Acting Up

Tom Ford cast her in nocturnal animals, Disney had her pirouetting for its take on the Nutcracker and Chanel has tapped her as an ambassador. Now, Ellie Bamber is set to rule your tv screen in a new adaptation of Les misérables.

- Shannon Mahanty

IN THE CORNER of a central London cafe, Ellie Bamber is making impressive headway on a comically large slice of carrot cake. As she hacks away at it with her fork, she’s telling me stories about how she bonded with her co-star Dominic West while filming the upcoming BBC adaptation of Les Misérables (airing on Foxtel). It didn’t involve a discussion of their “craft” or small talk about the weather – instead they connected over a mutual appreciation of a hip-hop sub-genre. “Dominic is really into trap music,” says Bamber, in between mouthfuls of icing. “The makeup lady on set would always play me new songs, and one time I said to Dominic, ‘I know it’s early in the morning, but I’d like to play some trap – is that okay with you?’ and he said, ‘I love trap, let’s go!’”

The thought of Bamber dressed in her 19th-century peasant costume – she plays Cosette, an abused orphan who is adopted by West’s character – rapping along to expletive-laden tracks like Migos’ “Bad And Boujee” with her on-screen father is both funny and surreal, but also totally fitting for a 22-year-old actress who approaches every new scenario with unfathomable levels of excitement.