Lily James: The blonde, sweet thing is 'so not me'

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Lily James is keen to shed her 'Cinderella' image.

The 29-year-old actress - who starred as the iconic character in the 2015 Disney film - has admitted she is determined to branch out and distance herself from the perception of being a "blonde, sweet thing".

Lily shared: "'Cinderella' was a gift, and I will treasure it for the rest of my life.

"But I wore a dress for the 'Mamma Mia!' premiere that was blue and white and quite pouffy, and when I got out on the red carpet, all anyone said was 'Oh it's Cinderella!'

"It's a happy association, but also something that you want to shed at some point..."

Lily insisted that the public's perception doesn't chime with her real-life self.

She also revealed that she's actively seeking to take on a wider variety of roles.

The actress told the March issue of Harper's Bazaar magazine: "The blonde, sweet thing is so not me ... I'm actively seeking characters from now on that are different, who don't rely on charm or the qualities that I think I've explored quite a lot."

Lily - who previously appeared in the hit TV series 'Downton Abbey' - is set to turn 30 in April.

And the Hollywood star has admitted she sees the landmark birthday as being an "anchor point" in her life, predicting she'll become "more secure" over the next decade.

She said: "It is a real turning point.

"My twenties have been so chaotic, and I've always looked forward to 30 as being an anchor point. You stop caring so much about what other people think, and become more secure in your own life."

The March issue of Harper's Bazaar is on sale on February 7 (http://www.harpersbazaar.com/lily-james).