Звезды Даунтона на первом заседании Manton Abbey club

[Даунтландия]

Дэн Стивенс, Йан Глен, Джулиан Феллоуз и Ален Лич на собрании клуба фанов Dawnton Abbey

@темы: официальное видео, Iain Glen, Dan Stevens, Allen Leech, Julian Fellowes, интервью

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“Abbey” Row в декабрьском Vanity Fair

[Даунтландия]

Статья и фото со съемочной площадки под катом



The strength of ‘Downton’ is all character,” Julian Fellowes says when asked why we love his phenomenally successful “Downton Abbey” quite so much. There is a perfect mix of aristocratic and servant intrigue, of big storytelling, love, gossip, and beautiful people in beautiful costume. “It looks like classic period drama, but the structure is more like The West Wing,” Fellowes continues. “Everything is very quick; we shot it with the speed of a soap.”

At Highclere Castle, near Newbury, west of London, the actors are filming season two (which premieres in the U.S. on PBS's Masterpiece on January 8, 2012) as Fellowes writes it. Dan Stevens, who plays Matthew Crawley, says he has had his “best and most intense week filming ever in the trenches, but I've no idea where the sсript is going.” Director James Strong explains, “There is no big star; it is an ensemble. ‘Downton’ 's about people and relationships and how we all struggle to find our place. It's an insight into a distant world, but it's close to us.”

The first season ended with Britain's declaration of war on Germany in August 1914. In the artillery fire of Part Two, World War I will change everything. Downton has become a convalescent home; women will discover a new role that will lead to suffrage in 1919; there will no longer be a future “in service.” What Lady Violet will make of all of this is one of the many delights to look forward to as Maggie Smith plays the Dowager Countess of Grantham as close to the cliff edge of caricature as no other living actress could. Fellowes admits to having written the part for Smith. “Maggie's performance is so layered; she gets the purpose of her character—the snobbery, the toughness, why people like her were put on this earth.” Lines as memorable as “What is a weekend?,” which Smith endows with every tone of light and shade and drollery in the vocal register, make ‘Downton’ 's first season a hard act to follow. Aware of his audience's expectation, Fellowes declares robustly, “Our agenda is to make the second series un-disappointing.”

On set the actors are universal in their praise of the sсript. Laura Carmichael (Lady Edith) says, “The characters were so clear from the first three scenes I read,” while Michelle Dockery (Lady Mary) attests, “Like with all good writing, the character grabs you immediately. Getting the part was wonderful—I knew we were onto something special.”

Fellowes conceived “Downton Abbey” as a three-series project—“three complete moods, all classes, town and country, each a distinct period, the final one the 1920s.” We are already on the edge of our seats awaiting the new season, and something tells me we are bound to be more than “un-disappointed.”




www.vanityfair.com/hollywood/features/2011/12/d...

@темы: фото, Dan Stevens, Jessica Brown-Findlay, Allen Leech, Michelle Dockery, Hugh Bonneville, Maggie Smith, 2 сезон

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Новые лица в Рождественском эпизоде

[Даунтландия]

В специальной серии, которая выйдет на Рождество (25 декабря) и расскажет о нескольких днях в канун 1920 года, появится новые персонажи. Найджел Хэверс, который позавчера отпраздновал 60-летие, сыграет лорда Хэпворта, а Шарон Смолл сыграет Мэриголд Шор, камеристку леди Розамунд.

@темы: фото, 2 сезон

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Мини спойлеры по 2х08 Downton Abbey от Digital Spy

[Даунтландия]

'Downton Abbey': Ten teasers about the finale


What else is going on? Well, we don't want to give too much away, but read on for ten little hints about the episode...

1. Anna has a proposal for Bates, and she's not taking no for an answer.

2. "I want you with every fibre of my being, but it isn't fair to you. It isn't fair to anyone. I wish it were different."

3. The Bryants return to Downton to meet Ethel and Charlie (and make a tough offer).

4. Mary and Matthew dance together. I know!

5. Molesley is forced to help out with dinner, but may not be winning any 'Footman of the Year' awards.

6. Spanish flu might not be such a bad thing for everyone, particularly former footmen who lost everything in the black market and have something to prove...

7. Two of the servants? They might not be sleeping in the servants' quarters on Friday night (nudge nudge).

8. Sybil wants to tell her family about Branson. Of course, they'll all be wonderfully accepting, right? Um, wrong.

9. O'Brien's feeling guilty. (As is Daisy, still.)

10. "This is the end."
www.digitalspy.co.uk/tv/s183/downton-abbey/tube...

@темы: спойлеры, 2 сезон

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Интервью Дэна Стивенса

[Даунтландия]

Matthew Crawley has had a rough ride in the second series of Downton Abbey. Not only has he been (temporarily) laid-up as a wheelchair-bound war veteran, he's also faced the prospect of losing his coveted title of heir, with a disfigured chancer turning up and claiming to be the previous claimant everyone thought had died.
But Dan Stevens, the 29-year-old actor who plays Matthew (and shares the same gentlemanly manner as his onscreen character), is glad his character has had a hard time.
"I've really enjoyed the challenging storylines, and hope to see that continue in the twenties," he tells us in a break from filming the Downton Abbey Christmas Special.
As he will, with confirmation that Sir Julian Fellowes' award-winning period-drama has just been commissioned for a third series.
Stevens (who claims to know nothing of this at the time of interview), says only: "If we do another series, then there could be some quite interesting goings-on. But we haven't seen anything yet, it hasn't even been confirmed that it's happening."
(Yesterday, Stevens, and the 11.5 million people, on average, who have been watching the first six episodes of series two, got their wish granted as ITV director of drama commissioning Laura Mackie announced: "We're absolutely delighted to be bringing Downton Abbey back for a third series, as we follow the inhabitants of Downton as they move into the roaring 20s.
"It's rare to find a drama that the audience connects with so strongly and we're extremely proud to have commissioned a series that has become such a phenomenon.")

Stevens has experienced at first hand the Downton phenomenon, which has included sales of elbow-length gloves soaring by 584 per cent at Debenhams, as women try to emulate the glamour depicted on-screen by the troubled but always elegant Ladies Mary, Sybil and Edith.
Not because he's found his tailor out of stock when he's gone to pick up a new cravat, but because his life has completely changed since starring in the global hit.
Before Downton, Stevens had mainly appeared on stage, after director Sir Peter Hall spotted him as a first-year undergraduate at Cambridge, where he was acting in a Footlights production of Macbeth.
He went on to work extensively with Hall, and appeared as Edward Ferrars in the BBC's Sense and Sensibility. But since Downton, he's been catapulted into heartthrob status. He admits: "There's never a dull moment now."
When did he first realise the scale of the TV sensation he was involved in?

"I was in America during the first series and I was getting emails about the ratings, but I wasn't aware of the scale of it. Coming back through Heathrow, people going the other way were coming up to me and saying how much they loved the show and how they were sad they were going to miss it on Sunday.

"That was the first time I realised, people knew the show inside and out. And that reaction has only got stronger."

Explaining how playing Lady Mary's true love has affected his life, Stevens says: "I meet people in everyday life and they say things like, 'Nice to see you back on your feet.' [referring to Matthew's time in a wheelchair]

"Since Sunday's episode, I went into the newsagent and he said 'You're looking better.' Since Matthew has had his injury, people have been talking a lot about below my waistline. Twitter has become a strange place since then."

Stevens is one of the new breed of TV actors who engage with their fans online. He currently has 17,160 followers and counting, and his fame is only set to rocket further as Downton Abbey continues its reign as the UK's most popular drama series for a decade.

The stardom hasn't gone to his head, though: "I'm shocked at being recognized. You go to places you don't think you would be and still, you are. Taxi drivers often recognise me... but I haven't got a free ride yet."

With his cut-glass accent, impeccable manners and easy charm, which he blames on his education, it's unlikely you'll ever see Stevens falling out of a nightclub with a gaggle of Downton groupies.

Just like his character Matthew, there's a level of class about Stevens, even if he wasn't born into it. Instead he picked it up through a scholarship to Tonbridge School and three years at Emmanuel College. He's also very happily married to South African jazz vocalist-turned-singing teacher, Susie Harriet.

Talking of the glamorous party scene, Stevens confesses: "It's nice to get your glad rags on for awards like the Baftas, but it doesn't happen all the time."

Although shocked about the level of recognition he's received personally, Stevens says it's clear to see why Downton's been so popular...

"It's classic storytelling with a modern structure. There's the pace of a modern show and a lot is borrowed from American dramas, so it's not surprising it is popular overseas too.

"It's not an adaptation of anything so we're not constrained by what happened next in Charles Dickens' or Jane Austen's tale. We can be a lot more free."

What about accusations that it's nothing more than a posh soap opera?

"Soap opera seems to be a dirty word, but actually they are the most popular shows we have. People want to know what happens next, people hate the villains and love the lovers. It's good, fun TV. But I wouldn't call Downton a soap opera as such."

Filming for the third series of the show starts in the New Year, but we've still got an extra treat to look forward to before the year's out - the Christmas special.

Giving a sneak peek into what Christmas with the Granthams is like, Stevens said: "We filmed Christmas dinner earlier in the week and we've got an enormous Christmas tree. We've filmed the unwrapping of the presents.

"Not in our pajamas though, it's still slightly formal. The wrapping paper is beautiful, they found these amazing designs, the sort of stuff you'd find in Liberty or somewhere. There haven't been many exciting presents though, no iPads or anything."

Never mind the presents - what we want to know is if Matthew will be kissing Lady Mary under the mistletoe?

Stevens' lips are, of course, sealed - we will, inevitably, have to keep watching.

www.huffingtonpost.co.uk/2011/11/04/downton-abb...

@темы: Dan Stevens, интервью

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"Самый выдающийся" дебют Мишель Доккери

[Даунтландия]

Вчера в Лондоне прошла церемония Cosmopolitan Ultimate Women Awards . Награду за самый выдающийся дебют получила Мишель Доккери за роль за роль в "Даунтонском Аббатстве".

Кликабельно


www.heart.co.uk/showbiz/showbiz-news/jessie-j-a...

@темы: фото, награды, Michelle Dockery

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Третий сезон подтвержден официально!

[Даунтландия]

Сегодня ITV официально объявил о продлении Downton Abbey на 3 сезон. Всего запланировано 8 серий, временные рамки: с 1920 по 1921 год (около 18 месяцев). В новом сезоне появится весь основной актерский состав, включая и Алена Лича. Феллоуз сказал, что очень признателен ITV за это решение, так как пока не готов расстаться с обитателями Даунтона.

@темы: 3 сезон

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Объявление

[Даунтландия]

Дневник преобразован в сообщество.

Правила под катом
Круг интересов сообщества - сериал Downton Abbey и все, что с ним связано.

1. Уважайте участников сообщества, не переходите на личности и не используйте нецензурную лексику.
2. Содержание постов должно соответствовать теме сообщества, рекламные посты и посты, не соотвествующие теме сообщества, будут удаляться.
3. При создании сообщения напишите заголовок, отражающий его суть, и проставьте все необходимые тэги. Если в списке тэгов нет нужного вам, укажите это в сообщении, и модератор его добавит.
4. Картинки больше 600 пикселей прячьте под кат, для больших изображений используйте превью, если картинок много, оставте три-четыре превью, остальное спрячьте под кат.
5. Объемные тексты прячьте под кат.
6. Обязательно давайте ссылки на источники статей, новостей, фантворчества (чужие фанфики выкладывать можно только по согласованию с автором).
7. Посты с фанфиками любых пейрингов и любого направления с рейтингом NC-17 и выше необходимо делать закрытыми с обязательной пометкой "материалы для взрослых". Все фанфики должны сопровождаться шапкой. Слэш допускается, но следует ставить предупреждение.
8. Поскольку сериал все еще выходит, все спойлеры должны прятаться под кат.

Правила будут дополнять по мере надобности.

Предложения, замечания привествуются.

@темы: административное

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Интервью с Пенелопой Уилтон

[Даунтландия]

Незначительные спойлеры к финалу. Подтверждение, что будет 3 сезон, и Изобел появится и в нем.
Downton Abbey's Penelope Wilton on life and loss
Penelope Wilton reveals the heartache behind her success – and the joy and tragedy in the final episode of Downton Abbey.


As beginnings go, this one does not augur well. “I find talking about acting very boring, having to come out with platitudes about how terribly nice everyone is,” Penelope Wilton says firmly. “I would much rather just do it.”

While making this declaration of war on anyone who might wish to probe her views on her professional, let alone her private, life she flashes me a smile well-known to viewers of Downton Abbey. The mouth is wide and friendly, but it reveals a full set of teeth, giving the impression of a vulnerable, but determined, woman. As Isobel Crawley, mother of Matthew, her expressive face has frequently been called upon to show hidden mettle, often when crossing swords – or is it raised eyebrows? – with Dame Maggie Smith, who plays the Dowager Countess of Grantham.

In the first series we saw her being patronised as the middle-class cousin whose son, by fluke, stands to inherit the dukedom. Initially, she appeared the embodiment of the modern professional woman in the midst of ladies too well bred to dirty their hands. But, in this autumn’s second series, she has been less sympathetic – frankly rather overbearing – in her clashes over Downton’s new role as a convalescent home.

A genuine smile of delight crosses Wilton’s face as I admit to sometimes disliking Mrs Crawley. Several people have come up to her and said something similar. It is proof, in her eyes, that she is doing her job well, because her character, like a real person, changes with circumstances. “People in distress behave in a stressful way,” she says. “They aren’t all sweetness and light. They don’t behave well when they are unhappy. That’s just what I’ve observed. And it makes for a much more interesting story than everyone turning into saints or villains.”

The “just what I’ve observed” is typical of Wilton’s defences. Her 65 years have been fraught with personal difficulties as well as every actor’s besetting nightmare: “people not wanting you”. But, whenever first-hand experience creeps into the conversation, she shies away like a frightened horse. There are aspects of her past which she finds uncomfortable to revisit.

Her flamboyant mother came from a theatrical family but was not an easy person. Her father, a barrister, was troubled, too. “He was captured in Africa and was a prisoner of war in Italy, but never spoke of it.” The second of three daughters, born in Scarborough the year after his return, Wilton’s convent boarding school in Surrey didn’t educate her so much as equip her with old-school manners with which to make a suitable marriage. Occasionally, she sounds faintly quaint when referring to London as “town” or to her late sister-in-law, the actress Anna Massey, as “a familiar” rather than a friend. But the politeness with which she pleads vulnerability as she veers away from the subject of loss would make the toughest questioner desist.

It comes up, of course, because Matthew Crawley, her son in Downton Abbey, returned from the First World War with a spinal injury. His legs, doctors said, are not the only bit of him destined not to work again, but now he seems to be getting better. Will it be sustained? Sunday’s final episode in the series offers – of course – “joy, heartache and tragedy”.

Whichever of those applies to Wilton’s on-screen son, she will pull off the requisite emotion, as she did magnificently in the episode when she returned from France (in fact, Wilton had time off for a stage role) to find her only child a shattered wreck. Without a line, and almost without moving a muscle, she conveyed such stoicism on first seeing him that it brought a tear to my eye. Recalling the death of a hamster (as Hugh Grant once said he did in order to cry) would not generate a face like that. “I’ve never lost a grown-up child, but I have known loss. I had…” she begins, then stops herself, so I shall briefly fill in.

During her first marriage, to Daniel Massey, she had a son born at 31 weeks who died. Alice, their second child, was born at 32 weeks weighing just 2lbs, but survived. Further attempts to have another child with Massey, and with her second husband, Ian Holm, failed. The heartbreak of not having the family that she longed for is far behind her now, as are her two marriages to actors 14 and 16 years older than herself – father figures, perhaps. Both had psychological problems: Massey was depressive; Holm suffered acute stage fright. On top of that, she had to deal with Massey marrying her younger sister after they divorced in 1984. Most recently she was devastated by the death of Anna Massey, whom she had known for nearly 40 years.

Her career, however, appears to have been one long discreet triumph from the moment she left drama school, although she says there was a thin patch “when I moved from daughter to mother”. In the Eighties, she became known for the television series Ever Decreasing Circles, with Richard Briers. Since then, her roll-call stretches for pages, and includes everything from The Borrowers and Shaun of the Dead, to Hamlet, Calendar Girls and Doctor Who. She particularly loves the stage, even if it means braving the walk home from Ladbroke Grove station at night: “It requires you to have an understanding of language.”

Certainly her diction is as immaculate as her appearance – black trousers and jumper, long gold chain, neatly arranged silvery hair, discreet make-up. As Isobel Crawley, she is a worthy opponent for Maggie Smith who, as the Dowager Countess, can make “Good morning” sound like a withering put-down. Off set, she says, they get on extremely well. Indeed, there’s a YouTube film of the two of them in which Wilton says that Smith was her childhood heroine, her acting role model, while the grande dame looks tearful and says how “humbled” she is by the admission.

“Maggie’s not at all grand,” explains Wilton. “She’s heaven. She’s very funny and has a good take on things. We just did a film together, The Best Exotic Marigold Hotel, a Deborah Moggach story filmed in India this time last year. Judi Dench was on the film, too, and introduced us to the game Bananagram. She’s extremely good at it.”

As a dyslexic who didn’t learn to read until her later teens, Wilton, I imagine, was a disaster at the word game, but spelling is no longer a problem. “Maggie and I talk about the books we’ve been reading, but on Downton we are all so busy with hair and make-up that there’s little time off. I talk to everyone else, too, of course; so does she. Very few of us are like the characters we play. Michelle Dockery [Lady Mary] is not at all cold and haughty. I’m not bossy.”

Perhaps that’s because she’s going through a “happy stage”. As well she might be. Downton Abbey has turned her from an actor admired by the cognoscenti into a household name who can afford to pick and choose. “Of course it may mean that no one wishes to employ me again,” she says, unconvincingly. Even better news: this Saturday her daughter Alice, 32, who works on theatre projects, is marrying Elliott Hall, a Canadian novelist. “And that’s all I really care about.”

For the rest of us, who also care about what’s happening in Downton Abbey, I can reveal one secret. Isobel Crawley is unlikely to succumb to the flu epidemic in this weekend’s episode. Nor is she likely to be murdered by the Dowager Duchess. Penelope Wilton is turning down other work for next year. That must mean she’s in series three.

www.telegraph.co.uk/culture/tvandradio/downton-...

@темы: Penelope Wilton

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Сцена Мэри и Мэтью из 2х08 Downton Abbey

[Даунтландия]

Показано перед интервью Феллоуза на BBC One Show. Из других подробностей - специальный рождественский эпизод планируется 2-х часовым.

@темы: спойлеры, 2 сезон

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Дополнительное промо к 2х08 Downton Abbey

[Даунтландия]

Заменила ролик на нормальное качество

запись создана: 01.11.2011 в 11:42

@темы: спойлеры, 2 сезон

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Дэн Стивенс шалит в твиттере

[Даунтландия]

@темы: Dan Stevens

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Промо 2х08 Downton Abbey

[Даунтландия]

Добавлена ТВ-версия, перевод в комментах

смотреть в дневнике
WEB- версия



ТВ-версия

запись создана: 31.10.2011 в 16:29

@темы: спойлеры, 2 сезон

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2 промофото 2х08 Downton Abbey

[Даунтландия]

Кликабельно



www.simplytv.net/2011/10/downton-abbey-series-2...

@темы: спойлеры, 2 сезон

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10 реплик из 2х08 Downton Abbey

[Даунтландия]

» ‘‘You’re like all of your kind - you think you have the monopoly of honour.’
» ‘Don’t be defeatist, dear. It’s very middle class.’
» ‘The War is no longer an excuse for sloppy presentation.’
» ‘This sort of thing is all very well in novels, but in reality it can prove very uncomfortable.’
» ‘I will be your next of kin and you cannot deny me that.’
» ‘So, we’re quite the hospital again.’
» ‘If she lasts through the night, she’ll live.’
» ‘It therefore gives me great pleasure to say that you are now husband and wife together.’
» ‘I’m a little person, an ordinary person.’
» ‘Of course it’s the end. How could it not be?’
www.cultbox.co.uk/spoilers/teasers/2261-downton...

@темы: спойлеры, 2 сезон

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Джессика Браун Финдли о леди Сибил

[Даунтландия]

How old are you, and how old is Lady Sybil?
I'm 22 and Sybil is 21.

How would you describe Sybil?
She is far more complicated than she seems and yet has ideals that demand her to be more logical about the world.

How would you describe her relationship with her sisters?
She loves them both dearly, but Sybil's very internal and actually finds it hard to talk openly to people about her true thoughts and feelings, so she can't always be as honest with them as she wants to be.

Is she closer to Mary or Edith?
Mary, definitely. I can't even tell you why, but they both feel so much, yet keep it all inside and struggle with the expectations people have.

How has that changed over the first two series and why?
Sybil is frustrated by Mary's lecturing, feeling that she is being judgemental, but Sybil doesn't know about what happened with Mr Pamuk. If she did, she might understand why Mary is being so protective. Inevitably, Sybil knows that Mary lectures her out of love.

Edith tried to ruin Mary's reputation by revealing the real circumstances around Pamuk's death. What drove her to do such a thing, and is it something she should ever be forgiven for?
I suppose that Edith was so in love with Patrick that she couldn't bear Mary's attitude towards the whole situation.
How does Sybil feel about Mary's ability to make most men fall for her? She doesn't seem to be jealous like Edith.
She just doesn't look at any of that in the same way.

How would Sybil feel if she found out about Edith's tryst?
I'm not sure. I think she would think it upsetting, but she would also understand. After all, they're family!

Sybil's elder sisters seem to have very pragmatic attitudes to love - how do these compare with Sybil's?
She doesn't seem as interested in men. She's not really. She is so much more interested in how someone is and what they do, or will do, than who they are. She's never been looked at as an object of desire, so has never had to deal with it. I just think she doesn't give it the time of day… until she's struck by it!

Why does Sybil allow herself to fall in love with Branson the chauffeur?
You can't "allow" yourself to fall in love with anyone. It's not something Sybil has a choice over, so when she does fall in love, when she lets her heart have a say, she realises that she's loved him for years.

Do you think it's wiser to follow your heart or your head?
Heart. Always heart. Is doesn't always make the most sense, but love is anything but logical.

How do you think Sybil would cope today?
She'd love it!

Which of the sisters would cope the best?
Edith! She's so cool, Edith.

Do you feel Sybil has ever really been in love?
I think the love she has for Branson is the greatest love she has felt to date.

Will Sybil ever find a happy ending?
Maybe. She needs more independence. She needs to really work out what it is she wants from life, but she'll get there. She's young.

Do you think she feels guilty about pursuing her feelings for Branson? Why does she do it?
He represents everything that will take her away from that house and that life and the restraints placed upon her.

Which one of the sisters' attitudes most closely reflects your own?
Sybil. My head plays no role in my heart. For better, for worse.

Where would you like Sybil's love life to go?
I'll leave that to Julian Fellowes!

Do you believe in happy ever after?
Yes. Or else, what's the point!

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Мишель Доккери о леди Мэри

[Даунтландия]

How old are you, and how old is Lady Mary?
I'm 29 and Mary is 27.

How would you describe Mary?
Strong-willed but complex. She has this glacial façade, but underneath it, she's terribly sensitive.
The scene in which she's told Matthew is engaged to Lavinia encapsulates her quite well. While there are other people in the room, she shows no feeling, but when it's just her and the maid Anna she bursts into tears. Behind that wall she's built up a tumult of emotion.

The thing I love most about Mary is that she is not one of those people who needs to be liked. That confidence is very attractive.



Do you have siblings?
I'm the baby of three - though I don't think my sisters would want me saying their ages in Radio Times! We don't have any of that rivalry that there is between the Crawley sisters, but I certainly recognise that protectiveness that Mary exhibits towards Sybil as something that my oldest sister has towards me.

And her relationship with Edith?
Their rivalry has done damage to them both. Edith's decision to reveal the truth about the death of Pamuk continues to have ramifications for the whole household, while Mary' revenge - telling Strallen that Edith felt nothing for him - was horribly cruel.
This series, the war has meant there are more important concerns and they've softened to each other a bit, but neither has ever apologised.

Do you think Mary deserved what Edith did?
No, she didn't, but from what Edith overhears Mary telling Cora - "Why not concentrate on Edith? She needs all the help she can get" - it's no wonder that Edith reacts the way she does.

What would she say about Edith's tryst?
She'd love that gossip and in some ways find it comforting that Edith got carried away. But I also think that there would be some real sisterhood there and I wonder if Edith would really like to tell Mary. You'd be bursting to tell someone.

How has Mary changed over the first two series?
Mary isn't quite as vicious as she was. I think she has grown up a lot and she knows she made such a mistake at the end of the first series turning Matthew down.
I also think she's very aware of her situation. Mary is in her late 20s and, by the standards of the day, she's on the shelf. Most girls then were married in their early 20s.

Does that go some way to explain her relationship with Sir Richard Carlisle?
Perhaps. But I think she likes ruffling feathers by becoming involved with this man who is not "one of us". He's self-made, he's a media mogul, he's not aristocracy.
I think he appeals to Mary's rebellious side. You have to remember that Mary never does what she's told. Every suitor plonked next to her at dinner she refused to pursue.

Are Mary and Carlisle in love?
I don't think so. If Mary had met Carlisle before she'd met Matthew, she'd be happier.
Carlisle represents everything she wanted originally - practicality, convenience - but now I do think she wants to marry for love, and she won't get that from a marriage to Carlisle.

Do you think it's wiser to follow your heart or your head?
Always my heart, and I think Mary feels the same. She would say head, but deep down, she knows its heart. One of the things that she admires about Anna is that Anna follows her heart without hesitation.

Could Mary ever have a happy ending?
She could, if she followed her heart.

Would that be with Matthew?
If she marries Matthew, that would tie everything up nicely. I love carrying that storyline because with it you carry the fate of Downton - whoever Matthew marries will become Queen of Downton - but I enjoy seeing unresolved love playing out.
I'm a huge Mad Men fan and I love the Pete Campbell and Peggy Olson story for that very reason. The minute those unrequited stories become resolved, it becomes less interesting. And what's interesting about Matthew and Mary is that it's unrequited and complicated.

Do you think Mary would go behind Lavinia's back to get back with Matthew?
Absolutely not, because she knows how much Lavinia loves him.

In what way do you think the role of women has changed since then, and how has that affected women's relationship with men?
We take so many of our freedoms for granted nowadays - I can travel where I like, I can have a baby when I like, I can do any job I want - but I do think chivalry has been lost a little bit.
Those old manners - such as men standing when women arrive at the dinner table or opening doors for you - are lovely, and it's lovely when you see a man doing that today. But young men wouldn't think about that for a second because it's not the culture any more.

How do you think Mary would cope today?
Once she got over the culture shock, she'd be a society woman. Within the old aristocracy, she'd definitely be a mover and shaker.

Do you believe in happy ever after?
In fiction, yes. But not in real life, in the way I think you mean it. Happiness is one of the most important things in life but happiness is something you have to find in yourself - being who you are and accepting who you are - and no one can do that for you. I feel I've got to that stage, of being comfortable in my own skin.

www.radiotimes.com/news/2011-10-30/downton-abbe...

@темы: Michelle Dockery

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Испанский грипп в Downton Abbey

[Даунтландия]

Спойлеры к финальному эпизоду и немного к рождественской серии

The inhabitants of Downton Abbey may have survived the horrors of the Great War, but now they find themselves at the centre of a new life and death struggle.
In the drama's emotionally-charged finale, to be screened next Sunday, the Spanish flu pandemic that killed more than 50 million people between 1918 and 1920 causes heartbreak for the aristocratic Crawley family and their servants.
The drama's ten million fans will be on tenterhooks as several characters, including Cora, Countess of Grantham, played by Elizabeth McGovern; Matthew Crawley's fiancée Lavinia Swire, played by Zoe Boyle; and Carson the butler, played by Jim Carter, all fall victim to the potentially fatal condition.
The Mail on Sunday has seen the last episode of the hit ITV drama but has decided to keep the precise details of the plot under wraps.
But the storyline, which draws upon the real-life history of Highclere Castle, where the show is filmed, means life at Downton Abbey will be transformed forever.
The illness first makes its presence felt as both the upstairs and downstairs inhabitants of the household are preparing for a dinner party.
Robert Crawley, the Earl of Grantham, played by Hugh Bonneville, bemoans the fact that 'everyone is falling like ninepins'.
And Downton's housekeeper Mrs Hughes, played by Phyllis Logan, remarks that 'we are quite the hospital again', in reference to the fact that Downton Abbey looked after injured officers during the war.

But some of the most poignant scenes involve Sarah O'Brien, Cora's devoted lady's maid, played by Siobhan Finneran, who stages a bedside vigil for her sick mistress.
Cora's exposure to the illness is similar to that of Highclere's onetime chatelaine Almina, the fifth Countess of Carnarvon, who was struck down in 1918.
Almina contracted the condition while nursing wounded officers in a London hospital that she ran. Although she subsequently recovered, some of her patients and high society associates were not so lucky.
The current Countess of Carnarvon has revealed Almina's infection in her book Lady Almina And The Real Downton Abbey: The Lost Legacy Of Highclere Castle.
She told The Mail on Sunday: 'Almina did contract Spanish flu while she was in close contact with some of her wounded patients in London.
'Many of those men in her care were infected with the condition and she did not appreciate that her close proximity to them was also placing her in danger. People did not know so much about those things then.'
She added: 'Almina was particularly vulnerable because she was left so weak and exhausted by her work looking after the wounded. She was tireless on their behalf.'
It is not clear how the illness arrives at Downton Abbey, but Cora came into contact with wounded officers when Downton was a wartime convalescent home.
The Spanish flu was an influenza pandemic that broke out in June 1918 and claimed anywhere between 50 million and 100 million lives around the world.
More than 500 million people were infected in total and the pandemic left its mark on such far-flung destinations as the Arctic and the remote Pacific Islands.
The disease, which earned its name after first making its mark on Southern
Europe, was not caused by the First World War, but did spread rapidly because so many men had spent so much time in close proximity with each other.
The powerful storyline in the series finale may appease those fans who feel the show has turned into a high class soap opera.
Some viewers feel that ITV made a mistake in commissioning a second season so quickly after the success of the first last year. They say the rapid turnaround means that some of the plot lines are bordering on the ridiculous.
One viewer wrote: ‘It has become Dynasty with hats, hasn’t it?’
But viewers can expect even more heartbreak with the screening of a Christmas special which includes a funeral and a wedding.
The funeral scene has already been shot at St Mary’s Church in the Oxfordshire village of Bampton, which provides Downton’s locations outside the Abbey.


Read more: www.dailymail.co.uk/tvshowbiz/article-2055226/W...

@темы: спойлеры, 2 сезон

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Лора Кармайкл о леди Эдит

[Даунтландия]

Текст интервью в последнем номере Radio Times

How old are you, and how old is Lady Edith?

I'm 25 and Edith is, well, she was born in 1894 so… where are we now? I'm hopeless at maths!

It's 1919 so she's 25 too. How would you describe Edith?

The overlooked middle Crawley daughter. She's practical, possibly catty and quite hard - but I think all of that is something of a carapace.

What about her relationship with her sisters?

I suppose you could describe her as aggrieved, but it comes from years of being neglected in favour of Mary and young, sweet Sybil. Because Mary and Edith are so close in age, that rivalry is very intense. They are as stubborn as each other, but like fire and ice.

Do you have siblings?

I'm the middle of three sisters, just like Edith, though the difference is that there's no rivalry between us at all. My sisters are the people I'm closest to. I love them to bits.

What about your Downton sisters, Michelle Dockery and Jessica Brown Findlay?

We're very close and socialise away from work a lot. All three of us have really bonded.

How does Edith feel about Mary's ability to make men fall for her?

She's very jealous of Mary's charms, but I'm sure she'd never want to admit it to Mary.

Edith tried to ruin Mary's reputation by revealing the truth about the death of Turkish diplomat Kemal Pamuk. What drove her to do such a thing?

Edith was genuinely in love with Patrick [who died on the Titanic], who Mary was engaged to, so Edith's resentment at her older sister has been brewing for a long time. Mary really pushes Edith and relishes rubbing her nose in it whenever she can. But when Edith sent the letter, it was very shocking because she knew that it would spoil things for Mary. I think Edith perhaps has grown up a bit since and might reconsider doing the same thing again.

How does Edith feel about Sybil pursuing her feelings for the chauffeur, Tom Branson?

They're all very sad for her. I think they think it's a terrible decision, but they love her and understand her rebelliousness. That doesn't stop them trying to "save" her from herself.

How do these very different attitudes to love compare with Edith's? She seems very pragmatic until she starts having an affair…

By the end of series two, you see that Edith has almost given up on the prospect of finding love. That resignation is great to play, especially as there are some fine comic bits about Edith that can make you giggle…

Do you think she feels guilty about kissing a married man? Why did she do it?

That was her first kiss ever and the appeal of someone saying that she was beautiful was too tempting. I think she did think it was wrong and she did feel guilty about it - but that she did it anyway was an absolute joy.

In what way do you think the role of women has changed since the days of Downton?

The requirement in those days to find a husband, simply to survive financially, was just awful, but for the drama it's great because there is a real sense of jeopardy for the girls and that's what Julian [Fellowes] writes so wonderfully.

Will Edith ever discover a happy ending?

I'm constantly asking Julian, but don't know yet - and if I did, I wouldn't tell you! It's possible, but I really enjoy the challenges that playing a frustrated and dissatisfied Edith offers.

Do you believe in happy ever after?

Yes!

www.radiotimes.com/news/2011-10-29/downton-abbe...

@темы: Laura Carmichael

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Ален Лич о том, как он получил роль, и о чувствах Брэнсона

[Даунтландия]

спойлерная часть под катом

The war is over and, for most of the Crawley family, that means trying to re-establish order at Downton Abbey as quickly as possible. But for a few, peacetime brings an acute awareness that life can never be the same again.
Lady Sybil and chauffeur Branson are keen not to resurrect the class barriers that had started to fall during the four years the Crawleys and their servants were working so closely together on the war effort.
This week, Lady Sybil, played by Jessica Brown Findlay, is frustrated after giving up her nursing job and Branson spies an opportunity to once again try to persuade her to run away with him.
Allen Leech, who plays the Irish driver, says, ‘He has always been madly in love with Sybil and he is a character who doesn’t give up easily.
Although she has been quite elusive so far in this series, Branson can tell that she does care for him, so he persists in asking her to run away with him.
‘Several things have changed for Sybil. Like many people, she has learnt from the war that you only get one chance, and that life is precious. You have to grasp every chance you can.
'If she does finally relent, they will have to decide whether to face the family together or whether to elope, which is something the family would never forgive. If they do get together, he’ll be doing a little celebratory Irish jig, believe me. He’s waited years for her.’
But the Dowager Countess and Lady Mary have both noticed the spark between Sybil and Branson, and will do everything in their power to keep them apart. Allen jokes, ‘The Dowager is a wily old thing and Mary is determined to stop her sister’s happiness.
‘The family won’t accept Branson’s forward-thinking view that the class system has started to irreparably break down. We saw William throw himself on his master Matthew to save him from a blast in the trenches, and that gratitude and sense of servitude is still strong at Downton. The war may be over, but these things don’t change overnight.’

Allen, 30, who is single, won the part in Downton after a career including theatre and parts in Rome and The Tudors. And he reveals Branson was originally written for an English actor.
‘I moved to London seven years ago because there are more parts here,’ he says. ‘I don’t think I would even have been auditioned for Downton if I had still been in Ireland.
‘In fact, at the audition I did a Yorkshire accent, but Julian Fellowes was quite interested in the idea of Branson being Irish, and wrote in the extra material about the Easter Rising in Ireland and so on. It gave a lot more to the character, which was fantastic.’

Read more: www.dailymail.co.uk/femail/article-2053836/Down...

@темы: спойлеры, Allen Leech, 2 сезон