‘Downton Abbey’ Stars: Where Are They Now?

Truly a classic! 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.

Not only was Downton Abbey a major hit on the small screen, but it was also transformed into movie magic. In September 2019, several of the original cast members reprised their roles in a feature-length film spin-off of the successful series. The continuing saga of the Crawley family’s estate in the English countryside raked in $194 million worldwide.

Less than two years later, it was announced the cast would return for a second film in December 2021.

“After a very challenging year with so many of us separated from family and friends, it is a huge comfort to think that better times are ahead and that next Christmas we will be reunited with the much beloved characters of Downton Abbey,” producer Gareth Neame said in a statement in April 2021, noting how the coronavirus pandemic impacted the entertainment industry.

When the TV series came to an end in 2015, fans weren’t the only ones who were sad to say goodbye to the beloved characters. Bonneville, who played Robert Crawley, the Earl of Grantham, revealed that he couldn’t leave the role behind without taking a little something to remember him by.

“I did liberate a letter from a character [played by Matthew Goode] called Henry Talbot, who really emerges quite clearly in Season 6, inviting [the Crawleys] to race a car or something,” the actor teased during a 2016 interview with Kelly Ripa. “On Downton, not only is each letter beautifully handwritten or typed if appropriate, but it’s also germane to the scene that you’re doing. It’s really beautiful, that level of detail, because it puts you in the moment, in that era that you are trying to evoke.”

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Bonneville’s pilfered prop now hangs in a frame in the downstairs bathroom of his home.

While many fan-favorites returned for the films, Lily James’ name was left off both of the cast lists. Despite viewers’ disappointment, Neame and creator Julian Fellowes revealed that James’ absence from the first movie wasn’t personal.

“She can’t be [in it]; she’s in every other film at the world at the moment,” Neame joked to Entertainment Weekly in December 2018.

At the time, Fellowes added: “Lily is now a big star, and it would’ve been incredibly difficult for her to find time in her schedule to come and play essentially a supporting role in Downton when her career was in a different place when she was with us. … She’s our greatest success story from the cast of the show.”

Scroll down to learn what the cast of Downton Abbey is up to now.

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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.

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 in September 2020 after four years of dating.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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).

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 debuted in 2019. It was renewed for a third season in May 2020.

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.

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, nearly one year after the couple announced their engagement. The pair welcomed their first child together in 2020