Shirley MacLaine’s illustrious career comprises more than 50 feature films highlighted by an Academy Award® win and six nominations, six Emmy® Awards nominations and seven Golden Globe® Awards, including the Cecil B. DeMille Lifetime Achievement Award. She is also an international best-selling author for her 2008 book, “Sage-Ing While Age-Ing” followed by her latest New York Times best-seller, “I’m Over All That – And Other Confessions,” released on April 5th, 2011.
Carnival Films’ Managing Director, Gareth Neame said, “My late grandfather directed Shirley MacLaine in Gambit in 1966 so it is a delight for me that she will be joining us on Downton Abbey. Julian has written another brilliant character in Martha Levinson, who will be a wonderful combatant for Maggie Smith’s Dowager Countess and we are excited at the prospect of Shirley MacLaine playing her.”
Laura Mackie, Director of Drama at ITV said, “It is so exciting to have an actress of Shirley MacLaine’s stature joining our brilliant Downton Abbey cast for series three and a tribute to the show’s success on both sides of the Atlantic”.
The first series of Downton Abbey premiered on ITV in the U.K. and on MASTERPIECE on PBS in the U.S. to critical acclaim and collected a number of awards including six Primetime Emmys®, a Golden Globe® and a Producers Guild Award for Outstanding Producer of Long-Form Television. The second series increased its audience by 20% in the U.K. and is currently transmitting in the U.S. with an increase of almost 30%.
Downton Abbey, written and created by Julian Fellowes, is a Carnival/Masterpiece co-production. The producer is Liz Trubridge and the executive producers are Gareth Neame, Managing Director, Carnival Films, Julian Fellowes and Rebecca Eaton, Masterpiece.