Cinderella actress Lily James has revealed the personal tragedy that helped her relate to her latest role.

James, who also stars as Lady Rose in Downton Abbey, has told how losing her father to cancer at the age of 19 allowed her to identify with Cinderella.

She said: “I had a scene where I was told my dad had died, so it was really hard, but I feel what’s important in the film is that Cinderella gains strength from her loss and that was something I could... That was in me.”

Speaking to The Sunday Times Style magazine, James, who stars alongside Cate Blanchett and Helena Bonham Carter in Kenneth Branagh’s reimagining of the classic fairy tale, said processing her father’s death would take “the whole of my life”.

She said: “That’s sort of why my experience of drama school is pretty unique – it happened while I was there.”

The actress, whose father was also an actor, added she was sad he had not lived to see her success.