Michelle Dockery

Michelle Suzanne Dockery, born on 15 December 1981, is a noted English actress, critically acclaimed for her role as Lady Mary Crawley in the ITV television period drama series Downton Abbey (2010–2015). For her impressive performance in Downton Abbey, she earned a Golden Globe Award nomination and three consecutive Primetime Emmy Awards nominations for Outstanding Lead Actress in a Drama Series. Dockery's acting prowess further flourished as she reprised her role in the movies Downton Abbey (2019) and Downton Abbey: A New Era (2022). Dockery's acting career took off soon after graduating from the Guildhall School of Music and Drama, making her professional stage debut in His Dark Materials in 2004. Her portrayal of Eliza Doolittle in a 2007 London revival of Pygmalion earned her a nomination for the Evening Standard Award. Furthermore, her outstanding performance in the 2009 play Burnt by the Sun resulted in an Olivier Award nomination for Best Supporting Actress.

Dockery has contributed her talent to films like Hanna (2011), Anna Karenina (2012), Non-Stop (2014), and The Gentlemen (2019). her TV work includes lead roles in the western miniseries Godless (2017), and drama miniseries Defending Jacob (2020) and Anatomy of a Scandal (2022). Dockery's early life was spent in Romford, Essex, where she was born to Lorraine, a care home assistant from Stepney, England, and Michael Dockery, a lorry driver from Ireland. She studied at the Finch Stage School, graduating from the Guildhall School of Music & Drama in 2004.