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Lily James Reflected on Her ‘Rebellious’ Streak Before Kissing Costar Dominic West: ‘I Make Mistakes All the Time’

Not afraid to speak her mind. Lily James opened up about learning from her mistakes and her “rebellious” past one month before she was spotted kissing married actor Dominic West.

Related: Lily James' Dating History: Matt Smith, Chris Evans and More

“I feel I’ve rebelled … I think I was always a rebellious teenager,” the Mamma Mia! Here We Go Again actress, 31, said in a video for Harper’s Bazaar UK, which was filmed during her September cover shoot. “I think it’s important for us to rebel.”

Earlier this month, James made headlines after she was photographed with West, 50, during a day out in Rome. The pair went for a ride on an electric scooter through the city and later got cozy while dining at a nearby restaurant. The Affair alum, who has been married to Catherine FitzGerald since 2010, was not wearing his wedding ring.

Lily James Reflected on Her 'Rebellious' Streak Before Kissing Costar Dominic West: 'I Make Mistakes All the Time'
Lily James and Dominic West. Joel C Ryan/Invision/AP/Shutterstock; Media Punch/INSTAR

West and his wife addressed the PDA pics on Tuesday, October 13, putting on a united front outside of their Wiltshire, England, home. “Our marriage is strong and we’re very much still together,” the pair, who share four children, wrote in a note. “Thank you.”

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Last month, James admitted to Harper’s Bazaar UK that she was “still learning” and that she has a long way to go before she’s completely comfortable with “personal” criticism. “I’m still figuring it out,” she told the publication. “But I do think I can grow and I do think I’m developing a thicker skin because all that really matters is how you feel about yourself.”

The Downton Abbey alum acknowledged that she makes mistakes “all the time” — but they don’t define her. “That’s what life is about,” she said. “I would never want to run away from a situation or be too scared to act. I think that it’s better to throw yourself in and make mistakes with an open heart.”

James and West met while filming The Pursuit of Love, an upcoming miniseries adapted by BBC One in which they play a father-daughter duo. Her latest movie, Rebecca, is set to debut on Netflix later this month and has an empowering message that’s close to the actress’ heart.

Related: Dominic West’s Most Peculiar Quotes About Marriage and Affairs

“When the opportunity came around to play the second Mrs. de Winter, I just couldn’t resist it. She’s such an extraordinary character,” James said. “The character of Rebecca went against all norms as a woman, disobeyed her husband, had affairs — basically was brilliant. That was only in the 1930s … people are still afraid of women when they’re unleashed. Women are warriors, and that’s intimidating.”

The Yesterday actress previously dated Matt James from 2014 to December 2019. In July, she sparked dating rumors with Chris Evans after they were spotted together in London on multiple occasions.

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