With the nights drawing in, many viewers are returning to cosy dramas, and few have captured hearts like Downton Abbey, which featured several Greater Manchester actors. The series first aired in 2010, becoming a beloved franchise that ran for six seasons and 52 episodes on ITV. It followed the aristocratic Crawley family and their domestic staff through scandals, heartbreaks and significant historical events, including the sinking of the Titanic and the First World War.
The show has since spawned three films, with last year's The Grand Finale marking the end of an era, reuniting the cast on screen 15 years after its debut. The film followed the Crawley family and their servants as they stepped into the 1930s, with Lady Mary at the centre of a public scandal while navigating her divorce. The household faced financial struggles and the threat of social embarrassment, while the staff prepared for a new chapter, with the next generation guiding Downton Abbey into the future.
The End of an Era
The release of the film marked the last outing for the original cast, with creator Julian Fellowes confirming no more original cast films. "It's certainly the end of the original cast," he told the Los Angeles Times. "It's been quite a long time together, but, yes, it is the end. Whether there are any more 'Downton' rip-offs or connections or whatever, I couldn't tell you. There's nothing firm at the moment. But whatever comes back, it won't be with this original cast. We've come to a natural ending."
Hugh Bonneville and Elizabeth McGovern played the Earl and Countess of Grantham since the show began, which won a string of awards including two Baftas, three Golden Globes and 11 Primetime Emmys. Here, the Manchester Evening News looks back at the original cast and what they're up to now.
Hugh Bonneville as Robert Crawley, Earl of Grantham
Hugh played Robert Crawley, the Earl of Grantham, from the very first episode, having already enjoyed a lengthy acting career. Following the end of Downton Abbey, he appeared in the Paddington franchise as Mr Henry Brown, as well as landing roles in I Came By (2022), Bank of Dave (2023), and Douglas is Cancelled (2024). More recently, he starred in a new production of Shadowlands at the Aldwych Theatre in London, reprising the role of C.S. Lewis, and also starred in the Hong Kong film Cold War 1994.
Away from his career, Hugh separated from his wife of 25 years, Lucinda Williams, in 2023. They share one adult son, named Felix.
Elizabeth McGovern as Cora Crawley, Countess of Grantham
Elizabeth McGovern played Cora Crawley, Countess of Grantham. The American actress, writer, and musician swapped Hollywood for London more than 30 years ago to marry her English husband. She appeared in films including The Wings of the Dove and The Scarlet Pimpernel, but is probably best known for her role in the period drama, for which she was nominated for both an Emmy Award and a Golden Globe Award.
Since the end of Downton Abbey, Elizabeth has appeared in the American horror drama Talamasca: The Secret Order, and is set to appear in Seasons, an upcoming American supernatural horror film scheduled for release in the United States next year. Away from acting, she is also a singer, having begun fronting the band Sadie and the Hotheads at The Castle pub venue in Portobello Road, London, in 2008. They have released a number of albums, the last being in 2025, titled Let's Stop Fighting.
Michelle Dockery as Lady Mary Crawley
Michelle Dockery was relatively unknown when she landed the role of Lady Mary Crawley. Playing Lady Mary earned her three Emmy nominations and a Golden Globe nomination, on top of winning three Screen Actors Guild awards as part of the show's ensemble cast. Since landing the role, she has appeared in TV series and films, including the Netflix series Godless in 2017, for which she landed another Emmy nomination, and has returned for all of the show's films.
Other roles have included Anatomy of a Scandal (2022) and This Town (2024), while The Gentlemen (2019), Boy Kills World (2023) and Flight Risk (2024) are among her more recent films. She has also returned to the stage, recently appearing in Bloodsport: After Helen of Troy at Stratford East. In her personal life, Michelle is married to Jasper Waller-Bridge, brother of actress, screenwriter, and producer Phoebe Waller-Bridge. The couple are reported to have welcomed their first child at the start of this year.
Laura Carmichael as Lady Edith Crawley
Playing Lady Edith Crawley brought Laura Carmichael worldwide recognition. Following her success in the series, she has appeared in the historical miniseries The Spanish Princess and the Australian psychological drama The Secrets She Keeps. She made her West End debut in Uncle Vanya opposite Anna Friel and Samuel West in October 2012, and has since taken on other stage roles, with her last in 2023 when she appeared in Noël Coward's Private Lives at the Donmar Warehouse in London.
The actress also has Downton Abbey to thank for her personal life, having entered a relationship with her co-star Michael Fox, who played Andy Parker in series five and six, in 2014. Their first child, a son, was born in 2022.
Jessica Brown Findlay as Lady Sybil Crawley
Lady Sybil Crawley's life ended in tragedy when she died following childbirth, but it came after Jessica Brown Findlay's decision to leave the hit series after two and a half series. A role in another period drama, Harlots, followed; she played Ophelia in a theatre production of Hamlet in 2017, and appeared in Apple TV's sci-fi mystery Silo, before it was recently announced that she'll be joining the fifth and final season of HBO's Industry.
The actress has also starred in films such as Winter's Tale (2014), Victor Frankenstein (2015), England Is Mine (2017) and most recently Mother Mary, a psychological drama released earlier this year. Away from her career, Jessica married fellow actor Ziggy Heath in 2020, after they were said to have started dating in late 2016. Their twin sons were born in November 2022.
Maggie Smith as Violet Crawley, Dowager Countess of Grantham
Dame Maggie Smith's career stretched beyond Downton Abbey, having starred on stage and screen in a glittering career that spanned more than 70 years. She won 58 awards during her career, including two Academy Awards and five BAFTAs. She won the Oscar for Best Actress in 1969 for her portrayal of Jean Brodie in The Prime of Miss Jean Brodie, and Best Supporting Actress in 1978 after starring as Diana Barrie in California Suite. In more recent years, she won praise for her role as Violet in Downton Abbey.
She returned for the spin-off films in 2019 and 2022 before her death in 2024. It was announced in September that year that she had passed away peacefully in the hospital with her family by her side. Dame Maggie was known for being incredibly private about her life off-screen and for shunning fame, as she disliked the fuss of awards dos. She had never spoken of her plans to retire, with her last film, The Miracle Club, released in 2023, starring alongside the likes of Kathy Bates and Laura Linney.
Dan Stevens as Mr Matthew Crawley
Dan Stevens appeared in three seasons of Downton Abbey as Matthew Crawley, the lawyer and distant Crawley relative who becomes heir after the death of two family members. He made the decision to leave the show, and Matthew was subsequently killed in a car accident after a visit to his wife, Lady Mary Crawley, and newborn son at the hospital. Dan has been busy ever since, portraying and voicing The Beast in Disney's live action adaptation of Beauty and the Beast (2017), playing leading role as the veterinarian Trapper Beasley in Godzilla x Kong: The New Empire, and starring as David Haller in the Noah Hawley-created FX psychological thriller series Legion.
More recently, the actor was cast in the Dexter sequel series Dexter: Resurrection, portraying serial killer Owen Stark / The Five Borough Killer, and as RoboCop/Alex Murphy in the upcoming prequel Amazon Prime Video series. It's also been announced that he will reprise the role of Trapper Beasley in Godzilla x Kong: Supernova. In his private life, Dan has been married to musician Susie Hariet, with whom he shares three children, since 2009.
Penelope Wilton as Mrs Isobel Crawley
Penelope Wilton played the widowed Isobel Crawley in the ITV drama throughout its five-year run, but was already a well-known actress with an extensive career, known for starring opposite Richard Briers in the BBC sitcom Ever Decreasing Circles and for playing Homily in The Borrowers and The Return of the Borrowers. She's also had an extensive career on stage, receiving six Olivier Award nominations, winning the 2015 Olivier Award for Best Actress for Taken at Midnight.
Since Downton Abbey, Penelope has been seen appearing in Brief Encounters, Murder Is Easy, Dead Hot, and playing Anne in Ricky Gervais' Netflix dark comedy After Life, as well as starring in several films, including The BFG (2016) and The Unlikely Pilgrimage of Harold Fry (2023). In her personal life, Penelope was married to actor Daniel Massey. They had a daughter, Alice, born in 1977, after they tragically had a stillborn son. She later married actor Ian Holm in 1991, who played Pod opposite her in The Borrowers and its follow-up, The Return of the Borrowers. They divorced in 2001.
Jim Carter as Mr Charles Carson, the Butler
Jim Carter's screen career stretches beyond Downton Abbey, having appeared in dozens of films and TV shows over the years. He is also an established theatre actor, having first taken to the stage in 1968. Jim appeared in Downton throughout its run, from 2010-15, as well as the three spin-off films, playing the loyal butler Charles Carson.
Away from Downton, Jim has appeared in films including The Golden Compass (2007), Shakespeare in Love (1998), Brassed Off (1996), and The Madness of King George (1994). More recently he appeared in Wonka (2023) and Transformers: The Last Knight (2017). TV credits include Silent Witness, The Scarlet Pimpernel, Hornblower and Midsomer Murders. Jim was awarded an OBE in the 2019 New Year's Honours for services to drama. He has been married to The Crown actress Imelda Staunton since 1983, a year after meeting during rehearsals for a production of Guys and Dolls. The couple have one daughter, Bessie, who starred in Bridgerton as Prudence Featherington.
Phyllis Logan as Mrs Elsie Hughes, the Housekeeper
Phyllis Logan was a regular in Downton Abbey throughout all six seasons of the show and three spin-off films, playing the housekeeper Elsie Hughes. Memorable storylines included a breast cancer scare in series 3 and having to provide long-term support for her disabled sister. Away from Downton, Phyllis is a well-known face on the screen, appearing in dozens of TV shows and films over the years. Credits include Lovejoy, where she played Lady Jane Felsham in all six series; Holby City, Hope and Glory, Girlfriends, and Netflix miniseries The Bombing of Pan Am 103.
Phyllis, 70, is married to Pirates of the Caribbean actor Kevin McNally. They married in 2011 and have one son.
Brendan Coyle as Mr John Bates, Lord Grantham's valet
Established film and TV actor Brendan Coyle remained a cast member of Downton Abbey for all six seasons and three films. He played Lord Grantham's valet, John Bates, who was involved in major storylines, including wrongful imprisonment for murder. The story even prompted viewers of the show to sign a Free Bates petition. Away from Downton, he has appeared in dozens of shows, including The Bill, Silent Witness, New Tricks, Toxic Tow, and Prime Suspect. Big-screen credits include the James Bond film Tomorrow Never Dies, The Jacket, and Mary Queen of Scots.
Brendan, 63, is the great-nephew of legendary Manchester United manager Sir Matt Busby. He keeps his personal life out of the public eye, though he famously described himself as single and looking for a meaningful relationship in a 2012 interview with The Telegraph.
Siobhan Finneran as Miss Sarah O'Brien, Lady Grantham's maid
Oldham-born Siobhan Finneran is an established face on screen and stage, having appeared in dozens of TV shows and productions over the years. She made her screen debut in the cult film Rita, Sue and Bob Too (1987) and has since worked consistently in television drama, including roles as Josie Philips in Coronation Street from 1989-1990, and Clocking Off (2000–2002). Siobhan also appeared in a number of other dramas, including Emmerdale, Heartbeat, Casualty, Dalziel and Pascoe and The Street. She joined the cast of Downton Abbey for the first series, and remained a regular until the end of series 3, starring as maid Sarah O'Brien.
Alongside her role in Downton, she starred in the comedy series Benidorm as Janice Garvey, from 2007 to 2015. For her role in BBC's Happy Valley, she was nominated for a BAFTA TV Award. Since Downton, she has appeared in Death in Paradise, Unchosen, Inside Number 9, Cold Feet and The Reckoning. Away from her acting career, Siobhan married Heartbeat actor Mark Jordon in 1997. The couple divorced in 2014. She has been in a relationship with Death in Paradise star Don Gilet since 2018.
Joanne Froggatt as Miss Anna Smith, head housemaid
Joanne Froggatt portrayed Anna Bates in the hit series and in the movies, a role for which she received three Emmy nominations and won the 2014 Golden Globe Award for Best Supporting Actress. But she had already been working as a professional actress for more than a decade before she landed the role, with roles including Zoe Tattersall in Coronation Street, from 1997–1998, and Ruth Tyler, Sam Tyler's mother, in the original UK version of the fantasy police drama Life on Mars.
Following the show's conclusion in 2015, the actress has landed lead roles in an array of TV shows, including Liar (2017 to 2020), Angela Black (2021) and Breathtaking (2024). More recently, Joanne joined Guy Ritchie's Paramount+ drama MobLand, playing Jan DaSouza, the wife of Tom Hardy's character. Away from her work, Joanne married long-time boyfriend James Cannon in a private ceremony in October 2012. In February 2020, she confirmed they had separated. She has one child, a girl born in September 2024, but she has not revealed the child's father's identity.
Thomas Howes as Mr William Mason, second footman
Thomas Howes joined the cast of Downton Abbey in 2010, where he played the role of footman William Mason in seasons 1 and 2. Thomas left the show at the end of the second season, after he got wounded in World War 1 - marrying kitchen maid Daisy Mason on his deathbed. Since his stint on Downton, Thomas, 40, has appeared in the Canadian TV show Murdoch Mysteries, the mini-series Dark Angel, Gentleman Jack, and Call the Midwife in 2020.
His extensive theatre background includes performing in the UK tour of Alan Bennett's The History Boys for the National Theatre, Agatha Christie's The Mousetrap, and Terence Rattigan's The Winslow Boy. He runs his own theatre company in Doncaster called Diamond Theatre Company. He keeps his private life largely out of the public eye.
Robert James-Collier as Mr Thomas Barrow, first footman
Salford's Robert James-Collier is known for his role as Thomas Barrow in Downton Abbey, for which he won the Screen Actors Guild Award for Outstanding Performance by an Ensemble in a Drama Series. But before Downton, it was all about the cobbles of Weatherfield, as in 2006, the actor joined Coronation Street as Liam Connor, joint owner of the Underworld factory. He left the show in October 2008, and the character was killed off in a murder plot, where three well-known residents were suspected of the crime.
After Downton Abbey, Robert played Kevin O'Dowd in ITV's 2016 crime drama The Level, and in 2017 he starred in the British horror film The Ritual. A role in Vera followed before he joined the third series of Channel 4 school drama Ackley Bridge as Martin Evershed in 2019. In September 2023, James-Collier starred in the Channel 5 drama series The Inheritance, appearing alongside Samantha Bond, Jemima Rooper, Gaynor Faye and Adil Ray, and in 2025, James-Collier starred as DC Ben Cooper in the series Cooper & Fry. As for his private life, Robert married fashion boutique owner Lauren Chandiram, and the couple have one son.
Rose Leslie as Miss Gwen Dawson, a housemaid
Rose Leslie appeared as a main cast member in the first series of Downton Abbey, appearing as Gwen Dawson. She then returned to the show for the final series in 2015. However, Rose is perhaps best known for her role in another popular TV programme - playing Ygritte in HBO's Game of Thrones. Rose appeared as hero Jon Snow's love interest from 2012 to 2014 - appearing in three seasons of the hit TV show.
Since then, her TV career has gone from strength to strength, and she has starred in shows including The Good Fight, BBC's Vigil, HBO's The Time Traveller's Wife, and BBC's Miss Austen. Rose, 39, found romance with her on-screen Game of Thrones love interest Kit Harington. The pair began dating in 2011 and married in June 2018. The couple have two children.
Sophie McShera as Miss Daisy Robinson, a kitchen maid
Sophie McShera had already appeared on UK TV before joining the cast of Downton Abbey when it started in 2010. Sophie, who is now 41, played kitchen maid Daisy Robinson throughout the whole run of the series until 2015. She also appeared in the three spin-off Downton Abbey films. Before joining Downton, she starred in Waterloo Road, appearing in 19 episodes as Ros McCain. She had also previously had minor roles in Emmerdale and Doctors.
Away from Downton, Sophie has appeared in shows including the Netflix series The Queen's Gambit and Inside Number 9. She is also an established stage actress, making her stage return in 2025 in the European premiere of Shucked at Regent's Park Open Air Theatre in the role of Maizy. Little is known about her personal life and relationships, as the actress does not have any public social media.
