Top 10 Downton Abbey Stars: Where Are They Now?
#10: Lily James
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Lily James’s career blew up after starring as Lady Rose MacClare. She briefly continued in the period genre with “Cinderella” and “Pride and Prejudice and Zombies,” but has since branched out to more modern stories. In 2017, she starred as Debora in Edgar Wright’s “Baby Driver” and Elizabeth Layton in “Darkest Hour” alongside Gary Oldman. Her stock only rose from there, landing major roles in both “Mamma Mia! Here We Go Again” and “Yesterday.” She has also worked in theatre, starring in a 2019 West End production of “All About Eve” at the Noël Coward Theatre. What can we say? She’s incredibly talented.
#9: Elizabeth McGovern
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Despite being nominated for a Golden Globe, Emmy, and Satellite award for her role as Cora Crawley, Elizabeth McGovern has since stopped appearing on television. But that’s not to say that she has quit acting altogether. After “Downton Abbey” ended in 2015, McGovern has appeared in a small handful of movies. Perhaps her most substantial post-“Downton” role is that of Karen MacCauley in “The Commuter,” opposite Liam Neeson. In 2018, she again donned period costumes and starred as Norma in “The Chaperone,” which was also written by “Downton Abbey’s” Julian Fellowes. Turns out, they’re a match made in heaven!
#8: Allen Leech
Allen Leech portrayed Tom Branson, the chauffeur/estate land agent of Downton Abbey and widower of Lady Sybil. (xref) Since her fictional death, Jessica Brown Findlay has starred as Charlotte on ITV’s “Harlots” and Ophelia in a West End production of “Hamlet.” Meanwhile, Allen landed a role on CBC’s “Bellevue,” but the show was unfortunately cancelled after just eight episodes. Luckily, he found success with “Bohemian Rhapsody,” where he played Freddie Mercury’s manager and lover, Paul Prenter. He also married his girlfriend, Jessica Blair Herman, in January of 2019, and the couple announced they were expecting their first child that September.
#7: Brendan Coyle
Julian Fellowes wrote the role of John Bates, the Downton Abbey valet, specifically for Brendan Coyle. The role proved immensely successful for the actor, resulting in BAFTA and Emmy nominations, both for Outstanding Supporting Actor. Coyle has since landed the role of Detective Inspector Stephen Kendrick in BBC One’s “Requiem” and played the Earl of Lennox in Josie Rourke’s “Mary Queen of Scots.” He has also founded a production company called Anderson Shelter Productions, which helps fund short movies created by aspiring young filmmakers. In 2016, three movies were released under Anderson Shelter – “Bare,” “Margie’s Garden,” and a feature film called “Emerald City.”
#6: Jim Carter
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Jim Carter’s role as the Abbey’s butler, Charles Carson, has become one of the most acclaimed television roles of the decade. Carter was nominated for four straight Emmy awards for Outstanding Supporting Actor between 2012 and 2015, but he lost to Aaron Paul (twice), Bobby Cannavale, and Peter Dinklage. Since that time, Carter has starred as Pope Boniface VIII in the History channel's “Knightfall,” Earl of Kent in the 2018 BBC Two production of “King Lear,” and voiced Cogman in “Transformers: The Last Knight.” One of those things is not like the other! In 2019, Carter was appointed an Officer of the Order of the British Empire for his services and achievements in drama.
#5: Laura Carmichael
Lady Edith Crawley was Laura Carmichael’s first major acting role, and it helped open up a ton of great opportunities for the young actress. Since the conclusion of “Downton Abbey,” Laura has starred in numerous movies and shows. She appeared in the movies “A United Kingdom” and “Man in an Orange Shirt,” starred in the Starz miniseries “The Spanish Princess,” and had a recurring role in season one of ITV’s noir detective series “Marcella.” She has also appeared in West End productions of “The Maids” and “Apologia,” both of which ran at Trafalgar Studios. She has also entered into a relationship with her “Downton” co-star Michael C. Fox, and the two have been dating since 2018.
#4: Dan Stevens
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Dan Stevens won hearts the world over when he appeared as Matthew Crawley, the distant Crawley cousin and heir to Downton Abbey. Unfortunately, Stevens left the show in 2012, much to the disappointment of ardent fans, who took to social media to (loudly) voice their frustration. Luckily, we had lots of Dan Stevens to look forward to, and he has since appeared in dozens of movies and TV shows. His biggest post-“Downton” role is that of the Beast in “Beauty and the Beast,” although he has also starred in Netflix’s “Apostle,” “Night of the Museum: Secret of the Tomb,” and FX’s “Legion,” the third and final season of which aired in the summer of 2019.
#3: Maggie Smith
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“Downton Abbey” contains an ensemble cast, but if we had to choose “the star,” it would probably be Dame Maggie Smith. Luckily, age hasn’t slowed this incredible actress, and she has remained busy since “Downton” ended in 2015. While “Downton” proved to be her final television role (at least for now!), she has since starred in various movies, including “The Second Best Exotic Marigold Hotel” and “The Lady in the Van.” She also lent her distinctive and instantly recognizable voice to “Sherlock Gnomes” and the mobile game “Harry Potter: Hogwarts Mystery,” where she reprised her iconic role of Professor McGonagall. She was also awarded the Bodley Medal by the University of Oxford in 2016 for her service in the performing arts.
#2: Hugh Bonneville
Hugh Bonneville has a LONG history in television, appearing in countless TV movies and random bit episodes of various shows over the years. He attained international stardom with “Downton Abbey,” where he played Robert Crawley. To everyone’s surprise, Bonneville seemingly continued the “act in literally anything I am offered” approach following “Downton,” appearing in everything from “The Cruise” to “The Grand Tour” to even “Thomas & Friends!” He has done a bit of film work too, starring in 2017’s “Breathe” and the infinitely rewatchable masterpiece that is “Paddington 2.” He has also succeeded the legendary Julie Andrews as the host and narrator of the annual Vienna New Year’s Concert in 2018. Before we see where our top pick is now, here are a few honorable mentions. Phyllis Logan Penelope Wilton Sophie McShera Joanne Froggatt Robert James-Collier
#1: Michelle Dockery
Like a lot of her co-stars, including her fictional husband Matthew Goode (who’s been starring in Sky One’s “A Discovery of Witches” since 2018), Lady Mary has remained a big name in the television industry. Following “Downton Abbey,” Michelle Dockery landed the main role of Letty Raines in the TNT drama “Good Behavior,” although this was cancelled after two seasons. In 2017, she starred as Alice Fletcher in Netflix’s Western miniseries “Godless” (earning herself her fourth Emmy nomination) and will star in the Apple TV+ crime drama “Defending Jacob” opposite Chris Evans. She also returned to the stage in 2017 for the first time in seven years, playing Diana Christensen in the National Theatre production of “Network.”
