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Phyllis Logan

Born January 11, 1956 (Capricorn)

Phyllis Logan is relieved she doesn’t look like Mrs. Hughes in real life. To play her Downton Abbey character, Logan wears no makeup, dons a wig and lets her eyebrows grow out. She says HD tv is also very unforgiving when it comes to wrinkles. Phyllis Logan is married to actor Kevin McNally, best known for his role of Gibbs in Pirates of the Caribbean, all four parts. Imagine Logan’s surprise when her husband landed a role on Downton Abbey playing the stern Mr. Bryant, grandfather of Ethel’s illegitimate child.

Hailing from Scotland, Logan started working on the stage in Edinburgh in 1979 and then regularly on Scottish television. Many remember Phyllis from TV hit show Lovejoy as Lady Jane Felsham and in the Mike Leigh film Secrets & Lies. Logan also played Frost’s love interest in If Dogs Run Free, the last story in the A Touch of Frost series, and marries him. Phyllis Logan has appeared in all three seasons of Downton Abbey. She thought the show would have a modicum of success, but never could have predicted it would become a massive global hit.

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."

Phyllis Logan

Downton Abbey Trivia

Hunks of Downton Abbey

Extras

Shirley Maclaine Interview