If You Miss Downton Abbey: More From Maggie Smith, Penelope Wilton, Hugh Bonneville, Elizabeth McGovern
Posted on March 14, 2015 at 3:43 pm
Copyright PBS 2015
“Downton Abbey’s” season is ending and it will be months before we get new episodes. Now might be a good time to check out some of the other roles played by your favorite Downton-ites.
Maggie Smith (the Dowager Countess) may not have hit superstardom until she was in her 70’s, but before that she had a long and highly successful career that included two Oscars. In The Prime of Miss Jean Brodie she plays a fiercely independent but free-spirited teacher whose efforts to have her students live out her fantasies results in tragedy. In California Suite ensemble comedy from Neil Simon, she was heartbreaking as a movie star herself up for an Oscar, escorted by her husband, a man she loves and who loves her, but who is gay in an era where he could not be honest about it. I also love her in Room With a View as the spinster aunt who does not see much but who can tell everyone sees her as fussy and in the way, in The VIPs as the loyal secretary who saves the day for the boss she secretly loves, and in Travels With My Aunt, a wild story based on the book by Graham Greene.
Penelope Wilton (Isobel Crawley) has a central role in one of the cleverest comedies of all time, three plays known as The Norman Conquests. They all take place at the same time, one in the living room, one in the garden, and one in the dining, so an entrance in one of them is an exit in another. She co-starred with Helen Mirren in Calendar Girls (based on the true story of a group of middle-aged women who pose nude for a fundraising calendar) and with Maggie Smith in The Best Exotic Marigold Hotel and its sequel.
Hugh Bonneville (Lord Grantham) stars opposite a Peruvian bear in the popular 2015 release Paddington. You can also find him as Hugh Grant’s inept and awkward friend in Notting Hill, as the foolish Mr. Rushworth in Mansfield Park, and as the unfortunate M. Bovary in Madame Bovary.
Elizabeth McGovern (Countess of Grantham) appeared in the Oscar-winning Ordinary People as a high school student and romantic interest for the main character played by Timothy Hutton. She was touching and funny in Ragtime as real-life performer Evelyn Nesbit, whose wealthy young husband shot and killed her lover, the renowned architect Stanford White. In Clover she played the white widow of a black man, fighting his family for custody of his daughter.
You don’t have to be a fan of “Downton Abbey” (or “Mr. Selfridge”) to love this hilarious spoof, with guest appearances by Jeremy Piven, George Clooney and the Absolutely Fabulous Joanna Lumley.
The fabulous museum and garden at Delaware’s Wintherthur is well worth a visit, especially now through January 4, 2015, when 40 costumes from Downton Abbey will be on display. It is a spectacular show, brilliantly displayed. It covers the real-life world of landed gentry in 1912-1920 Great Britain, with fascinating context comparing it to life at the 175-room mansion of Winterthur itself in that era. While there were many similarities, there were important differences. American upper class families, with much less to draw from in terms of tradition, had a range of books to advise them on household matters and etiquette. This was not necessary in the UK, where, as we see in the show, both upper and lower class learned how to behave by observing.
Photo courtesy of Winterthur
Americans were, unsurprisingly, much more interested in adopting new technologies like electricity and washing machines. The exhibit also covers the contemporary challenge of creating the world of a century ago for television. One of the first dresses on display is worn by the housekeeper of Downton Abbey. The fabric is more textured and luxurious than it would have been in real life, in order to make a visually striking impression on a television screen. The costumes are not precisely authentic. They are modern interpretations of the styles of the era, with many vintage details. Fans of the series will remember Lady Sybil’s harem-inspired outfit, shown on the left, which is in the exhibit. The fragile vintage lace tore during filming and was repaired. It looks perfect on screen, but in person the tear is obvious. A highlight of the exhibit is the dress Lady Mary wore when Matthew proposed. A loop of the proposal itself plays on a monitor. As fans will remember, it was snowing when Matthew knelt to ask her to marry him. The museum has somehow managed to evoke a soft snowfall in that part of the room, so we feel we are right there seeing it happen. The exhibit is highly recommended. And be sure to make time for the tour of the rest of Winterthur to see the extraordinary permanent collection of American decorative arts and the magnificent gardens. To make reservations for the Downton show: 800.448.3883
