New Scent for Every Role: How Lily James Turns Scent into Storytelling

Many actors focus on posture, voice training, or clothing to get into character, but Lily James has discovered a very unique way to do it: Scent. The British actress, who has acted in 'Pam & Tommy, 'Cinderella,' and 'Downton Abbey,' disclosed that she makes or selects a unique scent for every character she portrays. 

For Lily, scent is a portal and much more than just perfume. She explained how perfume allows her to intellectually and emotionally immerse herself in her character's world, saying, "I spray it and suddenly it takes me to a place." It's an unusual but fascinating part of her acting toolkit—one that connects her past, her senses, and her art.

The Ritual Behind the Fragrance

Image Courtesy: The Independent

Lily James has a unique ritual: she applies a 'scent' that serves as her anchor into that role before filming or stepping into the character. When she sprays "whatever it is," she claims it "suddenly takes you to a place and focuses you," she revealed in an interview with HELLO! Magazine. Sometimes she makes her own perfume, and other times she chooses a pre-made one. As a sensory trigger that enables her to get beyond the surface of speech, wardrobe, and screenplay, she feels that perfume is "seductive" and that wearing a fragrance becomes intensely emotional.

She first developed this method while working on the sets of 'Downton Abbey.' She discovered that putting on a familiar rose scent will instantly transport her back to Lady Rose’s state of mind after taking a break between seasons and managing several projects. She favoured springtime freshness over a more somber perfume when choosing a lighter, floral fragrance for Juliet on stage, such as 'My Burberry Eau de Toilette.' 

Image Courtesy: Radio Times

This method is individualized: scents evoke memories (such as her mother's perfumes or her grandmother's lavender), and she uses those sentimental connections as inspiration.

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From Rose to Amber to Real Life: Scent for Every Character

Over the years, Lily has adapted her scent ritual to suit very different characters. For 'Downton Abbey,' Lily has used a heavy rose perfume consistently across seasons to feel connected to Lady Rose. Similarly, while playing a 1950s movie star (Finalmente L'alba), Lily leaned into Pamela Anderson's own fragrances, wearing and reciting Pamela's fragrance lore and even "drenching" herself in her signature scents to channel her presence. Over the years, Lily has tweaked her scent ritual to fit a variety of characters.

Image Courtesy: Vogue

Her most recent project is 'Swiped,' a biopic, in which she plays Whitney Wolfe Herd, the CEO and founder of the dating service Bumble. Lily acknowledged that in this instance, being a living person carries additional duty. She read a great deal, watched hours of interviews, and developed her own meaning of "life force energy" because she had never met Whitney before. The specific fragrance she wore for Whitney has not been made public, although she has stated that the custom of donning a fragrance was very beneficial in maintaining her emotional attachment to the part. 

Going forward, Lily is expected to keep using this method in her upcoming roles. She sees it not just as a gimmick but as a tool—a sensory shorthand that helps her "draw more of herself into a character."

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