Downton Abbey caught the attention of millions of viewers throughout its six seasons — and fans are still binge-watching the drama well after its finale.
The British series aired on ITV from 2010 to 2015 and was brought to PBS audiences across the pond. Starring Hugh Bonneville, Dame Maggie Smith and more iconic English actors, the show was met with critical acclaim and earned numerous awards, including a Golden Globe Award for Best Miniseries or Television Film and an Emmy Award for Outstanding Miniseries.
‘DWTS’ Partners Brooks Nader and Gleb Savchenko Are ‘Hooking Up’: Source
Could Menendez Brothers Be Released From Prison Appeal Process Explained
Hayden Panettiere Talks ‘Amber Alert,’ Leaning Into Horror and Using Motherhood as Inspiration
Tamra Judge Says She Wasn’t Planning to Come for Ryan on ‘RHOC’
Woman Reportedly Sues Diddy for Sexual Assault, Claims He Got Her Pregnant
Lana Del Rey and Boyfriend Jeremy Dufrene Obtain Marriage License: Reports
Maggie Sajak Talks ‘Awesome’ Ryan Seacrest as Host of ‘Wheel of Fortune’
Actress Maggie Smith Dies at 89
RHOSLC’s Angie Katsanevas Was Hoping for ‘Reconciliation’ With Meredith But Is Now ‘Done’ With Their Friendship
Bella Hadid and Cowboy Boyfriend Could ‘Go the Distance’: Source
Not only was Downton Abbey a major hit on the small screen, but it was also transformed into movie magic. Several of the original cast members reprised their roles in two feature-length film spinoffs of the successful series in 2019 and 2022. A third film installment is set to hit theaters in September 2025.
Scroll down to learn what the cast of Downton Abbey is up to now:
Credit: Joan Wakeham/Shutterstock; ITV/Kieron McCarron/Shutterstock
Hugh Bonneville (Robert Crawley)
The English actor earned a Golden Globe nomination and two consecutive Emmy nods for his performance as Robert Crawley, Earl of Grantham, across the show’s six seasons. Since Downton Abbey came to an end, Bonneville appeared in2014’s Paddington and its 2017 sequel, Paddington 2. He also played Lord Mountbatten in the 2017 film Viceroy’s House. In 2019, Bonneville was named a Deputy Lieutenant of West Sussex, England.
In 2023, his rep confirmed that he and wife Lulu Williams split after 25 years of marriage. They share son Felix, born in 2003.
Credit: Davidson/Shutterstock; Piers Allardyce/Shutterstock
Jessica Brown Findlay (Lady Sybil)
Brown Findlay studied at the National Youth Ballet and the Associates of the Royal Ballet as a child before deciding to turn to acting instead. Apart from her role as Lady Sybil in Downton Abbey, she is best known for her work in 2011’s Albatross, 2014’s Winter’s Tale and the British series Harlots, which aired for three seasons from 2017 to 2019. She married actor Ziggy Heath, with whom she shares twin sons, in September 2020 after four years of dating.
Credit: Nick Briggs/Shutterstock; J M HAEDRICH/SIPA/Shutterstock
Laura Carmichael (Edith Pelham)
Following her time on Downton Abbey, the U.K. native appeared in television series Marcella (2016) and the 2016 film A United Kingdom, which also starred Rosamund Pike and David Oyelowo. She reprised her role as Edith Pelham, Marchioness of Hexham (née Lady Edith Crawley) in the 2019 film adaptation of Downton Abbey. Since 2016, Carmichael has been dating Michael C. Fox, who played Andrew Parker in the ITV period drama.
Credit: Joan Wakeham/Shutterstock; Dan Wooller/Shutterstock
Jim Carter (Charles Carson)
The beloved British star earned four Emmy nominations for Outstanding Supporting Actor in a Drama Series between 2012 and 2015 for his role as Mr. Carson in the compelling series. He reprised his role in the 2019 Downton Abbey movie alongside his wife, Imelda Staunton. Carter also starred in Shakespeare in Love (1998), Ella Enchanted (2004), Tim Burton‘s Alice in Wonderland (2010) and The Good Liar (2019). He was dubbed an Officer of the Order of the British Empire (OBE) in 2019 for his work in drama.
Credit: Joan Wakeham/Shutterstock; Ken McKay/ITV/Shutterstock
Brendan Coyle (John Bates)
The Olivier Award winner’s work in Downton Abbey was met with critical acclaim, earning him an Emmy nomination for Outstanding Supporting Actor in a Drama Series in 2012. He also won three Screen Actors Guild Awards from 2013 to 2016. Coyle later starred in 2016’s Me Before You and 2018’s Mary Queen of Scots.
Credit: Joan Wakeham/Shutterstock; David Buchan/Variety/Shutterstock
Michelle Dockery (Lady Mary Talbot)
The London native made her stage debut in His Dark Materials in 2004 before joining the cast of Downton Abbey. Throughout its six seasons, Dockery was nominated for a Golden Globe Award and three Emmy Awards. More recently, she’s starred in the Netflix miniseries Godless, for which she received her fourth Emmy nomination and the AppleTV+ miniseries Defending Jacob.
In September 2023, Dockery married Jasper Waller-Bridge in a ceremony attended by several of her Downton costars.
Credit: Matt Sayles/Invision/AP/Shutterstock; S Meddle/ITV/Shutterstock
Joanne Froggatt (Anna Bates)
Following the end of the period drama, Froggatt scored a gig on ITV’s Liar, which premiered in 2017. The Golden Globe winner made her London stage debut in Alys, Always in February 2019. One year later, she confirmed that she had split from husband of nearly eight years, James Cannon.
Credit: Dan Wooller/Shutterstock; Lionel Hahn/ABACA USA/INSTAR
Rose Leslie (Gwen Harding)
Apart from Downton Abbey, Leslie is best known for her turn on Game of Thrones. The Scottish actress portrayed Ygritte on seasons 2, 3 and 4 of the HBO series. Her character was the love interest of Jon Snow, played by Kit Harington, whom she wed in June 2018. The Good Fight actress revealed that she was pregnant with the pair’s first child while posing for the U.K.’s Make Magazine in September 2020. In February 2021, she gave birth to a baby boy. They welcomed their second child, a daughter, in summer 2023.
Credit: Joan Wakeham/Shutterstock; Shutterstock
Rob James-Collier (Thomas Barrow)
Before his time on Downton Abbey, the model got his start on the popular U.K. soap opera Coronation Street. He scored a few small roles on British television after Downton Abbey’s series finale, and in 2019, joined the cast of British comedy-drama Ackley Bridge.
Phyllis Logan (Elsie Carson)
The Scottish actress was previously known for playing Lady Jane Felsham in Lovejoy, a British mystery series, from 1986 to 1993. Her Downton Abbey character, Mrs. Carson (née Hughes), was a fan-favorite. She reprised the role in the 2019 spin-off film and starred alongside Keira Knightley, Gugu Mbatha-Raw and Greg Kinnear in 2020’s Misbehaviour.
Elizabeth McGovern (Cora Crawley)
The Oscar winner is otherwise known for her roles in Ordinary People (1980), Ragtime (1981), The Handmaid’s Tale (1990), and The Chaperone (2018). Following the conclusion of Downton Abbey, McGovern embarked on a small U.K. tour with her band, Sadie and the Hotheads. In 2019, she starred in a TV adaptation of H.G. Wells’ 1898 novel War of the Worlds.
Sophie McShera (Daisy Mason)
The multitalented British actress appeared alongside Lily James, Helena Bonham-Carter and Cate Blanchett in the 2015 live-action Cinderella film after the series finale of Downton Abbey. More recently, she starred in Netflix hit The Queen’s Gambit alongside Anya Taylor-Joy and Thomas Brodie-Sangster.
Lesley Nicol (Beryl Patmore)
The three-time SAG Award winner has made several guest appearances on American TV shows — including The CW’s Supernatural and CBS’ The Odd Couple — since her time on Downton Abbey came to an end. She later created a musical about her life with the help of songwriter Mark Mueller, who performed the show with her in 2017 at London’s Fringe Club.
Kevin Doyle (Joseph Molesley)
An accomplished star of stage and screen, Doyle returned as butler Joseph Molesley in the 2019 Downton Abbey movie. He is also known for his work in several British series, including Happy Valley, The Lakes, Coronation Street and The Crimson Field.
Dame Maggie Smith (Violet Crawley)
The Oscar winner played Professor Minerva McGonagall in the Harry Potter film series from 2001 to 2011 before joining the cast of Downton Abbey. Other notable performances include The First Wives Club (1996), Becoming Jane (2007) and The Second Best Exotic Marigold Hotel (2015).
One year after Smith starred in the 2023 film The Miracle Club with Kathy Bates and Laura Linney, her sons, Toby Stephens and Chris Larkin, announced she died at age 89 in September 2024.
Penelope Wilton (Isobel Grey)
Wilton’s long list of credits includes 2004’s Shaun of the Dead, 2005’s Pride and Prejudice, 2012’s The Best Exotic Marigold Hotel and its 2015 sequel. She appeared alongside Ricky Gervais in his dark Netflix comedy, After Life, which ended after three seasons in 2022.
Lily James (Lady Rose Aldridge)
After her four seasons on Downton Abbey, James secured a string of impressive movie roles, including Baby Driver (2017), Mamma Mia! Here We Go Again (2018), Yesterday (2019) and Rebecca (2020). In October 2020, she made headlines after she was caught canoodling with married Pursuit of Love costar Dominic West in Rome. The PDA-filled pics surfaced shortly after James was linked to Chris Evans following her split from The Crown’s Matt Smith. Following the scandal with West, she was spotted kissing musician Michael Schuman in February 2021. The pair dated for two years before reportedly calling it quits.
Allen Leech (Tom Branson)
Three years after Downton Abbey concluded, Leech starred alongside Oscar winner Rami Malek in 2018’s Freddie Mercury biopic, Bohemian Rhapsody. He married actress Jessica Blair Herman in January 2019, and the two have since welcomed two daughters.
