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Joanne Froggatt

Born August 21, 1980 (Leo)

Joanne Froggatt lets her hair down

Joanne Froggatt’s character Anna has earned lots of male admiration because of her undying loyalty and no nonsense attitude toward life. She recently married real life partner director James Cannon. Froggatt wasn’t always so sure about an acting career. She was working at WHSMiths in Scarborough when she was invited to audition for Coronation Street. Froggatt landed the role of Zoe Tattersall from 1997 to 1998. Incidentally, the character was only the 10th woman to give birth on Corrie, an oddity since the show’s been a going concern since 1960.

Joanne Frogatt was born in North Yorkshire, so she comes by playing a Yorkshire native honestly. Joanne started drama school at the age of 13. She was eventually cast in the role of a teenage prostitute in “The Bill”. Froggaft earned a BAFTA award nomination for Best Single Drama. She playing the leading role in the controversial drama, Danielle Cable: Eyewitness, based on the true story of a teenage girl who witnessed her boyfriend’s murder in a road rage attack. Joanne Froggaft actually met with Danielle Cable in witness protection to research the part.

Downton Abbey costs an average of one million pounds per episode to produce.

As of 2013, Downton Abbey is the highest rated PBS "Masterpiece" drama series of all time, seen by an estimated 120 million viewers in 200 countries and regions.

Gillian Anderson reportedly turned down the part of Lady Cora Grantham.

The real estate that "plays" Downton Abbey, Highclere Castle, has been the home of the Carnarvon family since 1679. In 1922, George Herbert, the 5th Earl of Carnarvon, co-discovered the Tomb of the Egyptian pharaoh Tutankhamun. On the show, the names of the Earl of Grantham's beloved dogs, Isis and Pharaoh, are nods to the real castle's connection to Egyptian history.

According to Julian Fellowes, the parts played by Hugh Bonneville, Brendan Coyle and Maggie Smith were written for the actors.

It was reported that Steven Waddington auditioned for the part of Bates.

When Downton Abbey first aired, Julian Fellowes (creator and producer) was annoyed at the media for pointing out anachronisms like TV aerials and the use of the word 'boyfriend'. (The word 'boyfriend appeared in print in 1889, long before the period setting of Downton). Fellowes said "they think to show how smart they are by picking holes in the program to promote their own poshness and to show that their knowledge is greater than your knowledge". In a later article coinciding with the start of the second season, Fellowes apologised and commented "I behaved rather badly by getting the hump."

Joanne Froggatt

Downton Abbey Trivia

Hunks of Downton Abbey

Extras

Shirley Maclaine Interview