Lily James thought "someone was taking the "p**s" when she was asked to star in ‘Pride and Prejudice and Zombies’.
The 26-year-old actress – who plays the leading role of Elizabeth Bennet in the Jane Austin adaptation – didn’t warm to the idea of a reworked version of the classic tale, until she read the script and fell in love with the "hysterical" element.
On being asked, she said: "Someone’s taking the p**s. Then I read it and it was hysterical. And then I read the book and liked that too."
And Lily – who is dating her co-star Matt Smith – says she prepared for her part by reading the original novel because you must "respect" the person you are portraying.
She told Britain’s Glamour magazine: "Before every scene I would read from Jane Austen’s book. But this isn’t the same Liz Bennet you’ve seen before and, actually, that was someone who you respect and look up to."
Meanwhile, the blonde beauty had her say on the gender pay gap and although she has no idea what other actresses are paid compared to herself, she applauds fellow actress Jennifer Lawrence for her essay about the issue and hopes it will "lead to improvement".
She explained: "I don’t really know what people at my level are being paid versus what I am being paid, so I don’t really know how to comment. But I think it’s brilliant that Jennifer [Lawrence] spoke out about it and people are discussing it. That can only lead to improvement. I mean there shouldn’t be a pay gap, should there?"
Lily James thought Zombie film was a joke
