Skip to content
GoldDerby
Predict Hollywood Races
Primetime Emmy Awards 2024
Predictions
Limited Series
- Baby Reindeer31/10
- True Detective: Night Country4/1-
- Fargo9/2-
Movie/Limited Actress
- Jodie Foster 16/5
- Brie Larson 4/1
- Juno Temple 4/1
Movie/Limited Actor
- Richard Gadd 82/25
- Andrew Scott 19/5
- Jon Hamm 9/2
Drama Series
- Shogun4/1
- The Crown11/2
- Mr. and Mrs. Smith7/1
Drama Actress
- Anna Sawai 10/3
- Imelda Staunton 4/1
- Jennifer Aniston 5/1
Drama Actor
- Hiroyuki Sanada 10/3-
- Gary Oldman 4/1
- Donald Glover 5/1
Comedy Series
- The Bear39/10
- Hacks11/2
- Only Murders in the Building7/1
Comedy Actress
- Jean Smart 17/5-
- Ayo Edebiri 19/5-
- Quinta Brunson 5/1
Comedy Actor
- Jeremy Allen White 82/25
- Martin Short 9/2-
- D'Pharaoh Woon-A-Tai 11/2-
- Tom O'Brien, Misty Holland, Marcus James Dixon
- Film
Momodu Mansaray/Getty Images
Over the past decade, Lily James has distinguished herself by building one of the most varied resumes as any film actor her age. After getting her start on British television, James first became known to American audiences in 2012 when she joined the cast of “Downton Abbey” as the love-struck Lady Rose MacClare, a role that earned James two Screen Actors Guild Awards as a member of the show’s ensemble cast.
The actress quickly followed up that television triumph with one on the big screen in the title role of Disney’s live-action “Cinderella,” directed by Kenneth Branagh, which clearly proved her appeal to audiences of all ages. One of the most reliable screen presences in recent years, James showed enormous range in choosing her projects, from such crowd pleasers as “Baby Driver” and “Mamma Mia! Here We Go Again” to more intimate films as “The Dig” and “Little Woods,” both of which revealed James’ untapped skills as a character actress. The 2023 film “The Iron Claw” also showed her range.
In 2022, she returned to the medium of her first great breakthrough — television — to portray ’90s sex symbol Pamela Anderson in the Hulu limited series “Pam & Tommy.” Her chemistry with co-star Sebastian Stan as husband Tommy Lee garnered critical acclaim and has brought James her first Emmy nomination for Best Limited/Movie Actress. In honor of her much-deserved Emmy bid, let’s raise a glass to James and rank her 11 best movies and TV shows from worst to best.
11. PRIDE AND PREJUDICE AND ZOMBIES (2016)
Writer/Director: Burr Steers.
Starring: Lily James, Sam Riley, Bella Heathcote, Ellie Bamber, Millie Brady, Suki Waterhouse.Sometimes there really is truth in advertising. This is indeed a new version of the beloved Jane Austen novel, and yes, there are zombies running around the 19th century English countryside. But it’s no joke to James’ Elizabeth Bennet who, with her four sisters, has been trained in martial arts and weaponry to fight off any monster that crosses her path. But there are still marriages to be arranged and wealthy suitors to come calling, and, luckily for Elizabeth, her own suitor, Mr. Darcy (Sam Riley), is a skilled zombie-killer. The only way for nonsense like this to work is if the characters play it absolutely straight, which is exactly how James approaches the material, which helps to make it a most unique entry in her filmography.
10. THE DIG (2021)
Director: Simon Stone.
Writer: Moira Buffini.
Starring: Carey Mulligan, Ralph Fiennes, Lily James, Johnny Flynn, Ben Chaplin.“The Dig,” based on a real-life English excavation of a buried Anglo-Saxon ship, earned critical praise for its detailed chronicle of the operation led by archaeologist Basil Brown (Ralph Fiennes) on the property of landowner Edith Pretty (Carey Mulligan). When a routine excavation of a burial mound reveals a find that may be more historically important than originally thought, a team of academic archaeologists, including the real-life Peggy Piggott (James) is brought in to verify the claim. Though there was some controversy at the time that the character of Peggy was written to be much more of a bumbler than the accomplished scientist in real life, there’s an intelligence to James’ take on the role that raises our esteem and earns our respect for the character.
9. YESTERDAY (2019)
Director: Danny Boyle.
Writer: Richard Curtis.
Starring: Himish Patel, Lily James, Joel Fry, Ed Sheeran, Kate McKinnon.In the most recent film by Oscar-winning director Danny Boyle, James co-stars with Himish Patel in this fantasy drama that poses the idea that,after a 12-second power outage, the world has forgotten that the Beatles existed, with only Jack (Patel), a failing musician, being able to remember. James portrays Ellie, Jack’s manager and childhood friend, who sees her client’s career soaring as he passes off Beatles songs as his own and finds him beginning to drift away from her. This poses a problem for Ellie because at that moment, she realizes she’s falling in love with him. The screenplay by rom-com master Richard Curtis offers James’ character several unusual detours on her route to romantic happiness, and James delivers, hitting every twist with complete assurance.
8. LITTLE WOODS (2018)
Writer/Director: Nia DaCosta.
Starring: Tessa Thompson, Lily James, Luke Kirby, James Badge Dale, Lance Reddick.Although not many people saw “Little Woods,” Nia DaCosta’s debut film, James’ on-screen interactions with co-star Tessa Thompson reveal some of the best work of the actress’s career. Ollie (Thompson), a petty criminal on probation and determined to stay straight, reunites with her estranged sister Deb (James) who finds herself pregnant and unable to afford an abortion. In figuring out their next steps, the sisters rekindle their once-strong bond, even as Ollie is ready to turn back to crime to get the money to help out her sister. Both actresses, each celebrated in more glamorous roles, appear to welcome the chance to get down and dirty here, and the chemistry evident between them will convince any viewers of their sisterly bond.
7. DARKEST HOUR (2017)
Director: Joe Wright.
Writer: Anthony McCarten.
Starring: Gary Oldman, Kristen Scott Thomas, Lily James, Ronald Pickup, Stephen Dillane.In Joe Layton’s historical drama, James once again plays a real-life figure — Elizabeth Layton, who was personal secretary to Winston Churchill from 1941-45. The role gives James another opportunity to grow a character during the course of a film, as Layton is initially presented as a bullied employee often berated by her demanding boss to becoming one who earns Churchill’s trust, finally becoming almost a confidante to the great man. With an actress of James’s skill, the character transitions appear seamless, and her scenes in particular with Gary Oldman as Churchill possess a certain spark that lend dramatic credibility to their every scene. James’ performance here only served her bona fides as a first-rate dramatic actress.
6. THE IRON CLAW (2023)
Writer/Director: Sean Durkin. Starring Zac Efron, Jeremy Allen White, Harris Dickinson, Holt McCallany, Lily James, Maura Tierney, Stanley Simons.
Amid all of the tragedies that befall the wrestling Von Erich brothers in Sean Durkin’s “The Iron Claw,” the primary source of joy that shines in the center of the family’s story is the courtship and eventual marriage of Kevin Von Erich (Zac Efron) and his longtime girlfriend Pam Adkisson (James). Using a surprising Texas twang in her voice, James portrays Pam as a perceptive young woman, fully aware of the risks that Kevin is taking on a daily basis but willing to endure that pressure because of her love for him. James’ Pam embodies a welcome kindness amidst the mayhem of the Von Erich family and offers them strength amid their tragedy.
5. BABY DRIVER (2017)
Writer/Director: Edgar Wright.
Starring: Ansel Elgort, Lily James, Kevin Spacey, Jon Hamm, Eiza González, Jamie Foxx, Jon Bernthal.In Edgar Wright’s kinetic crime thriller, James’ loving waitress Debora is the one ray of hope in the criminal life of Miles (Ansel Elgort), the “Baby Driver” of the title, who operates the getaway car for an underworld ring headed up by kingpin “Doc” (Kevin Spacey), who keeps a tight rein on his gallery of lowlifes. Baby, basically a good kid gone bad, sees Debora is his way out of this life, but his attempts to escape with her are regularly thwarted until the couple can take no more. To play an icon of purity is a tough gig for any actor, but James manages to overcome the cliche of a goody-two-shoes by adding small character details to make Debora a believably relatable young woman who simply wants a better life with Baby.
4. MAMMA MIA! HERE WE GO AGAIN (2018)
Writer/Director: Ol Parker.
Starring: Amanda Seyfried, Dominic Cooper, Christine Baranski, Julie Walter, Meryl Streep, Lily James, Jessica Keenan Wynn, Alexa Davies, Cher.When news broke that a sequel to the uber-successful “Mamma Mia!” was in the works, many film journalists were, shall we say, skeptical of its chances with critics. They needn’t have worried, since “Here We Go Again” fared just fine, with many pundits preferring it to the original, much of it due to the exuberance of its young cast. Singled out by many were the three actors playing the younger versions of the characters originated by Meryl Streep, Christine Baranski, Julie Walter — Lily James, Jessica Keenan Wynn and Alexa Davies respectively. James was particularly cited by many for the exuberance she brought to her younger version of Streep’s Donna, and her joy in the role was infectious.
3. DOWNTON ABBEY (TV series) (2012-2015)
Directors: Various.
Writer: Julian Fellowes.
Starring: Hugh Bonneville, Elizabeth McGovern, Maggie Smith, Michelle Dockery, Lily James, Matt Barber.Landing a job as a series regular on the world’s hottest show at the time was the break of a lifetime for James, who made the most of her good fortune by delivering a star-marking performances through four seasons of “Downton Abbey.” As Lady Rose MacClare, a headstrong but emotionally-insecure young woman who moves in with the Crawleys at Downton, James reveals her character slowly, with Rose being somewhat of a spoiled brat at first but slowly evolving over time to reveal a more mature woman simply looking for happiness. As a member of the “Downton” cast, James earned two Screen Actors Guild Awards for Best Ensemble.
2. PAM & TOMMY (TV limited series) (2022)
Directors: Various.
Writers: Various.
Starring: Lily James, Sebastian Stan, Seth Rogen, Nick Offerman, Taylor Schilling, Andrew Dice Clay.When production photos of James as actress and ’90s sex symbol Pamela Anderson first leaked, there was widespread disbelief that this was the same actress from “Cinderella.” Clearly the top-notch makeup and prosthetics helped to transform the actress physically into a dead ringer for Pam, but if it was merely a physical transformation, the limited series “Pam & Tommy” would have long since been forgotten. Instead, James gave it meaning by digging deep beneath the sexy persona to explore the woman herself who is desperately trying to save her marriage while dealing with the scandalous exposure of a sex tape. For her performance as Pam, James earned her first Emmy nomination as Best Limited/Movie Actress.
1. CINDERELLA (2015)
Director: Kenneth Branagh.
Writer: Chris Weitz.
Starring: Lily James, Richard Madden, Cate Blanchett, Helena Bonham-Carter, Stellan Skarsgard.Fresh off her “Downton” success, James was tapped by director Kenneth Branagh to become the title character in Disney’s live-action reimagining of their 1950 animated classic “Cinderella.” It was a smart move on Branagh’s part, because she brought to the role a certain freshness that, while contemporary in spirit, never loses the power of wish fulfillment that has helped make Cinderella such an iconic Disney character for so many years. James particularly got to shine in her scenes with wicked stepmother Cate Blanchett, as watching these two actresses go toe to toe brought the film’s dramatic stakes to a whole other level. With her charismatic work here, it became very clear to audiences everywhere that Lily James is indeed a genuine movie star.
