Lily James, a 36-year-old actress known for her role in Downton Abbey, is gearing up to become Hollywood’s newest action star by starring in a remake of Sylvester Stallone’s thrilling 1993 movie, Cliffhanger.
Expressing her excitement, Lily mentioned that she considers it an incredible opportunity as she steps into a role that was initially portrayed by Stallone. She humorously shared that casting agents in Los Angeles are now pitching her as a “Sylvester Stallone type.”
Securing the part of Naomi, a character whose family faces a threat from kidnappers, was no easy feat for Lily. The original film features Stallone as a mountaineer entangled in the hijacking of a US Treasury plane. Lily committed to learning climbing techniques for the movie, slated for release in 2026, although she later confessed to forgetting about it until a vacation in Ibiza sparked her memory.
During her recent visit to New York to promote the biopic Swiped, a film about Bumble dating app founder Whitney Wolfe Herd, Lily found herself in a contrasting setting from her upcoming action role in Cliffhanger.
Despite portraying Herd in Swiped, Lily admitted to never using a dating app herself. To prepare for her role, she borrowed a friend’s phone for research purposes. Reflecting on the experience, Lily acknowledged the impact that the movie has had on people, citing a producer who found their life partner through Bumble.
While Lily has been romantically linked to prominent figures like Matt Smith and Michael Shuman, she expressed a preference for meeting potential partners in more traditional ways, fearing the disappearance of the art of spontaneous encounters in settings like bars.
In addition to Swiped, Lily’s filmography includes notable titles such as Baby Driver (2017), Mamma Mia! Here We Go Again (2018), Yesterday (2019), and The Iron Claw (2023). Her acting journey began in 2010 with appearances in productions like Just William for the BBC after graduating from the Guildhall School of Music and Drama.
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