- Michelle Dockery
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Michelle Dockery Born Michelle Dockery
December 15, 1981
Romford, Essex, EnglandOccupation Actress Years active 2004–present Michelle Dockery (born December 15, 1981) is an English actress of stage and screen. She has become best known for her role as Lady Mary Crawley in the ITV drama series Downton Abbey. She made her television debut in Fingersmith in 2005.
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Acting career
She is the youngest of three daughters of Michael from Athlone, Ireland[1], who worked his way up from driving a van to becoming a surveyor, and Lorraine from Stepney, East London. Born and raised in Romford, Essex,[2] Dockery was educated at the Chadwell Heath Foundation School in Chadwell Heath, now known as Chadwell Heath Academy. She was trained at the Finch Stage School[3] and the Guildhall School of Music & Drama, graduating in 2004.[4] Michelle was a member of the National Youth Theatre and made her professional debut in His Dark Materials at the Royal National Theatre later that year.[citation needed] In 2006, she was nominated for the Ian Charleson Award for her performance as Dina Dorf in Pillars of the Community at the National Theatre.[5] She made her television debut as Betty in Fingersmith in 2005.[6]
She appeared in Burnt by the Sun at the National Theatre for which she received an Olivier Award nomination for Best Supporting Actress.[7] She won second prize at the Ian Charleson Awards for her performance as Eliza Doolittle in Peter Hall's production of Pygmalion at the Theatre Royal, Bath which toured the UK and transferred to The Old Vic on May 7, 2008,[8][dead link] and for the same production was nominated Best Newcomer at the Evening Standard Awards 2008
In 2008, she played Kathryn in Channel 4's The Red Riding Trilogy and played the guest lead of tormented rape victim Gemma Morrison in BBC`s Waking the Dead. In 2009, she appeared in the two-part Cranford Christmas special for the BBC, and starred as the lead character in a modernised BBC adaptation of The Turn of the Screw.
Downton Abbey (2010-11)
Dockery came to particular public prominence in 2010 when she played Lady Mary Crawley in Julian Fellowes' series Downton Abbey, which was screened on ITV between September and November 2010 alongside Maggie Smith (who played her grandmother). She was nominated for a Southbank Award in January for Best Breakthrough Performance in a TV drama. At the same time, she played Ophelia in Hamlet at the Crucible Theatre alongside John Simm.[9] A second series of Downton Abbey was shown in 2011, and a third has been commissioned for broadcast in September 2012.[10]
Singer
Dockery is also a jazz singer. She sang at the 50th Anniversary of Ronnie Scott's Jazz club in London and has occasionally sung with Sadie and the Hotheads, a band formed by Elizabeth McGovern, who played her mother in Downton Abbey.[11]
Filmography
Year Film Role Notes 2005 Fingersmith Betty TV series 2006 Hogfather Susan/Death of Rats TV movie 2007 Consent TV movie Dalziel and Pascoe Aimee Hobbs TV series (2 episodes) 2008 Poppy Shakespeare Dawn TV movie Heartbeat Sue Padgett TV series (1 episode: "Take Three Girls") 2009 Red Riding: In the Year of Our Lord 1974 Kathryn Taylor TV movie Red Riding: In the Year of Our Lord 1983 Kathryn Taylor TV movie The Courageous Heart of Irena Sendler Ewa Rozenfeld TV movie Waking the Dead Gemma Morrison TV series (2 episodes) Cranford Erminia Whyte TV mini-series (2 episodes) The Turn of the Screw Ann TV movie 2010 Spoiler Goth Girl short Downton Abbey Lady Mary Crawley TV series (15 episodes: 2010-2011) Shades of Beige Jodie short 2011 Hanna False Marissa 2012 Anna Karenina Theatre
Year Title Role Venue Awards and nominations 2004 His Dark Materials Jessie/ understudy Lyra National Theatre 2005 Henry IV Parts I & II Carrier The UN Inspector Female activist Pillars of the Community Dina Nominated—Ian Charleson Award - Best Actress 2007 Dying for It Kleopatra Almeida Theatre Pygmalion Eliza Doolittle UK tour Ian Charleson Award - Best Actress
Nominated—Evening Standard Award - Best Newcomer2008 Uncle Vanya Yelena UK Tour Pygmalion Eliza Doolittle Old Vic Theatre Ian Charleson Award - Best Actress
Nominated—Evening Standard Award - Best Newcomer2009 Burnt By The Sun Maroussia National Theatre Nominated—Olivier Award - Best Supporting Actress 2010 Hamlet Ophelia Crucible Theatre, Sheffield References
- ^ Downton Abbey - The Farce Factor from RTÉ
- ^ Davies, Barbara (October 1, 2011). "Real secrets of Downton's girls". Daily Mail. http://www.dailymail.co.uk/femail/article-2043939/Downton-Abbeys-girls-On-screen-play-Earls-daughters-secret-hide-dramas-lie-family-histories.html. Retrieved November 14, 2011.
- ^ "Michelle Dockery". Royal National Theatre, accessed October 21, 2011.
- ^ "Masterpiece - Downton Abbey". PBS, accessed October 21, 2011.
- ^ "Guildford School of Music and Drama". www.gsmd.ac.uk. http://www.gsmd.ac.uk/acting/acting_graduates/recent_awards_for_drama_graduates.html?print=1. Retrieved 1 October 2011.
- ^ "Michelle Dockery at IMDB". http://www.imdb.com/name/nm1890784/. Retrieved 1 October 2011.
- ^ "Olivier awards nominations". www.guardian.co.uk. 8 February 2010. http://www.guardian.co.uk/stage/2010/feb/08/olivier-awards-nominations-full-list. Retrieved 1 October 2011.
- ^ theatre/news/nov07/pygmalion12 nov07.htm Peter Hall's Pygmalion – Report at LondonTheatre.co.uk
- ^ First Night: Hamlet, Sheffield Crucible Independent 23 September 2010
- ^ Halliday, Josh (3 November 2011). "Downton Abbey: ITV confirms third series". www.guardian.co.uk. http://www.guardian.co.uk/media/2011/nov/03/downton-abbey-itv-third-series?newsfeed=true. Retrieved 10 November 2011.
- ^ The Times, 6 November 2010
External links
Categories:- 1981 births
- Living people
- English stage actors
- English television actors
- Royal National Theatre Company members
- Alumni of the Guildhall School of Music and Drama
- English film actors
- English jazz singers
- English people of Irish descent
- People from Romford
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