Lily James was "incredibly shocked" to be asked to front a Burberry campaign.
Lily James
The 27-year-old actress has been shot by Mario Testino for the new My Burberry Black advertisements and she was worried the images would be the "first bad pictures" the acclaimed photographer had taken and was convinced the fashion house's creative director, Christopher Kane, would regret his decision.
She said: "I was incredibly shocked when they asked me. It's a big leap of faith in me from Christopher, he's taking a bit of a risk.
"I worried these would be the first bad pictures Mario Testino has ever taken. But I felt like I was in safe hands with him and Burberry."
The 'Cinderella' actress has followed in the footsteps of the likes of Kate Moss and Douglas Booth in landing a Burberry campaign and she hopes she can "try and be" just like those who have gone before her.
She told Grazia magazine: "There's a common thread running through people who have done Burberry campaigns.
"They are unashamedly who they are and very confident. Suki Waterhouse and Cara Delevingne aren't trying to bend their personalities to fit in. They are true to themselves. I want to try and be like that."
However, the 'Downton Abbey' star - who was announced as the news face of the British fashion house earlier this year - has revealed she felt "liberated" in the recent fragrance campaign and enjoyed breaking away from the "stereotypes" people cast her in.
Speaking previously about the commercial, which launched on Monday (22.08.16), she said: "It was quite liberating to break away from the stereotypes that people may have for me, and say, 'well this is who I am.'
"[But] quite intimidating.
"The things that Burberry do really are ingrained in their brand, you saw it with Kate and Cara, there's a family feel to what they do."
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