ELLE UK's October cover star Cara Delevingne first appeared on our screens as an actress in 2012, playing Princess Sorokina in Anna Karenina.

But it wasn't until 2015, when the model strode straight off the runway and into her lead role in Paper Towns, that we all sat up and took note of her sizeable acting chops.

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As a model, she undisputedly dominated the fashion world, simultaneously undoing decades of millennial eyebrow inspo by re-restoring the trend for big, bushy brows, while walking for every big name from Lagerfeld at Chanel to Bailey at Burberry.



After Paper Towns came Suicide Squad and also Valerian, but now the 27-year-old has undoubtedly earned her biggest part yet, landing herself the task of embodying female protagonist Vignette - opposite Orlando Bloom - in Amazon Prime's big-budget Victorian-fantasy drama Carnival Row.

With predictions that the show will feature on everyone's autumnal TV list in the next few weeks, ELLE UK caught up with Delevingne at a London hotel - days before she was unveiled as our cover star - to find out more about the show and what Delevingne - a modern day cultural icon herself - has on her culture fix list for the next few months.

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Can you sum up Carnival Row and then Vignette in one sentence each?

It is a very real, almost painfully real, love story, a crime thriller-drama commenting on social issues which this show will only help a conversation open up to understand the dynamics of what people in this world are actually going through.

Jan Thijs Amazon Prime

Vignette is a survivor, the epitome to me of hope and love. No matter how much she gets hurt, she doesn’t hurt people, she has had everything she’s known taken from her in some shape or form but continues to try and forgive, love and understand and treat others with compassion. Her heart hasn't changed, which is hard in this situation where you’ve been hurt and heartbroken so much. That was definitely not one sentence, sorry.



What makes Carnival Row a must-watch show right now?

It’s time for it. There’s been so much amazing fantasy, especially huge TV shows, but this is the first of its kind. It's the first thing I’ve really seen unpacking what’s going on in the world. It's been done before in a modern way but the fantasy lens gives it a way in. It’s an easier way to start to have a conversation about hate and hatred in this world of fear.

There's an unnecessary fear of other people we don't understand, don't know or haven't met before. It’s insane, it makes no sense because every human is empathetic. Every human has the capacity to love each other. It’s a lot easier to hate people because you don’t have to take the time to understand or connect, you can just go ‘I hate you, goodbye’. Unfortunately, for people in power, it’s all about greed, money and control and controlling the world by using fear and creating fear between people. Really, the people we should be fearing are the people in power.

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Jan Thijs Amazon Prime

Besides Carnival Row, what TV shows have you loved recently?

Fleabag - Phoebe Waller-Bridge is the ultimate idol, a literal god. Then Killing Eve and The Marvellous Mrs Maisel. For me, I love these female-driven, dark comedy, amazing stories. Those shows have been the most touching and life-affirming. There are so many movies and storylines which have been done before but these haven’t because they’re about women and written by women. It’s life-changing.

What TV show are you going to watch next?

Euphoria! I haven't seen it yet because I've been working and I really like to concentrate on TV shows and pay attention to them.

Delevingne at the Carnival Row press conference Vera Anderson Getty Images

What's the last film you saw?

Miss Congeniality, which is so sexist by the way. I didn't know - it's the most sexist movie... but I love Sandra Bullock, she's pretty amazing.

Your favourite film to cry to?

Boys Don't Cry - it's a horrifying movie to cry to, but the most amazing movie. Jesus.

And, favourite film to laugh to?

Zoolander, because I wish the fashion industry was like that. It's not that fun! I love the fashion industry but it's definitely not that funny.

Who are you listening to at the moment?

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It's been Billie Eilish. I also can't wait for Rih's new album, I think I text her more than her fans message, I'm like 'WHEN IS YOUR ALBUM COMING OUT?'

As to when that will be, I think it always changes. With her last album, I went to listen to it, where it had like 25 songs, so I told her, 'well you’ve got to put all of them on there' then it was two years before it was released. I was like: 'Babe, I remember those songs still, it’s still not out and it’s killing me inside that I have to wait'.

David M. Benett Getty Images

Taylor's [Swift] new album is awesome as well, Fiona Apple has a new album coming out which is going to be amazing. I've been going back to Eminem a lot recently as well.

What's your favourite book about women?



Women Who Run With Wolves [by Clarissa Pinkola Estés] is a great book.

Your favourite book of all time that you read again and again?

I’ve never read a book twice because the ones I read are usually quite factual. I like reading Malcolm Gladwell and I used to read a lot of Richard Dawkins which I don’t any more because I don’t agree with it. I read autobiographies of people and things about mental illness because I like learning about things through the eyes of other people. I love to see the world through other people’s shoes and try and gain some understanding of why people do what they do, that’s always been the most interesting to me.

Carnival Row is available now on Amazon Prime Video.