Embattled actress Lily James has spoken about the differences between how she’s perceived and how she truly is in a newly unveiled interview.
The former Downton Abbey star, 31, hit headlines last week, after she was pictured embracing married actor Dominic West, 50, during a trip to Rome.
And in a video interview with Grazia UK, which was released on YouTube on Monday, the actress is seen insisting that ‘things are very rarely what they appear to be’.
True character: Embattled actress Lily James has spoken about the differences between how she’s perceived and how she truly is in a newly unveiled interview with Grazia
Lily was interviewed alongside Armie Hammer, her co-star in new Rebecca – a Netflix adaptation of Daphne du Maurier’s novel, in which she plays a woman who marries a wealthy widower, but finds his home haunted by the memory of his late wife.
During the chat, the star was asked if she finds that members of the public often confuse the characters she plays with who she really is.
She responded: ‘I guess we’re actors and maybe it happens more with TV shows where you repetitively play the same character over and over and people are just convinced that’s you.’
Scandal: The beleaguered actress has been at the centre of a scandal over the past few days, after she was pictured embracing married Dominic West during a romantic trip to Rome
The actress went on to state that the differences between image and reality are particularly salient points when looking at the storyline for Rebecca.
She continued: ‘We were talking about how in this film, it’s a bit like social media, we think Rebecca is this one thing, like you’re saying it’s very deceptive and you scratch the surface and you realise it’s completely different.
‘I think that’s our lives, that’s how we display ourselves on social media, that’s the characters we play versus who we really are, how we present ourselves versus the truth.
‘It’s a complete minefield and very rarely what things appear to be. So, I think this film explores that very successfully.’
Interview: Lily was interviewed alongside Armie Hammer, her co-star in new Rebecca – a new Netflix adaptation of Daphne du Maurier’s classic novel
Since her interview, Lily has pulled out of planned television appearances on Friday’s instalment of The Graham Norton Show and Monday’s Today show in America.
It comes after Lily and Dominic who, both star in an upcoming BBC series together, enjoyed a two-day vacation in Italy where they were seen riding on a scooter through Rome, and Dominic appeared to at one point lean over and kiss Lily’s neck.
Dominic was notably not wearing his wedding band during his vacation with Lily and days later put on a united front with his wife, proclaiming their marriage is ‘strong’.
Dominic and Lily were spotted put on a very cosy display by ‘kissing and cuddling’ during their British Airways flight to the UK, it has been claimed.
Characters: The star was asked if members of the public mistake her for the characters she plays. She also discussed how images and true personalities rarely match
They were seen wearing face masks as they made their way through the Rome terminal to catch their UK-bound flight.
A source has claimed that the pair wasted no time in kicking off their romantic weekend and were ‘all over each other’ while travelling, reports The Sun.
A source told the publication: ‘At first, I thought she was his daughter, as I knew he was around 50 and you could tell she was a lot younger.
‘Within minutes of the plane leaving, they began kissing and cuddling after both removed their masks.
‘They looked like a couple heading for a dirty weekend and they were all over each other. They were French kissing and there was a lot of necking going on.’
Promotional trail: Before the scandal hit, Lily had been busy on the promotional circuit for her new Netflix film Rebecca. Pictured in the film with co-star Armie
Lily was seen resting on Dominic’s shoulder at one point, before boarding their flight back to the UK.
After arriving in the city last week, Lily and Dominic surprised onlookers when they were pictured appearing to kiss while dining al fresco.
Dominic is best known for playing Noah Solloway in Showtime drama, The Affair, which explores the emotional effects of an extramarital relationship between his character and a younger woman, named Alison Bailey (Ruth Wilson).
A source told MailOnline Dominic and Lily spent two nights in a suite at the top Hotel De La Ville with a panoramic view over the city and just at two minutes walk from the Spanish steps.
Cosy: A source claimed they put on a very cosy display by ‘kissing and cuddling’ during their British Airways flight to Rome, it has been claimed (pictured together at the airport)
They only left the hotel for a few hours riding an electric scooter around the Spanish Steps and Piazza di Pietra. While for lunch they joined their friend and mutual manager Angharad Wood at a downtown restaurant.
At the end of lunch Lily sat next to Dominic couldn’t resist nuzzling her neck and stroking her.
The previous Thursday, it was announced that Lily had split from The Crown star Matt Smith, 37, for good after a failed attempt to rekindle their relationship in lockdown following an on-off five year romance.
Since the pictures of Dominic and Lily in Rome came to light, he has put on a defiant display with his wife Catherine Fitzgerald, 49.
Married: Dominic and his wife Catherine FitzGerald put on a united front at their home after the pictures came to light
Just hours after she told friends she was ‘heartbroken’ over the images, which went viral, she agreed to take part in a bizarre show of unity with The Affair star, with him telling reporters: ‘Our marriage is strong and we’re very much still together’.
The mother-of-four gingerly stepped out of the marital home in Chippenham, Wiltshire, on Tuesday with her husband, hiding her ring finger in her jeans pocket.
Catherine purposefully raised her head and passionately kissed Dominic for the cameras, as they emerged from their rambling cottage, through a rusty gate.
Dominic appeared to have a rather smug look on his face as he made a point of showing that he was still not wearing his wedding ring. He wore the same outfit he wore on his day out with Lily, adding a brown jacket.
With fixed smiles planted on their faces, he and Catherine handed photographers a piece of paper, which repeated the words in his handwriting: ‘Our marriage is strong and we’re very much still together’, with their signatures placed underneath.
Done and dusted: Last Thursday, it was announced that Lily, 31, had split from Matt Smith, 37, for good after a failed attempt to rekindle their relationship in lockdown (pictured in 2015)