Michelle Dockery Page 3

Dame Maggie Smith has reportedly signed on to take part in the heavily rumoured ‘Downton Abbey’ film. While a movie version of the series has not yet been confirmed, Smith’s fellow cast member Michael Fox has said that the veteran actress will be taking part in a big screen adaptation.

Is ‘Downton Abbey’ the movie, really happening?

Speaking to MailOnline Fox, who played Andy Parker, said that Smith’s involvement was crucial to the film. “She elevates it to something else, because she is such a legend and a national treasure,” he said.

Continue reading: Has Dame Maggie Smith Signed On For A 'Downton Abbey' Film?

Michelle Dockery spent six years as the epitome of British high society playing Lady Mary Crawley in ‘Downton Abbey’, but the actress has now taken on a different role entirely, as a drug-addicted con-artist in ‘Good Behaviour’. But while she’s relishing in the change of role, Dockery says she may not be completely done with Lady Mary yet.

Michelle Dockery has hinted ‘Downton Abbey’ could return in some form

Speaking about ‘Downton Abbey’ to The Telegraph, Dockery said: “I think there is potential for a film. That is something I would wholeheartedly consider, so we will see. It may not be over yet.” The actress added that it was her fellow cast members she missed the most, but they are all “still very close.”

Continue reading: Michelle Dockery Hints That 'Downton Abbey' May Not Be Over Yet

It's been just over two months since 'Downton Abbey' ended for UK viewers, while the US still has the sixth and final series to complete. So what have all the main cast members been up to and where are we going to see them next? Some are sticking to the UK, but others are broadening their horizons.

But what's Maggie Smith up to?

Many of the 'Downton Abbey' stars were already well-established in their own right, but for others the show has been a stepping stone to bigger things. Hugh Bonneville is of the former category, and he's looking pretty busy this year what with the new 'Hollow Crown' series coming up in which he stars as the Duke of Gloucester. He's also finished filming the UK/Indian drama 'Viceroy's House' with Michael Gambon and Gillian Anderson.

Continue reading: What's Next For The Stars Of 'Downton Abbey'?

The final ever episode of ‘Downton Abbey’ was the most watched programme in Britain on Christmas day, bringing in a big win for broadcaster ITV. The victory marks the first time in 15 years that ITV has beaten the BBC to claim the highest rated Christmas Day show.

'Downton Abbey' was the most watched programme this Christmas.

The programme averaged a massive 6.9 million viewers, when it aired on ITV at 8.45pm. In the episode, viewers said their goodbyes to the Crawley family and their servants after six seasons. The usually unlucky in love Lady Edith finally got her happy ending, as she wed Bertie Pelham, while servants Anna and Mr Bates welcomed their first child.

Continue reading: Downton Abbey Wins Christmas Day Ratings War

Ahead of the last ever ‘Downton Abbey’ episode airing as a Christmas special, one of the show’s stars Jim Carter has warned fans that the swansong will be a “tearjerker” and to invest in a box of tissues.

ITV period drama ‘Downton Abbey’ has been consistently extremely popular since it first started airing in 2010, and it’s due to come to an end on Christmas Day in a feature-length special episode. 67 year old Carter, who plays the butler Carson, says that bidding farewell to the characters will be emotional for both fans and the cast alike.

Jim Carter (l) with 'Downton Abbey' co-stars Elizabeth McGovern and Hugh Bonneville

Continue reading: 'Downton Abbey' Star Jim Carter Warns Fans That Final Episode Will Be A "Tearjerker"

‘Downton Abbey’ star Michelle Dockery has thanked fans for their ‘support and kindness’ following the death of her fiancé John Dineen. Mr Dineen passed away on Sunday aged just 34 at a hospice near his home city of Cork in Ireland, after suffering from a rare form of cancer.

Michelle Dockery is grieving following the death of fiancé John Dineen (pictured).

Ms Dockery is said to have been by his bedside when he passed, after breaking from her promotional tour of the US. The couple had been dating for two year’s after being introduced by ‘Downton Abbey’ cast member Allen Leech.

Continue reading: Michelle Dockery Thanks Fans For Support Following Death Of Fiance

‘Downton Abbey’ star Michelle Dockery has spoken of how she felt “sick” as she filmed her final scenes as her character, Lady Mary Crawley, after six years in the role.

The ITV period drama, a perennial ratings winner since it first came on the air in 2010, is gearing up for its last ever episode in the shape of a Christmas special to be broadcast on December 25th. Dockery, 33, revealed that the emotions she felt as the final scenes were being committed to film were quite unexpected.

Michelle Dockery with Oliver and Zac Barker, the twins who play her on-screen son George on 'Downton Abbey'

Continue reading: Michelle Dockery Says She Felt "Sick" Filming Final 'Downton Abbey' Scenes

Yes there’s still a Christmas special to come, but after six series on ITV, ‘Downton Abbey’ ended its run last night, with a surprise wedding and a suicide attempt. But while Lady Mary Crawley got what she wanted (as usual), her younger sister Edith was denied her own happy ending, leaving some viewers furious.

After six seasons ‘Downton Abbey’ has ended on ITV.

During the episode unlucky in love Edith had her chances of happiness stolen, when sister Mary ruined her relationship by revealing details of her secret love child to fiancé the Marquess of Hexham, Bertie Pelham. But while Edith faced a lifetime of loneliness, all was okay for Mary, as she wed Henry Talbot.

Continue reading: 'Downton Abbey's' Final Season Ends, But Not Everyone Got Their Happy Ever After

Everyone’s favourite period drama of manners, ‘Downton Abbey’ is heading back to our screens for a fifth season. If you’re in the UK the wait isn't too long with the season premiere set for this autumn, but things are slightly more frustrating for the drama’s loyal US fanbase who’ll have to wait until January 4th for the new episodes. But it’s not all bad news, this week the cast and executive producer Gareth Neame have given away some exciting new details about the fifth season, which looks to be as drama packed as ever. So to ease your ‘Downton Abbey’ wait, here’s everything we know so far about season five.

Magge Smith is back again as Violet Crawley

1. The Dowager Countess will take center stage

Continue reading: Everything We Know So Far About ‘Downton Abbey’ Season 5

New Liam Neeson thriller Non-Stop landed in cinemas last Friday and took its first weekend box office by storm, soaring to number one. The movie had the tricky task of taking on all the Oscar-nominated movies that are still out in theatres but rose to the challenge masterfully, earning $30 million ahead of Son of God's $26.5 million. The tense who-dunnit also managed the impressive task of taking out the previous number one film, The Lego Movie, which was forced to settle for third this week.

Liam Neeson Races Against Time To Save Passengers & Himself In 'Non-Stop.'

Neeson's lead role is the movie's main draw, and fans of the Taken actor have a seemingly insatiable thirst for the Irish star's serious, determined and urgent acting style. However, if Neeson's star power was all that was drawing moviegoers in Non-Stop's first weekend, what is it that could see the movie retain its coveted ranking?

Continue reading: Can 'Non-Stop' Maintain Box Office Altitude For A Second Week? [Trailer + Pictures]

Liam Neeson, who has been repackaged as a global action star since Taken, stars in the new suspense thriller Non-Stop from director Jaume Collet-Serra and producer Joel Silver. Out this weekend, the movie also stars Julianne Moore - but is it worth the admission price?

Liam Neeson Doing His Thing In 'Non-Stop'

Neeson stars as U.S. Air Marshal Bill Marks, who receives a series of cryptic text messages demanding that he instruct the government to transfer $150 million into an off-shore account, with a passenger on his flight being killed every 20 minutes in the meantime.

Continue reading: 'Non-Stop': Now, Liam Neeson Is Fighting Crime At 40,000 Feet

Fans mostly know Michele Dockery as Lady Mary on the stuffy Downton Abbey. For the Downton actress herself, however, with a successful TV series and multiple film offers, the world is her oyster. Case in point: the brand new action flick Non-Stop, co-starring Liam Neeson and Julianne Moore, which had its LA Premiere just yesterday, February 25.

Dockery attends the premiere of Non-Stop.

See more pictures from the premiere in our gallery.

Continue reading: After "Non-Stop", Michelle Dockery Might Do More Action Flicks, For The Fun Of It

Downton Abbey was back last Sunday with a predictably morose episode in the wake of Matthew Crawley’s surprise death at the end of Season 3. Setting the tone for a season of change and adjustment, the episode saw the Crawleys and especially Lady Mary, barely coping with the loss of the family’s golden boy. If you don’t want to fall behind in conversation, but without having to actually watch the season opener, here’s the short of it (beware of spoilers below).

Everything is sad now, especially Lady Mary.

After losing Matthew, the abrupt and unexplained cast changes continue with O’Brien sneaking off into the night. “No!” we hear you shout, fists raised dramatically towards the sky. Unfortunately, this is only the first of several departures this season. The problem of O’Brien’s absence is resolved quickly and overdramatically, in typical Downton style – “I’ll dress you today,” offers Mrs. Hughes to Lady Grantham. All is right with the world.

Continue reading: Downton Abbey Season 4 Premiere: Everyone Is Sad [Spoilers]

Downton Abbey is moving through the years with gusto, and already we're seeing some of the effects of time play havoc with the lives of some of the landed gentry trying to keep up with the break neck pace of the Roarin' Twenties. In the latest episode there were taboos of yesteryear broken at every turn. We look back at episode six of the current (fourth) season and try and keep up with the changing face of the 20th century along with the cast. The rest of this article contains spoilers.

I say sir!

One thing that did become clear early on in the episode was that, with the season hitting the half way mark, plot devices were being shoved in here there and everywhere to gear up the season for its final episode, which will air around Christmas time. The first little glimpse of the season closer came when the Earl of Grantham (Hugh Bonneville) received a letter from Uncle Harold in America, stating that he had gotten himself into “a proper fix” over oil leases. The letter will make Paul Giamatti's entrance into the series at Christmas just that little less surprising now, but chances are you've already heard about his special guest spot by now anyway.

Continue reading: 'Downton Abbey' Recap: Season Four, Episode Six

Downton Abbey has finally returned to television for a fourth season meaning Sunday nights are once again sorted for fans of the meaty period drama. The ITV1 show failed to scoop any awards, apart from 'Outstanding Music Composition,' at last night's Emmy Awards but this didn't prevent record viewing ratings - 10.5m viewers - tuning back into the trials, tribulations, romances, deaths and dramas of the fictional estate.

Michelle Dockery Excels In Her Portrayal Of A Widow.

The new season's first episode picks up in 1922, six months after the last left off; Lady Mary (Michelle Dockery) is still very much in mourning for her husband, Matthew Crawley (Dan Stevens) who was killed in a car crash. Britain's post-war boom has receded to government cuts and widespread unemployment. Though the inhabitants of Downton Abbey may be less affected by the harsh reality of the economy compared to the public, the first episode serves to only highlight the class differences between the servants and their masters at the time.

Continue reading: 'Downton Abbey' Consoles Emmy Loss With 10.5m Tune-In To New Series

Downton Abbey is going to get a whole lot more complicated and interesting, with the addition of a host of cast members, including Gary Carr. Carr will play the period drama’s first black character, the charismatic jazz singer Jack Ross. The rest of the new cast-members’ names were also an exciting announcement, since the list includes stars like Dame Kiri Te Kanawa, Tom Cullen, Julian Ovenden, Nigel Harman, Joanna David and Dame Harriet Walter, all joining the show for its fourth season.

Carnival Films’ Managing Director, Gareth Neame, said the following about the character of Jack Ross: “We are delighted to introduce another fantastic, dynamic character to Downton Abbey. His addition will bring interesting twists to the drama which we can’t wait for viewers to see in Series Four”.

We’re sure the viewers are excited as well, but we’ll all have to wait a while longer for the series to return with its next eight episodes later this year, as well as the highly anticipated Christmas special, of course. The new cast members will be joining Downton veterans Shirley McLaine Hugh Bonneville, Maggie Smith, Michelle Dockery and Jim Carter. It’ll probably enhance the show’s dynamic, of course, but we can’t help asking… how are we supposed to memorise every tidbit of intrigue between so many characters?

Continue reading: Gary Carr Joining The Downton Abbey Cast As The Show's First Black Character

Downton Abbey fans were shocked on Christmas Day by the death of one of its most central characters, Matthew Crawley, just after his first son was born. Married to the eldest sister of the family, they were set to inherit the Downton estate. Without that security in the picture, but a new male heir in the frame (albeit an infant), the room for manoeuvre in terms of plot lines has broadened immensely. 

Producer Gareth Neame told E! that the change is, indeed, a good one.  "This is a lesson in something that seems like a really big loss in the moment [that] will actually turn into a great opportunity," he explains, "which it will also be for the show, to take a turn in a whole different direction." With Dan Stevens, who played Matthew Crawley, leaving the UK to pursue his career in the USA, there was very little else they could do with his character, and if the new direction the show takes us is good then the grief will have been worth it. 

Michelle Dockery's character Lady Mary Crawley is having to 'rebuild her life' after the death of her husband, but Dockery herself is going through a variety of changes as well, as the Daily Mail report, at the cost of around £25,000. 

Continue reading: Both Downton Abbey And Its Michelle Dockery To Take New Direction

It's not all that rare to find a British television show nominated at the Golden Globes, both The Tudors and Cranford enjoyed their days in the sun in 2008 and 2009, but Americans really do love a British period drama, so this year sees Downton Abbey receiving three nominations, for Best Drama, Best Actress (Michelle Dockery) and Best Supporting Actress (Dame Maggie Smith), which really is an extraordinary achievement. 

Some of the cast members joined the BBC to speak about their delight regarding the nomination. Joanne Froggat, better known as Anna Bates 'nee Smith', expressed her gratitude to the Globes, saying that "to have that kind of recognition from our American peers is wonderful... it's exciting!" 

"We've now joined  high table," said Hugh Bonneville, who plays Lord Grantham, the head of Downton Abbey, "and we're now being considered alongside these great other dramas that have excited the nation and we're thrilled that us from over seas have managed to fit in." Adding, "It's wonderful because when we're filming in Highclere castle... on a freezing February day in the mud, it's nice to know that sometimes it's worth it."

Continue reading: Downton Abbey's Cast Enjoys Golden Globe Nominations

The Golden Globes are one of the biggest film and television awards in the world. Winning an award from them will almost always top the C.V.s of anyone involved in film. 2012 has been one of the best years in film for a long time, with many films being deemed 'instant classics'. Although, of course, that's said every year, with just a quick glance at the calibre of performances, narrative and cinematography this year it's easy to see why it's being said.

2012's nominations were revealed today with few surprises. The favourites during speculation included Argo, Lincoln, Zero Dark Thirty and The Master, and they haven't failed to impress in the Globes' nominations. Lincoln's set to be a big winner with seven nominations, while Argo has 5 nominations, Zero Dark Thirty has 4 and The Master has 3. All four, except The Master, are also in the running for Best Motion Picture, competing alongside Ang Lee's Life of Pi and Quentin Tarantino's re-envisioning of a slave narrative, Django Unchained. 

Tarantino's film received 5 nominations, which included two in the category for Best Supporting Performance by an Actor, for Christoph Waltz and Leonardo Dicaprio, which proves to us that it's more than worth the watch. Best Director nominations mirrors the Best Motion Picture, and include Ben Affleck (Argo), Stephen Spielberg (Lincoln), Ang Lee (Life of Pi), Kathryn Bigelow (Zero Dark Thirty) and Quentin Tarantino (Django Unchained), which is no surprise really. 

Continue reading: The Golden Globes Nominations, No Surprises For A Great Year Of Film

While the Downton Abbey Christmas special is set to air in the UK on December 25, 2012, Stateside audiences are still eagerly awaiting the show’s third season. The British Edwardian drama has become something of a cult favorite with US audiences. The fact that over in the UK,Downton Abbey is already well into the season and plans for season 4 are already being announced is probably a bit of a burn then.

Naturally, blogs and social networks are buzzing with speculation over the fate of Mary, Edith and the rest of the Crawley family, as well as the rest of the show’s beloved characters. Because British audiences are ahead on the plot, spoilers abound on the web. Nevertheless, the writers and stars of Downton Abbey continued to keep the plot under wraps during an excerpt screening in Los Angeles on Sunday.

Though not quite spoiling anything major, the cast members did drop some hints about what’s to come for American audiences. Rob James Collier, for example, mentioned that the relationship between Thomas and Mrs O’Brien is about to get even worse, saying that “It's like the Cold War all over again. If there’s one person you don’t want to p*** off, it’s Mrs O.B” Hitfix.com reports. Sounds menacing enough. US audiences will have to wait until the season premiere on January 6, 2013 to catch up.

Christmas is best for weight gain, uncomfortable family gatherings, warmed alcoholic beverages and most importantly, period dramas. So, the news that a fourth series of Downton Abbey, including a feature length Christmas special, has been confirmed is pretty much the best Christmas gift we could ask for. 

Filming for the 8 episode series is set to begin in February next year with it premièring in autumn 2013. Dan Stevens, who plays Matthew Crawley, was said to have declined to sign up for a fourth series back in October, but his character is really rather crucial to the whole affair. Having killed off Sybil and the Turkish diplomat back in series 1, another untimely death would render it rather unbelievable. New reports from the Daily Mail say that negotiatiions are still ongoing for the contracts of all the characters.

Both Stevens and Michelle Dockery, his on air wife, have made a great impact in America and are both planning on taking their careers there. Stevens has in fact already moved his entire family out to New York while he performs in The Heiress on Broadway. Dockery's and Steven's characters are absolutely central to Downton Abbey as they are the inheritors, so it really will be an enomrous challenge for Julian Fellows, the creator of Downton, to find his way around that hurdle. But apparently, he "hasn't started writing series four yet so there is time to work out how the story will go and who will be in it." 

Downton Abbey season 3 is well underway, and it’s going down better than ever with fans of the show. In a recent interview, Michelle Dockery has talked in depth about why the show is so popular.

"What it boils down to is the writing," she told Interview Magazine. "Julian is incredibly talented. He's created 18 lead characters, each with their own story lines. The audience gets a nostalgic feeling for the period. It's a time without the internet, without mobile phones. It was an easier sort of period that people look back on and find heartwarming." Since the first episode on September, 16 2012, many a Sunday night has been spent snuggled on the sofa catching up on Downton. It has received critical acclaim from television critics and has won numerous accolades in its entire broadcast, including a Golden Globe Award for Best Miniseries or Television Film and a Primetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Miniseries, and it was also recognized by the Guinness World Records as the most critically acclaimed English television series of 2011.

"In the first season, we see the three sisters, and pretty much all they do is change clothes three times a day—once for breakfast, once for lunch, and then again at dinner. And they're bored,” explained Dockery, who portrays Lady Mary Crawley in the ITV drama. "What was wonderful about the second season is that because of the First World War, women became far more practical and useful. The character of Edith, for example, who helps care for wounded soldiers. But once the war is over, she finds herself at loose ends." Downton continues this Sunday, October 21.

Julian Fellowes wishes to write a prequel on the main characters in his hit ITV1 show ‘Downton Abbey’ after the last series is aired.

The Oscar winning screenwriter, who also wrote the recent ‘Titanic’ mini-series, ‘The Tourist’ and ‘Gosford Park’, wants to recreate the story of when characters Robert and Cora Crawley, the Earl and Countess of Grantham, met and the ‘trouble courtship’ that ensued on to screen. ‘She was in love with him before they married, as we know, and he married her entirely for her money’, Fellowes said at the BAFTA Screenwriters’ Lecture Series. ‘I sort of feel there's something quite nice in there because he's a decent cove, and so he feels rather guilty about this which has affected their marriage beyond that.’

Fellowes was also adamant that the show be aired after ‘Downton Abbey’ had finished. ‘I don't think you can continue a narrative in more than one area at once’, he said. ‘I never really liked those Coronation Street Christmas specials where they all go to Haiti, and you don't have to watch it. Somehow it doesn't feel very organic.’ The show is currently on series three and stars Elizabeth McGovern, Hugh Bonneville, Maggie Smith and Michelle Dockery.

The writer of ITV's period drama series Downton Abbey is planning a prequel that explains how the Earl and Countess of Grantham first met, reports The Telegraph.

"I do actually have an idea of doing a prequel of the courtship of Robert and Cora, when all those American heiresses were arriving in London - the Buccaneers, as they were called," explained Julian Fellowes. Downton has become a remarkable success in the U.K, constantly performing well in the viewing figures table, and being placed in The Guardian's top 10 TV programmes of 2010. Fellowes said the drama would be shown when the full show draws to a close. "I don't think you can continue a narrative in more than one area at once," he explained. "I never really liked those Coronation Street Christmas specials where they all go to Haiti, and you don't have to watch it. Somehow it doesn't feel very organic." Despite its success, some of its leading stars, including Dan Stevens and Michelle Dockery, are expected to leave at the end of this series in pursuit of Hollywood stardom. Downton Abbey season 3 returned to ITV1 on Sunday, 16 September and it will air in the United States beginning 6 January 2013. The next episode will be this Sunday (September 30th).

Asked whether he wished he'd stumbled across Downton earlier in his life, Fellowes gave a humorous response: "People say to me, 'Wouldn't you rather this had all happened when you were 30?' Well, the short answer to that is yes, but the long answer is that by the time you're 50 you've made a fool of yourself so many times that the thought you might make a fool of yourself is no longer a deterrent. So you just cheerfully take it on board and have a crack."

Michelle Dockery joined the cast of Downton Abbey at last night’s 64th Primetime Emmy Awards Reception. According to the Daily Mail, the upmarket dinner, held in North Hollywood, was “overrun” with cast members from the British show but Dockery stood out from the crowd, looking stunning in a demure black and white floral dress and gold shoes. Her make up was subtle and simple and her hair was tied loosely back at her neck; she looked every part the British beauty; a fitting image for the lead actress in the revered British drama.

Dockery has been nominated for the Outstanding Lead Actress award at the forthcoming Emmys and is hotly tipped to be walking away with the gong on Sunday night (September 23, 2012). It won’t be an easy win for Michelle though. She may be becoming an increasingly popluar figure in the US but she still faces fierce competition from home-grown favourites Glenn Close (for her role in Damages), Kathy Bates (for Harry’s Law), Claire Danes (Homeland), Elisabeth Moss and Julianne Marguilies (The Good Wife). Some of Michelle’s cast members are also expected to do well, including Joanne Froggatt, who has been nominated for Outstanding Supporting Actress in a Drama Series. Froggatt was also looking stunning last night, though she opted for a much bolder look, teaming an orange shift dress with a pair of nude heels.

The Emmy Awards considered to be the ‘Oscars’ equivalent for television; they’re a big deal for the US TV industry and last night’s reception dinner was awash with stars of the small screen. The ceremony, which takes place on Sunday night, will be hosted by Jimmy Kimmel.

Continue reading: Michelle Dockery Leads Downton Abbey Cast At Emmy Awards Reception