterday, has a very similar outlook on how The Beatles would affect the world we live in today. Her views fall along these lines of thought:

What’s interesting is that James’ mention of the worldwide influences that informed the later years of The Beatles’ music could have been an interesting topic of discovery for the film to have taken. With Himesh Patel’s Jack traveling to various Beatles landmarks in order to write songs like “Eleanor Rigby” or “Strawberry Fields Forever," the film could have taken a globe-trotting approach to its very conceit.

Certainly, Yesterday’s writer Richard Curtis may have had that sort of concept in his mind at some point, but the finished product is much more intimate and better suits the sort of story he was going for with this film. Even better, when it came to be his turn to discuss whether or not The Beatles would be as big now as they were then, Curtis cited a very interesting modern precedent:

To understand how history originally played out for the band is to begin to see just what they brought to the table, which in their case was a unique blend of varying influences and tastes that generated something that truly is magic. The world can always use a little bit of peaceful magic to keep spinning for all that live on its surface, especially if it’s in  a world where Harry Potter doesn’t exist.

The Beatles’ contribution to the world of music and pop culture are undeniably invaluable to the way the world has developed. Yesterday not only understands this concept, but uses it to the best extent, as Jack Malik’s rise to fame is very similar to that of the band that inspired him. It’s where the film’s concept gets most of its steam, as the connections of fandom and inspiration form to tell a story that is positively entertaining, in a world that could definitely use some feel-good movies to spare.

With the reaction of the surviving bandmates and those closest to the ones who have passed being an affirming experience, Yesterday used its understanding of the band to create a film that needs to be seen to be believed. Yesterday is in theaters now, but if you’ve already seen that film and would like to see what’s next up on your movie going itinerary, head over to the 2019 release schedule for further information!

Danny Boyle is a maker of movies, a prominent voice in the directorial world with features spanning plenty of genres and different types of stories. His latest, Yesterday, is hitting theaters this weekend. However, while you may note Yesterday is a fanciful and escapist tale set to Beatles music and is very different from a lot of Boyle’s other movies, it does have one thing in common: a male lead.

Recently, the director talked a little bit about his penchant for male protagonists in his movies, noting that he does have concerns with the idea of directing a movie geared around a female character. He noted:

There are plenty of notable female characters in Danny Boyle movies, characters like Rosario Dawson’s Elizabeth Lamb in Trance or Joanna Hoffman in Steve Jobs or Freida Pinto as Latika in Slumdog Millionaire.

His new movie Yesterday does have one female character in particular who is given agency and an engaging storyline. In fact, I’d argue that while Himesh Patel is charming, Lily James is the actor who really steals the movie in Yesterday, playing a ray of sunshine in Jack Malik’s life who eventually has to find a way to stand up for herself and what she wants out of her life.

Still, Yesterday is ultimately Jack Malik’s story and not Ellie’s.

Slumdog Millionaire is Jamal’s story and not Latika’s.

Steve Jobs has Steve Jobs in the damn title, so we know what that movie is about. I could go on, but you get the gist. (And besides Trance is a little more of an ensemble.)

Danny Boyle went on to tell The Independent in the same interview that a lot of the projects he personally enjoys, particularly lately, have female names and voices front and center:

On that note, Gentleman Jack, which airs on HBO in the States, has been a genuine delight to watch on the small screen. Suranne Jones is the lead in that project and Fleabag is a Phoebe Waller-Bridge project that’s also earned a lot of nods. (Waller-Bridge has also notably worked on the script for Bond 25, a movie Danny Boyle was supposed to helm but then backed out of.)

What Danny Boyle seems to be intimating is that while he watches a lot of female-led projects, he’s just concerned about how it would look if he were to helm one, given he’s not a lady and the current climate with directing is trying to get more female projects made by actual females. Danny Boyle's always pretty much been a straight shooter, so his response isn't a gigantic surprise here.

It’s not clear what exact question he was asked, but it’s an interesting minefield to navigate as a prominent name in the movie-making business. Of course, we want more female directors, but it probably would just be cool to have more movies with female stars in general. Just don’t expect Danny Boyle to do is anytime soon.

Yesterday opens on June 28. Come for the Beatles songs, stay for Lily James.

Downton Abbey fans got a huge surprise recently when it was announced that the series would get a feature-length adaptation on the big screen. There's a lot of anticipation in terms of how many beloved aspects of the original story will transition to this new format, but now it looks like one particular element will not return for the film: Lily James' Rose. The Baby Driver actress opened up in a recent interview to address her absence from the Downton Abbey movie, explaining:

Sorry to break it to you, Downton Abbey fans, but now we can confirm that Rose will not be part of the upcoming film adaptation. As Lily James explained, her character left the series to head off to America, making it difficult to find an organic, story-based way to bring her back into the fold. She would've returned if the story had permitted her to do so, but it looks like that ended up not being the case.

Although some fans might be disappointed by Lily James' remarks to People stating that she won't be coming back, there's a certain amount of logic to her comments. The folks behind the movie clearly do not want to make something that relies on fan service to please members of the audience, which means honoring the fact that James' character left the story. Also, although Rose won't return, the movie is bringing back original cast members Michelle Dockery, Maggie Smith, and Hugh Bonneville, as well as director Brian Percival.

Of course, it's also worth mentioning that Lily James already has plenty of work on her plate at the moment, which will likely keep her busy for the foreseeable future. The 29-year-old actress has blown up since her tenure on the hit series, and she has since gone on to perform in films like Darkest Hour, Pride and Prejudice and Zombies and Sorry to Bother You. She's clearly not hurting for work at the moment, and while fans obviously would love to see her come back, her assessment of the situations does arguably make it sound like it will ultimately be better for everyone if Rose stays in New York and does not make a return for the upcoming film adaptation of the beloved historical drama.

As always, CinemaBlend will bring you more information about the upcoming Downton Abbey movie as new details related to the film are made available to us. Until then, you can currently catch Lily James in Mamma Mia: Here We Go Again!, which is now in theaters!

SPOILER WARNING: The following article contains absolutely massive spoilers for the end of Edgar Wright's Baby Driver. If you have not yet seen the film, and don't wish to know any details about the movie, please bookmark this link and return to this feature after your screening!

It's been a nice long four year wait, but finally writer/director Edgar Wright has a new film in theaters -- and it's a stunner. Baby Driver is an incredible piece of daring and mind-blowing art that uses music unlike anything you've seen before -- and it's without question one of the best movies of 2017. As such, it offers up plenty of different discussions topic, regarding its bombastic action sequences and groovy soundtrack, but the most obvious subject to investigate is its mysterious ending.

In this feature, we'll not only analyze what goes down at the end of Baby Driver, but also dive into the perspectives of stars Ansel Elgort and Lily James, as well as writer/director Edgar Wright. So what is it that's going on in the last scene of the phenomenal crime thriller? Let's dig in!

What Happens At The End Of The Film

Baby Driver steers into its final turn shortly after the final showdown with Buddy (Jon Hamm), as Baby (Ansel Elgort) and Debora (Lily James) drive towards what they hope is finally a road to freedom. Baby, in the passenger seat, is dazed and still slowly adjusting to the fact that he is now mostly deaf thanks to Buddy's gun. Over the stereo we hear the sound of Sky Ferreira's cover of The Commodores' "Easy," and Debora asks if it's really Baby's mom who is singing -- revealing that she has put his cassette in the tape deck. "She has a beautiful voice," Debora says, and Baby replies, "I know," absorbing the sound by putting his hand on the door speaker.

Sadly, the dream of driving off into the sunset is short-lived, as while crossing a bridge they run into a cadre of police cars and officers who have been waiting for their arrival. Debora's instinct kicks in to throw the car into reverse, but Baby hits the brakes and pulls the key from the ignition. He recognizes that he can't pull her into his world by making her his accomplice, kisses her, and exits the car to give himself up.

A montage then follows Baby as he makes his way through the judicial system -- as we not only see him get his mugshot taken and be processed, but also hear the testimony of key witnesses -- including the woman whose car he stole, the post office clerk, and his foster father, Joe (with the sign language translator voiced by legendary director Walter Hill). A judge sentences Baby to 25 years of incarceration, with the possibility of parole in five. He spends his time in prison mopping floors, watching TV, and reading a postcard from Debora telling him that she can't wait until they reunite.

As we saw earlier in the movie, there is then what appears to be a black and white fantasy sequence as Baby is exiting the prison, but the scene fades to color as Baby and Debora are reunited in a red and white convertible -- and after the revelation of Baby's real name (Miles) and a drive off toward the horizon with a rainbow in the sky, you're left to wonder if what you're seeing is actual reality. To help clear things up, we asked Ansel Elgort, Lily James, and Edgar Wright all individually about the finale... and they all surprisingly had very different things to say about Baby Driver's ending.

What Ansel Elgort Thinks Happens

If you're thinking that the end of Baby Driver showcases the ultimate fate of Baby and Debora, then you're thoughts go strictly against those of Ansel Elgort. It turns out that he is firmly in the "it's not actually real" camp. At the Los Angeles press day for the film in mid-June, I asked the actor about the ending during a one-on-one interview, and he left no ambiguity regarding his thoughts on the way the movie finishes. Said Elgort,

Essentially, Ansel Elgort thinks that there is a future for Baby and Debora, but that it's not really what we see play out in the final scenes. Instead, it's a fantastical vision of what that eventual reunion may be -- hence the use of the black and white.

For the actor, the key element in all of it is the idea of Debora potentially waiting a full two and a half decades for Baby to be given his freedom. Ansel Elgort was not stifled in his thoughts on the matter, and explained during our interview why the postcard is really the key element in the ending:

On a more macro level, Ansel Elgort also told me that he had a heavy appreciation for the end of Baby Driver just in that it's a film that features legitimate consequences for its criminal hero's action. He told me that he sees something inherently phony about movie criminals getting away with the job and living happily ever after, and loved that Edgar Wright's film was willing to have his character turn himself in. He explained,

So that's one vote for "It's all a fantasy." But what are Lily James' feelings on the conclusion? Read on to find out!

What Lily James Likes About The Ending

Ansel Elgort may think that the end of Baby Driver is just fantasy and that the idea of the getaway isn't realistic, but Lily James actually expressed different sentiments when I sat down with her for an interview. In addition to recognizing the particular ambiguity about the reality of the movie's ending, she also expressed that a part of her wishes that they could have avoided the whole prison thing and gone through with their original plans while being on the run. Said James,

At the end of Baby Driver, what you ultimately want for the lead characters is a happy ending, and whether it's real or fantasy, that is ultimately what the movie delivers (you have to also remember that this is a fictional story about fictional people). As Lily James notes, it's really left up to the audience to decide whether or not Baby and Debora will reunite after he gets out of prison - but regardless of that, the film is still able to play out the "romantic ending to a gangster story."

So now you've heard what the stars of Baby Driver had to say about it, but what about the man whose mind is responsible for the entire world in which the movie exists? Continue to the next page for Edgar Wright's thoughts on the matter!

What Edgar Wright Is Actually Doing With Baby Driver's Ending

In the making of a movie, the director is king, and the general idea is that what audiences see on the big screen is the complete vision of the filmmaker. Because of this, when a narrative ends with ambiguity, it is generally the director's opinion that is held in highest esteem. So how does Edgar Wright feel that audiences should be interpreting the reality or fantasy of the ending? The answer is that it doesn't really matter, and all that's important is that there are no right or wrong interpretations, and that there is a conversation going on. Wright told me,

So whether you think the Baby Driver ending is reality or make believe, what's really ultimately the most important thing is that you're thinking about it and engaging with the material (on that note, thanks for reading this feature!)

During the interview, Edgar Wright also detailed why he made the decision that he did to have Baby turn himself in -- rather than either get killed Bonnie and Clyde-style or live on a la True Romance. Evidently a prison sentence was always waiting for the titular hero at the end of the story essentially because it was the required ending for everything that had been set up earlier in the movie. The writer/director explained,

Perhaps my favorite part of the interview, however, was the little heads up that Edgar Wright gave me about the particular meteorological phenomenon that we see in the final scene. Because every detail matters in Wright's movies, there actually is a very specific reason why we see the rainbow, and it's because of the Dolly Parton song that the post office worker tells Baby about:

How did you interpret the end of Baby Driver? Do you think that we're seeing Baby actually get released from prison to be with Debora, or do you think it's just a vision that exists in Baby's mind? Did you get the little rainbow Easter egg that Edgar Wright left? Hit the comments section below with your thoughts!

The Internet Movie Database is the global depository of all things movie related in the known galaxy. Everything you ever wanted to know about movies that have been made, are being made, or will be made is there.

One of the site’s big features is their STARmeter, which they use to rank who’s hot in Hollywood. Over the course of the year a number of lovely ladies, and one dude, have consistently remained at the top of this list. Here are IMDB.com’s top 10 stars of 2015.

10. Lily James

Lily James was already a major star as a resident of Downton Abbey but she proved she could carry a big screen movie on her shoulders as well this year when she took on the lead in Disney’s live-action remake of the classic Cinderella, which is currently one of the top grossing movies this year. In 2016 she’ll be combining her big screen and period English experience in the lead of Pride and Prejudice and Zombies.

9. Rosamund Pike

Rosamund Pike started 2015 on a high note thanks to her role at the end of 2014 in Gone Girl. She spent 2015 on the summer thriller Return to Sender and voice acting on the series Thunderbirds Are Go. She has a couple films slated for 2016 including the WWII historical film HHHH with Jack O’Connell and Mia Wasikowska.

8. Bryce Dallas Howard

Unless you spent 2015 under a rock hiding from a T. Rex, you don’t need a lot of explanation why Bryce Dallas Howard is on this list. As one of the leads in this year’s biggest film, Jurassic World, everybody now knows who this actress is. Next year you’ll see her in Disney’s Pete’s Dragon remake. After that, you’ll see her in as many Jurassic sequels as they can figure out how to make.

7. Rebecca Ferguson

2015 was the year we realized that the Mission:impossible franchise was not slowing down anytime soon. While Rogue Nation’s star, Tom Cruise, is not on this list, his co-star, Rebecca Ferguson, is. If you didn’t know her before this past summer, don’t worry, she’s not going anywhere. She’ll be co-starring with Emily Blunt and Luke Evans next year in The Girl on the Train.

6. Shailene Woodley

With end of the biggest "young woman in a dystopian hellscape" series -- The Hunger Games -- coming to an end in 2015, Shailene Woodley’s star is only looking to rise that much more. The second chapter of the Divergent series came out in 2015 with two more set to release in 2016 and 2017. Woodley is not resting on her blockbuster laurels, however. She’ll also be seen next year in Oliver Stone and Joseph Gordon-Levitt’s new film about Edward Snowden.

5. Dakota Johnson

The daughter of Don Johnson and Melanie Griffith has no fewer than six projects listed on her IMDB page for this year. Five of them don’t matter. She spent Valentine’s Day of this year in the much anticipated film adaptation of 50 Shades of Grey. She’ll spend next year taking a much lighter look at sex in the comedy How to be Single.

4. Alexandra Daddario

While it’s been a few years since Alexandra Daddario joined the blockbuster movie club with her role in the two Percy Jackson movies, she was back in the summer movie spotlight with role as the daughter of The Rock in the epic disaster movie San Andreas (we’re talking about the earthquake, not the movie). There’s another reason she may be on this list, however, as 2015 was also the year that it was announced she’d be taking on the famous orange one-piece in the upcoming Baywatch movie.

3. Margot Robbie

While Margot Robbie did act opposite of Will Smith this year, it was in the already forgotten con man movie Focus. The reason Robbie is one of the hottest actors of the year is not because of what she’s done, but rather what she’s about to do. From the moment we got the first glimpse of her as Harley Quinn when the first trailer for Suicide Squad hit this past summer, the entire movie-going public became very interested in her. We can’t wait to see what she does when the movie finally hits next year.

2. Emilia Clarke

Emilia Clarke would have likely made this list solely on the strength of her ongoing role as the Mother of Dragons on HBO’s Game of Thrones. However, 2015 was an even bigger year for the actress. She wasn’t just riding dragons through the skies this year, she was also fighting Terminators as the new Sarah Connor in the reboot/sequel Terminator: Genisys. While the future of the Terminator franchise is still up in the air, we know we’ll see her again next year as part of Thrones Season 6.

1. Tom Hardy

While the return of the Mad Max franchise with this summer’s Fury Road was expected to be big, nobody quite expected it to be as big as it was. The new Mad Max move received near universal praise and Tom Hardy was received by fans as a worthy successor to the iconic role. His year isn’t quite finished yet, however, as he’ll also be seen opposite Leonardo DiCaprio in Oscar contender The Revenant.

The end is nigh, friends. After five jam-packed seasons filled with affairs of the heart, money troubles, prison scares, tarnished reputations and glorious machinations, Downton Abbey is finally coming to an end with its sixth season. And, now we know that a pretty important part of the series will indeed be back for the finale.

According to Deadline, actress Lily James will be bringing back adorably naïve and plucky Lady Rose MacClare for the end of the show. Along for the ride with Lady Rose will be her husband Atticus Aldridge (Matt Barber) and her father Shrimpie (Peter Egan).

In case you’ve been living on Mars since 2010, Downton Abbey follows the upstairs and downstairs trials and tribulations of the Earl of Grantham, his family and servants in the massive estate known as Downton Abbey, at the beginning of the 20th century. James joined in the third season, after the shocking death of the Earl’s youngest daughter Lady Sybil. And, it was a nice addition to the cast and the storylines of the show.

James’ Lady Rose filled a very crucial role after Sybil’s death. Sybil was the family firebrand. She’s the one who gleefully started wearing pants when women were in no way, shape or form supposed to do that. Sybil also became a WWI nurse when she didn’t have to and married an Irish socialist who worked as the family chauffeur. Lady Rose basically took over for Sybil in that department, and that was lucky for us, since Downton Abbey’s noble family needed someone willing to put themselves out there and go where their heart leads.

In just a couple of short seasons, Lady Rose gave the show back it’s naïve, sweet, well-meaning heart by following hers to the hilt. It’s because of her that Downton Abbey had its first hint of an interracial love story when she fell for an African-American jazz singer. Rose somehow couldn’t understand why a guy she was attracted to could be wrong just because of his color. After realizing he was falling for her as well, and knowing that she’d do anything to pursue the relationship, the singer had to leave to keep the situation from becoming dangerous for both of them.

Lady Rose didn’t learn from that near debacle, either. Right before she left the show she met, fell in love with and married her Jewish husband. At the time, obviously, any kind of intermarrying was mostly off the table, especially for nobility, but Rose just stuck with her heart and figured everything else would work itself out. And, for the most part, it has. Rose got the chance to walk off into the sunset with the love of her life, and we got to watch Lady Rose stir the staid life of those nobles up a bit, much to our benefit.

When you’re stuck in a Jane Austen novel and zombies are coming at you from every angle, you don’t have time to figure out what’s what. This was particularly true for Lily James. The Cinderella actress stars in the upcoming adaptation of Pride & Prejudice & Zombies, and when she hit the Hall H stage for San Diego Comic-Con, she revealed the one on-set story that had all her co-stars beat. Watch the video below.

Earlier in the panel, the studio screened the first footage of the film, featuring James and her co-stars Douglas Booth (Jupiter Ascending), Matt Smith (Terminator Genisys), Jack Huston (Boardwalk Empire), Sam Riley (Maleficent) and Bella Heathcote (Dark Shadows). In one particular scene we see James’ Elizabeth Bennett slicing and dicing a zombie before stomping its skull in with her foot. When she practiced one of these moments on the set, though, things took a turn for the worse.

As she explained, she didn’t realize the zombie corpse at her feet was an actual person, instead of a prop. So when the time came, she plunged her foot down on the extra’s head. Of course, it was totally by accident and he’s going to be okay. Her co-stars joked that he asked for her number directly afterwards and that he was paid a bit more than the others.

Pride & Prejudice & Zombies is based on the novel by Seth Grahame-Smith, who also was present in Hall H with director Burr Steers. The film takes the beloved world of Jane Austen’s Pride & Prejudice and pits it against a new challenge: zombies. Instead of being masters of the household and manners, the Bennett sisters were raised to be deadly weapons, which certainly comes in handy when the zombie pandemic comes into town. But, as Lily James says, "nothing is easy to do in a corset." She continued to say that the "inner conflict and sexual frustration and longing comes out in decapitating zombies." According to Heathcote, the actors went through months of training in martial arts, including kung fu, as well as additional weapons training and choreography. So by the time James bashed an extra’s head in with her foot, she was becoming a deadly killing machine.

Those in attendance saw a lot of the film, including explosions, hacking and slashing, and blood and guts. For Smith, the most important thing was for to go through the entire film without giving a single wink to the audience. "Everyone is acting as earnestly as they would in a Pride & Prejudice movie," he said.

Pride & Prejudice & Zombies hits theaters on February 5, 2016.

Edgar Wright’s latest project about a young driver in the midst of a bank robbery gone wrong of course called for a love interest, and who better to fill those glass slippers than Cinderella herself, Lily James. Now, as Wright bounces back from his Ant-Man fiasco, he puts Ansel Elgort in the driver’s seat, and hopefully Lily James lovingly watching from the side.

Negotiations of Lily James’ casting are ongoing, but they come right as Cinderella crosses the $500 million mark just this week in the global box office, according to Variety. The young actress’ recognition in the big budget Disney live-action film, alongside her breakout performance in the British hit series Downton Abbey has paved the way to more opportunities including a War and Peace mini-series and a starring role in Pride and Prejudice and Zombies. Wright looks to cast James as the female lead, a waitress in a diner who becomes the love interest to Ansel Elgort’s getaway driver in the action-crime comedy.

Baby Driver tells the story of a young mute man whose ear condition forces him to constantly listen to music, basically in order to drown out the ringing that is always in his ears. The man is also a very talented getaway driver who works to be the best in the game, and his secret to success?—a killer soundtrack. When he is coerced into working for a big crime boss, a life-altering heist will threaten his love and his freedom. Essentially, it is a rock-and-roll car chase film, add that classic Edgar Wright humor. This is going to be good.

Wright is set to both write and direct Baby Driver. This will be the first time we see his magic come to fruition since back in 2013 with The World’s End. In between that time, you may remember, Wright was signed on for Marvel’s Ant-Man film. But almost a year ago, Wright parted ways with the property announcing that it was due to creative differences. The news shocked us all, as Wright had been excitedly working on the script for years prior. The final product is said to expand on many elements explored in Wright’s original script, but it was a terrible upset to watch the beloved director who had dedicated so much time and passion to the project leave it all behind. Baby Driver marks his return after the surrounding Ant-Man drama, and it sounds like the perfect way to rock out and forget about the Marvel mess.

Details are slowly coming out about the film. So far the basic plot line and lead casting of Ansel Elgort are our only guarantees. If the deal close, we’ll see Lily James aside the Fault in Our Stars star. More info on production and release dates are sure to come.