Line #2 Creator/MichelleDockery


1	[[quoteright:467:https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/md_25.jpg]]
2	Michelle Suzanne Dockery (born 15 December 1981 in Rush Green, London) is an English actress. She started out in theater and transitioned to television films and guest roles in ongoing series, and became well-known to international audiences for her role as the spirited heiress Lady Mary Crawley on ''Series/DowntonAbbey'' and its [[Film/DowntonAbbey 2019]] and [[Film/DowntonAbbeyANewEra 2022]] film sequels. This led to more international work including US television series and feature film roles. Other notable works include the series ''Series/{{Godless}}'' and the films ''Film/AnnaKarenina'' and ''Film/TheGentlemen''.
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5	!!Filmography:
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7	* ''Film/{{Hogfather}}'' (2006): Susan Sto Helit
8	* ''Return to Series/{{Cranford}}'' (2009): Erminia Whyte
9	* A 2009 BBC adaptation of "Literature/TheTurnOfTheScrew"
10	* ''Series/DowntonAbbey'' (2010-2015): Lady Mary Crawley
11	** ''Film/DowntonAbbey'' (2019)
12	** ''Film/DowntonAbbeyANewEra'' (2022)
13	** ''WebVideo/DowntonWars'' (2015)
14	* ''Film/{{Hanna}}'' (2011): False Marissa
15	* ''Series/TheHollowCrown'' (2012): Kate Percy
16	* ''Film/AnnaKarenina'' (2012): Princess Myagkaya
17	* ''Film/NonStop'' (2014): Nancy Hoffman
18	* ''Film/{{Selfless}}'' (2015): Claire
19	* ''Series/GoodBehavior'' (2016-2017): Letty Raines
20	* ''Series/{{Godless}}'' (2017): Alice Fletcher
21	* ''Film/TheGentlemen'' (2019): Rosalind Pearson
22	* ''Series/DefendingJacob'' (2020): Laurie Barber
23	* ''WesternAnimation/{{Amphibia}}'' (2020-2022): Lady Olivia
24	* ''Film/BoyKillsWorld'' (2024): Melanie Van Der Koy
25	* ''This Town'' (2024): Estella Quinn
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27	!!Tropes associated with her work include:
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29	* CostumeDrama: Has appeared in many of these on stage and screen, but her breakout role in ''Series/DowntonAbbey'' is the example she's best known for. Post-''Downton'', she has appeared mostly in other genres.
30	* FakeAmerican: Has deployed a generic American accent in ''Film/{{Selfless}}'', ''Series/GoodBehavior'', and ''Series/DefendingJacob'', a deliberately sickly-sweet Southern twang in ''Film/{{Hanna}}'', and a more Western-appropriate drawl in ''Series/{{Godless}}''. ''Good Behavior'' is especially notable as her character Letty is a con-artist and adopts several in-universe fake accents for her various personas.
31	* MsFanservice: Generally averted as most of her characters tend to be fairly conservative in the way they act and dress, with sexual scenes of any kind being rare or mostly implied. The only real exceptions are the 2016-2017 series ''Series/GoodBehavior'' and ''Series/{{Godless}}''; in the former her character Letty is a seductive con artist and thief in an… ''energetic'' relationship with a hitman, so provocative clothing, [[LingerieScene lingerie scenes]] and sex scenes are a OnceAnEpisode occurrence, and in the latter Dockery appears topless for the only time in her career, although her hard-working ranch owner character Alice is otherwise not really sexualised at all beyond protagonist Roy's attraction to her.
32	* PlayingAgainstType: Best known as the AloofDarkHairedGirl and DefrostingIceQueen [[Series/DowntonAbbey Lady Mary]], Dockery has stayed away from CostumeDrama since ''Downton'' ended, instead playing roles like:
33	** [[Series/GoodBehavior A drug-using ex-convict and con-artist.]]
34	** [[Series/{{Godless}} A hard-bitten, rifle-toting New Mexico ranch owner.]]
35	** [[Film/TheGentlemen The Cockney wife of an American drug kingpin who helps run his empire.]]
36	** [[Film/BoyKillsWorld A member of the corrupt, murderous family ruling over a dystopia who arranges televised mass murders backed by corporate sponsors.]]
37	* SingingVoiceDissonance: Has said that she suffered from this in her youth, impressing at musical auditions with her singing voice but then losing the roles when she spoke normally and her strong Essex accent came out.
38	* TypeCasting:
39	** Quite often plays a BrokenBird or StoicWoobie, usually with a fair amount of trauma they’re trying to keep a lid on. BrokenTears, InelegantBlubbering or CatharticScream tend to be the result if they can’t.
40	** She has also been repeatedly cast as widows and/or single mothers, commonly (but not always) with a distant or strained relationship with their children.
41	* WhatCouldHaveBeen: Was almost cast as Sophie in ''Film/MammaMia'' (the part eventually went to Creator/AmandaSeyfried) but turned it down in order to take a role in a play.

Context Creator / MichelleDockery