Downton Abbey is considered to be one of the most cherished and successful historical drama shows of all time. The popular series spanned six seasons with 52 episodes on ITV, and aired in the U.S. on MASTERPIECE on PBS from 2011-2020. This award-winning show followed the lives of the Crawley family and their servants as they navigated war, love, scandals, and various changes. Each season brought the return of the beloved cast as well as new faces and new challenges. In 2019, fans received a follow-up to the show with the long-awaited film simply titled Downton Abbey which began in 1927, two years after season 6 ended in 1925. In addition, in 2022 we got its sequel, Downton Abbey: A New Era, which takes place in 1928 and picks up where things left off in the first film.
Will there be a third Downton Abbey film? It’s difficult to say as the second film was only released a few months ago. It’s possible as both films were very successful, and the series has retained its fan base even over 10 years since it first aired on television. Although, all good things must come to an end, and it would be preferred that the show ended gracefully, rather than overstaying its welcome. So, we may have seen the last of the iconic Abbey. However, all the episodes and films are still there to relive the magic over and over. While characters came and went throughout the seasons, the core cast still remains as one of the best ensemble casts in television history. Here is a list of those characters and the brilliant actors and actresses who brought them to life.
Hugh Bonneville as Robert Crawley
The head of the Crawley family and overseer of Downton Abbey is the Earl of Grantham, Lord Robert Crawley. Robert is a kind and just man and tries to do what is best for his family and his servants, even if it means putting duty and honor above what really matters, love and happiness. However, even he has had his falls from grace and has let temptation cloud his judgment a few times. Although, that doesn’t stop him from correcting his wrongs and making amends for his actions.
Elizabeth McGovern as Cora Crawley, the Countess of Grantham
Wife to Robert is the Countess of Grantham, Lady Cora Crawley, an American heiress. While she may not always agree with her husband’s decisions, she stands by him and supports him, as any good wife should. However, that doesn’t mean that she is passive, on the contrary, she is quite outspoken.
Michelle Dockery as Lady Mary
Lady Mary is the oldest daughter of Lord and Lady Grantham and often feels the pressure of society weighing down on her. She wishes to marry for love but also wants to have money and power. Brought up in a household of servants seeing to her every desire, she often acts selfishly, putting her passions first and deliberately going out of her way to sabotage her younger sister Edith.
Laura Carmichael as Lady Edith
Lady Edith is the middle child and has a love-hate relationship with her older sister, Mary, especially in the first few seasons of the show. Edith is the ugly duckling of the family and is often overlooked by her parents and everyone else around her. However, that doesn’t stop Edith from following her dreams and pursuing happiness.
Jessica Brown Findlay as Lady Sybil
Lady Sybil is the third and youngest member of the Crawley family. She is the most selfless of the three, becoming a nurse to help injured soldiers during World War I. Sybil cares nothing of money and power and puts all that aside to follow her heart and marry Tom Branson, the family chauffeur from Ireland. Sybil sadly perishes after childbirth in season 3, leaving behind an infant daughter and a devastated husband in her wake.
Related: Downton Abbey: Every Real-Life Tragedy the Franchise Includes in Its Storylines
Maggie Smith as Violet, Dowager Countess of Grantham
Robert Crawley’s mother Violet, the Dowager Countess of Grantham, is a smart-mouthed woman who likes to get the last word in. While her appearances throughout the seasons may be on the shorter side, she never fails to make a lasting impression, and Maggie Smith's performance has been praised as a fan-favorite of the series.
Dan Stevens as Matthew Crawley
Heir to Downton Abbey, Matthew Crawley is Mary’s cousin and eventually becomes her husband after much discussion of whether the pair should be together. Matthew is dutiful and full of honor and has seen much hardship in his life, including the horror of battle combat of World War I. Matthew is another character to suffer a heartbreaking death in season 3.
Penelope Wilton as Isobel Crawley
Matthew’s mother, the widow Isobel Crawley, means well but she often helps where she is not wanted. During the World War when Downton Abbey was converted into an officers' convalescent hospital, she took up a position of authority and often got into frequent disagreements with Cora, the true lady of the house. This resulted in her leaving for France to pursue work with the Red Cross, but she later returned when her son arrived injured from the war.
Jim Carter as Charles Carson, the Butler of Downton Abbey
The servants are managed by the watchful eyes of Mr. Carson, the butler of Downton Abbey. Mr. Carson works hard to ensure that everything runs smoothly and efficiently for the Crawley family, whom he greatly admires and respects, and has a particularly soft spot in his heart for Mary. In addition to keeping everything shipshape, he finds love with Mrs. Hughes, who he eventually marries.
Phyllis Logan as Elsie Hughes
Mrs. Hughes is the head housekeeper of Downton Abbey and oversees all the female servants. As she is in a position of authority, she can be very direct and doesn’t put up with any nonsense. However, she tries to be fair and manages things with a firm but gentle hand. She loves Mr. Carson but won’t let passion interfere with her work.
Allen Leech as Tom Branson
Tom Branson begins the series with hardly any money in his pockets but a heart full of dreams. He works for the Crawley family as their chauffeur but falls in love with Lady Sybil and marries her. After she perishes in childbirth, Tom cares for their daughter who he names Sybil after his late and beloved wife, and eventually, he becomes the agent for the Downton Abbey estate.
Related: Downton Abbey: How the Period Franchise Has Remained Popular
Brendan Coyle as John Bates
When John Bates first joins Downton Abbey as Robert Crawley’s valet, he makes an instant enemy of Thomas Barrow, an ambitious footman who coveted the position and who soon makes life difficult for John, who walks with a cane due to an injury from fighting in the Boer War. John soon earns the respect of most of the staff due to his work ethic and morals and soon catches the eyes of Anna Smith who quickly falls in love with him.
Joanne Froggatt as Anna Smith
Anna Smith is a hardworking servant in Downton Abbey. She knows her place in life but is outspoken when it comes to her feelings for John Bates. Despite his rocky past, she has faith in John and is willing to do anything for him, including remaining loyal to him even when he is falsely arrested for the mysterious death of his estranged wife.
Robert James-Collier as Thomas Barrow
Thomas Barrow is a footman in Downton Abbey with a sour attitude on life. He is jealous of John Bates for getting the position of Robert Crawley’s valet and does everything he can to get him dismissed, including stealing and trying to frame Bates for the crime. Thomas Barrow leaves the Abbey and joins the war, hoping to seek fame and fortune. However, he soon finds that the battlefields are more than he can handle, and he purposefully injures himself so that he can return home. While he doesn’t always make the best choices, he keeps his hom*osexuality a secret as it would not be accepted in late Edwardian England.
Siobhan Finneran as Sarah O’Brien
Miss O’Brien is Cora Crawley’s lady’s maid who is never happy and always seems to be bitter. She often plots with Thomas but doesn’t seem to consider him her friend. Determined to live life with a chip on her shoulder, she relents her serving status but seeks to earn her lady’s forgiveness for causing her to have a miscarriage.
