Lily James, Dominic West Scandal Is Creepier After ‘The Pursuit of Love’ Release
Affairs aren’t a new concept in Hollywood. Some have even resulted in successful marriages. Amazon’s recent project, The Pursuit of Love, dropped on May 2021. Although the movie is intriguing, the behind-the-scenes drama has taken center stage and almost overshadowed the incredible story told in the series. The film’s release made an onset affair between Lily James and Dominic West even creepier.
‘The Pursuit of Love’ follows one girl’s quest for love
The Pursuit of Love is a period drama based on Nancy Mitford’s novel of the same name published in 1945. The series details romance, class politics, friendships, and the extent to which one spirited lady goes to experience the rush of love.
The Pursuit of Love follows two best friends and cousins, Linda and Fanny, as they go through life and changes in the world. Fanny is depicted as the stable and reliable one, while Linda is described as the explosive one.
She is either too happy or too upset and longs to experience true love and escape her birth’s oppression. She does so when she meets a handsome man with whom she falls in love. Linda makes many mistakes along the way, but all of that is in the pursuit of love.
Why James and West’s affair is creepy
James and West both star in the critically acclaimed The Pursuit of Love and not in a romantic capacity. He plays her uncle, who the viewers later on discover is her father. West’s character is depicted as a cruel man who takes pleasure in asserting his authority and doesn’t believe women should be educated.
The actors’ roles in the series make their affair a weird and creepy one, and the situation is made worse with the realization that West is married. Decider notes that West tried to get ahead of the rumors when photos of him and James kissing surfaced online.
The publication states that West’s damage control tactic was to fly back to his wife and take photos with her to prove the solidity of their marriage. On the other hand, James mainly remained quiet except for a cryptic statement saying, “there is a lot to say.”
Who are James and West
James first appeared in Just William in 2010 before landing a role in the 2011 film Diary of a Call Girl. That same year she appeared in Downton Abbey playing Lady Rose. Her character was made a series regular in the fourth and fifth series of the show.
In 2015 she took on a major role, playing the titular character in 2015’s Cinderella. In 2016 James returned to TV with another BBC series War & Peace, before appearing in the Pride and Prejudice parody film Pride and Prejudice and Zombies. In 2017 the actor began appearing in several blockbusters, including in Baby Driver alongside Ansel Elgort and Meryl Streep’s younger version in Mamma Mia! Here We Go Again.
She also appeared in All About Eve playing Eve and in Rebecca playing the second Mrs. de Winter. In 2020 James landed the lead role in an upcoming miniseries detailing the life of Pamela Anderson titled Pam & Tommy.
On the other hand, West has an expansive career that includes appearing in various hit shows and movies such as True Blue and Richard III. His most notable role was in The Wire, where he played detective Jimmy McNulty.
He appeared in A Christmas Carol as Fred and played a disfigured supervillain in Marvel’s Punisher: War Zone. He also had a voice role in Eminem’s album Relapse and played Noah Soloway on The Affair. In 2012, the Game of Thrones showrunners offered West a role in the series, but he turned it down because he didn’t want to spend much time away from his family.
