Lily James Confesses She Dropped Her Famous Grandmother's Name to Land Baby Driver Role

Actress Lily James has revealed she once pulled a classic Hollywood move, using her famous grandmother's name to impress a director and land a part.

In a wide-ranging chat with The Independent, the Cinderella star confessed she mentioned her grandmother, Helen Horton, during her audition for Edgar Wright's 2017 hit Baby Driver.

Horton, an American actress who moved to Britain in the 1950s, is best known for lending her voice to the spaceship computer 'Mother' in Ridley Scott's 1979 sci-fi classic Alien.

'I've only ever played that card once, and it was to impress Edgar Wright,' James laughed. 'I said, "I don't know if you know, but my grandmother..." And being the biggest film obsessive, and having seen everything, he just thought it was so cool!'

Her boldness paid off. James landed the role alongside Ansel Elgort, and the high-octane heist film went on to make $227 million (£178 million) worldwide.

Family Ties to the Silver Screen

James may not have realised it at the time, but talent runs deep in her family. Her grandmother Horton worked steadily in theatre, television and film, earning cult fame through Alien. James has since watched the film countless times, still in awe of her grandmother's legacy.

'I was watching it recently because I was thinking of Sigourney Weaver as an inspiration for a role I was hoping to play,' she said. 'And I do just stop in my tracks every time, like, "My God, this is crazy, that's my grandma!"'

She fondly remembers Horton's voice. 'Her voice was magic,' James said. 'She had one of those beautiful, rich, almost-British voices that all those iconic movie stars of that time had.'

The actress added that she occasionally feels nostalgic for that bygone era of stardom, a time, she said, when glamour seemed effortless and mystery still surrounded film stars.

From Fairy-Tale Princess to Fearless Performer

It has been ten years since Cinderella made Lily James a household name. At 36, the actress has long shed her ingénue image, building a career that swings from romantic musicals to dark thrillers.

'I used to want everything to happen quickly,' she admitted. 'After Cinderella, I longed for parts that weren't the ingénue or the young heroine. But I didn't need to rush – I'd love to go back to those roles now!'

After her royal days, she played the rebellious Lady Rose in Downton Abbey, starred as a young Meryl Streep in Mamma Mia! Here We Go Again, and portrayed Zac Efron's devoted wife in The Iron Claw. She even took on the controversial transformation into Pamela Anderson in the 2022 biopic Pam & Tommy, a role she says she remains proud of despite the scrutiny.

Her most recent film, Relay, sees her star opposite Riz Ahmed in a tense conspiracy thriller about corporate whistleblowers. Directed by David Mackenzie (Hell or High Water), it demanded that James perform most of her scenes alone, something she found deeply challenging.

'You've got no one to bounce off, no one's eyes to look into,' she said. 'Acting is at its best when it's like a dance between two actors and you forget yourself. It was really hard.'

A Life Under the Spotlight

James knows all too well what it's like to live under constant scrutiny. From her Downton Abbey days to her global fame after Baby Driver, her every move has been photographed, dissected and discussed.

'There was a period of time when I was everywhere,' she said. 'You're being watched and photographed so often that it's not just paranoia – it's real.'

Still, the actress says she's grateful for a career that continues to surprise her. With new roles lined up, including a submarine thriller with Chris Hemsworth and a film by Japanese director Takashi Miike, she's set on keeping audiences guessing.

'I crave challenges,' James said. 'I want my life and my work to be an adventure. I want to do things that, on paper, people can't really imagine me doing.'

And if all else fails, she jokes, she's got one more card left to play: her grandma from Alien.