You know Michelle Dockery as Lady Mary from "Downton Abbey." But where has she
appeared since then? And what's gone on in her personal life?" Let's take a look
at the ups and downs of Michelle Dockery's post-"Downton" life.
"Downton Abbey" was obviously a major moment for Michelle Dockery,
earning her three Emmy award nominations as a key player in one of TV's hottest shows.
"I need hardly say you're not to repeat a word to Bates."
"Of course not, my lady."
The ambitious actor followed up her beloved role as Lady Mary with a challenging part
as a struggling single mother in Ritesh Batra's movie "The Sense of an Ending."
Adapted from the novel of the same name by Julian Barnes, the film follows Dockery's
committed daughter as she helps her father, played by Jim Broadbent, face up to his troubled past.
As Dockery told "Parade Magazine," her work on "The Sense of an Ending" grew out of a desire
to work with Batra, whose film "The Lunchbox" ranks among her favorites. The actress, quote,
"jumped at the chance" to be a part of Batra's film, and was also drawn to the
story of a couple of everyday people who go on a life-changing journey. As she put it:
"As individuals we all have a journey and are the
authors of our own story. We are all extraordinary."
In 2015, at the height of her "Downton Abbey" fame,
Michelle Dockery faced unimaginable personal tragedy when her fiancé, Irish PR director
John Dineen, died from cancer at the age of 34. The actor admitted to “The Guardian” in 2017,
"I don't have the vocabulary to describe what it felt like. And what it still feels like."
She went on to note that, because she and Dineen were, quote,
"married at heart," she felt like his widow when he died.
Throughout his illness, Dockery was playing Lady Mary, who suffers a similar loss,
which made the situation that much harder to bear. Thankfully,
it ultimately gave her a new sense of perspective on life and on her job too,
naturally. According to "Hello!" magazine, at Dineen's memorial service, the "Downton Abbey"
star praised her late fiancé for being equally dedicated to his personal and professional lives.
It's understandable Michelle Dockery would want to change up the roles she took on
after playing the same character on "Downton Abbey" for so long. Dockery hit the jackpot
when the part of Letty, a con artist who gets out of jail and becomes involved with a hitman,
in the TV drama "Good Behavior" came along. As she told "Parade" Magazine:
"I was longing to play a part like Letty. It's a dream come true for me
to have a multifaceted role like that with her heart wide open and all that rawness."
Dockery admitted that sometimes casting directors can't see her as anyone but her "Downton Abbey"
character, which is frustrating. But with Letty, the show's casting directors clearly
knew as well as Dockery did that she was perfect for the role. Recalling how the script's first
page involved her character taking the wallet from a man who was attempting to attack her,
she told "Parade" that she knew immediately that she wanted the role no matter what.
Michelle Dockery is no stranger to the Emmy Awards, given that she was nominated three years
in a row for her role in "Downton Abbey." But, as "Vanity Fair" noted in a profile of the star,
getting the nod for her work in "Godless" was extra special.
"There's some lore about finding gold under the fence posts.
They say that's where the old ranchers used to hide it from Indians and outlaws."
In the Western series, Dockery plays Alice,
a gun-toting widow and single mother carving out a life for herself in the harsh Wild West.
As Dockery told "Vanity Fair":
"Getting the role was a big deal. Westerns are something very,
very far removed from anything that I thought I would do,
and something that you don't expect to play. They're quite rare these days."
Dockery grew up watching Westerns and felt a unique kinship with Alice. The role involved
intense stunt training and period costuming, both of which Dockery very much enjoyed.
In an interview with “The Los Angeles Times,” Dockery noted that "Godless"
creator Scott Frank wasn't sure she'd be up for the demands of the show, because he
only knew her from her role on "Downton Abbey." Thankfully, her audition tape sealed the deal.
Although Michelle Dockery branched out — with the likes of "Good Behavior" and
"Godless," in particular — Lady Mary was never far from her mind. In 2019,
Dockery returned for the "Downton Abbey" movie. The film was well-received by critics,
achieving an 84% rating on review aggregator Rotten Tomatoes, while it took in an impressive
$193 Million dollars at the global box office, according to Box Office Mojo.
Luckily, despite having to find her way around the character again,
Dockery told "InStyle Magazine” that returning to Lady Mary was ultimately a piece of cake.
There were three years between the show and the movie, but the actor said that,
in the end, it felt like, quote, "no time had passed." The project also allowed Dockery to
reconnect with how special the show was in the first place, reminding her that driving
up to the show's title location was actually a breathtaking spectacle, even for an actor.
In keeping with her desire to take on more exciting and challenging roles after "Downton
Abbey," Michelle Dockery relished playing a gangster's wife opposite Matthew McConaughey
in Guy Ritchie's "The Gentlemen." As Rosalind, a tough woman from East London,
Dockery was able to reconnect to some of her own family's background. The film, which was set in
London, also gave her a chance to work with a legendary crime drama director like Ritchie,
as well as a cast that included Charlie Hunnam, Hugh Grant, and "Succession" star Jeremy Strong.
Ritchie kept Dockery on her toes by encouraging improvisation in a more
free-wheeling atmosphere than she's used to, allowing her to stretch her acting abilities.
Creating a killer look for the take-no-guff Rosalind was key to
making the character feel real. As Dockery told "Net-a-Porter":
"Rosalind has clearly worked her way up to where she is,
really enjoys the lifestyle and having money,
but still wants to work. I love that about her character, that she still gets her hands dirty."
The dark TV drama "Defending Jacob" presented yet another opportunity for Michelle Dockery to show
off what she could do outside of "Downton Abbey." The AppleTV+ series follows a desperate couple,
played by Dockery and Marvel star Chris Evans, whose teenage son is accused of killing his
classmate. Dockery described her character, Laurie, to "The Hollywood Reporter" like this:
"She's sort of questioning everything,
her whole life. I think parent's guilt plays so much into this story,
in that she feels so much responsibility and guilt if he did do this or was involved in any way."
The actor went on to explain how difficult it was to switch off the high emotions after
finishing each day, admitting she usually finds it relatively easy to go in and out
of character on set. However, she noted the character of Laurie forced her to really get,
quote, "in the zone." As a result, Dockery had to remain in that emotionally charged
headspace as a parent wondering whether her child is a murderer and trying to support
him regardless because otherwise she'd find it tough to get back into it — understandably so.
Considering the first "Downton Abbey" movie was such a hit with filmgoers,
a sequel was all but guaranteed, and indeed 2022 will see the release of "Downton Abbey:
A New Era." Despite the apparent time change, Michelle Dockery will
be returning to her role as Lady Mary once again, alongside all the other fan
favorite characters heading to France. In discussing the film, Dockery told "Metro":
"It's really interesting to see the characters in another place.
It's a really fun film. That's all I can tell you!"
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