At just 21, Lily Cole is still trying to work out what the future holds. She could, of course, continue modelling, or perhaps she will simply concentrate on her coursework at Cambridge University. Or maybe she’ll carry on acting.
“Or why not a combination of all of them?” she asks with a smile. Why not indeed? Cole’s film career is blossoming – she stars in Terry Gilliam’s The Imaginarium of Doctor Parnassus, and later in the year, Sally Potter’s fashion industry drama, Rage.

This autumn she started her second year at King’s College, Cambridge, studying History of Art – a role she manages to fulfil despite regularly gracing the catwalk in Paris or Milan or posing for a fashion spread for the glossies. In short, Cole has plenty of options, and she’s relishing the opportunities that come her way.

“I’m enjoying college and with the modelling – well, it’s always been a bit of a sideline, to be honest,” she says. “But I’ve loved acting. Working with directors like Terry and Sally has been really great. I’d love to do more films but we’ll see what comes along.”

The Imaginarium of Doctor Parnassus is a fantastical tale of good battling evil for the soul of a beautiful young girl, Valentina (Cole), the daughter of Doctor Parnassus (Christopher Plummer), who leads a troupe of players, travelling through contemporary London in a
19th century caravan.

Parnassus has a dark secret – 1,000 years ago he made a pact that, in return for immortality, he would hand over his daughter to the devil (played by Tom Waits) on her 16th birthday, which is rapidly approaching. Now Satan, in the guise of Mr Nick, has turned up to collect.

Heath Ledger plays Tony, a young man rescued from death, who just might prove key to saving Valentina. Parnassus makes another bargain with Mr Nick – Valentina will be spared if he can deliver five souls to his alternate world via his ‘imaginarium’ where visitors pass through a magic mirror in the caravan and enter a different reality.

Ledger tragically died during the film shoot and production was abandoned for several weeks. The film later re-started with Ledger’s friends, Johnny Depp, Jude Law and Colin Farrell, all playing versions of the Tony character.

“When Heath died it was a very difficult time for everybody,” says Cole. “We were all so shocked. He was a lovely, lovely man and I just couldn’t believe it at first. It was so completely, utterly shocking.

“On a practical level there was a chance that the film would just stop because we still had quite a lot to do when Heath passed away. But the producers, one of which is Amy, Terry’s daughter, did a phenomenal job after what was a very difficult time for everybody, herself included.

“Amy and Terry managed to get Jude, Colin and Johnny to commit within the timeframe before the investors pulled out. So from a practical standpoint, yes, it could very easily not have been finished".

“But I think everybody involved at a creative level was determined to finish. Terry was at the forefront and determined to finish it – one, to honour the film and two, to honour what Heath had
put into it.”


Full story in Cambridge Style - November 2009.

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