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Elizabeth McGovern

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Elizabeth McGovern
McGovern at the 2012 Cannes Film Festival
Born
Elizabeth Lee McGovern

(1961-07-18) July 18, 1961 (age 63)
Evanston, Illinois, U.S.
EducationJuilliard School
Occupation(s)Actor, musician
Years active1979–present
Spouse
​
(m. 1992)​
Children2
Musical career
Instruments
  • Vocals
  • guitar
Websiteelizabethmcgovern.co.uk

Elizabeth Lee McGovern[1] (born July 18, 1961)[2] is an American actress. She has received many awards and nominations, including a Screen Actors Guild Award, three Golden Globe Award nominations, and one Academy Award nomination.

Born in Evanston, Illinois on July 18 1961, McGovern spent most of her early life in Los Angeles. After attending the American Conservatory Theater and the Juilliard School, she made her feature film debut in Ordinary People (1980). For her role as Evelyn Nesbit in the film adaptation of Ragtime (1981), she received a nomination for the Academy Award for Best Supporting Actress. She subsequently had lead roles in a number of major studio films, including Once Upon a Time in America (1984), She's Having a Baby (1987), The Bedroom Window (1987), The Handmaid's Tale (1990), and The Wings of the Dove (1997).

In 2007, McGovern, after years of studying guitar, formed the musical group Sadie and the Hotheads, with whom she has released four studio albums since 2016. She gained further international attention for her portrayal of Cora Crawley, Countess of Grantham, in the British drama series Downton Abbey (2010–2015), for which she was nominated for an Emmy Award and Golden Globe Award. She reprised her role as Cora in the subsequent films Downton Abbey (2019) and Downton Abbey: A New Era (2022).

Early life

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McGovern was born in Evanston, Illinois, the daughter of Katharine Wolcott (née Watts), a high school teacher, and William Montgomery McGovern, Jr., a university professor.[3] She is of Irish, English, and Scottish descent.[4] Her younger sister is novelist Cammie McGovern. Her paternal grandfather was adventurer William Montgomery McGovern, her maternal great-grandfathers were U.S. diplomat Ethelbert Watts and Admiral Charles P. Snyder, and her maternal great-great-grandfather was Congressman Charles P. Snyder.[5][6][7]

When McGovern was 10 years old, she relocated with her family from Illinois to Los Angeles, California, where her father accepted a teaching position at UCLA School of Law.[8] She attended North Hollywood High School, where she began performing in school plays.[8] After high school, she attended the American Conservatory Theater in San Francisco, and studied toward a Bachelor of Fine Arts in Drama at the Juilliard School in New York City as a member of Group 12 from 1979 to 1981.[9]

Career

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In 1980, while studying at Juilliard, McGovern was offered a part in what became her first film, Ordinary People, in which she played the girlfriend of troubled teenager Conrad Jarrett (Timothy Hutton). The following year she completed her acting education at the American Conservatory Theater and Juilliard, and began to appear in plays, first off-Broadway and later in famous theaters.

In 1981 she earned an Academy Award nomination for Best Supporting Actress for her role as Evelyn Nesbit in the film Ragtime.[10] She then appeared in Beginners (1982).

In 1984, she starred in Sergio Leone's gangster epic Once Upon a Time in America as Robert De Niro's romantic interest Deborah Gelly. She had leading roles in two other films that year, Racing with the Moon, a coming-of-age story also starring Sean Penn and Nicolas Cage, and the comedy Lovesick, as a patient whose psychiatrist (Dudley Moore) falls in love with her, risking his practice.

In 1989, she played Mickey Rourke's girlfriend in Johnny Handsome, directed by Walter Hill, and the same year she appeared as a rebellious lesbian in Volker Schlöndorff's film The Handmaid's Tale.

McGovern co-starred with Kevin Bacon in a romantic comedy, She's Having a Baby, directed by John Hughes, and starred in the thriller The Bedroom Window, directed by Curtis Hanson. She teamed with Michael Caine in 1990's A Shock to the System, a comic mystery about a man who plots the murder of his wife.

In a 1994 comedy, The Favor, McGovern played a woman who cheats on her boyfriend (played by Brad Pitt) by becoming her married best friend's proxy in a tryst with a man the friend has fantasized about.

McGovern appeared in a number of films in the 21st century, including Woman in Gold, a drama starring Helen Mirren and directed by her husband Simon Curtis.

In 2018, McGovern starred in The Chaperone, directed by Michael Engler and written by Julian Fellowes, whom she also worked with on the British drama series Downton Abbey. Based on the novel by Laura Moriarty, McGovern played Norma Carlisle, a middle-aged wife and mother who volunteers to chaperone the young Louise Brooks to New York City to study dance at the Denishawn School. The Chaperone is the first film that McGovern has also produced. Her husband, Simon Curtis, was an executive producer for the film.[11][12]

McGovern reprised her role as Cora Crawley, Countess of Grantham for the Downton Abbey film in 2019 and its 2022 sequel. The films continue the storyline of the TV series.

Television

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McGovern has appeared in several television productions, mostly in the UK. In 1999 and 2000 McGovern played Marguerite St. Just in a BBC television series loosely based on the novel The Scarlet Pimpernel.[13] She also starred in the four-part television crime drama series Thursday the 12th that same year.

On American TV, she appeared in a 2007 episode of Law & Order: Special Victims Unit titled "Harm", in which her character of Dr. Faith Sutton was a psychiatrist accused of complicity in detainee abuse. Her other television work includes Broken Glass (Arthur Miller, 1996); Tales from the Crypt; The Changeling; Tales from Hollywood; the HBO series Men and Women; The Man in the Brooks Brothers Shirt; Shelley Duvall's Faerie Tale Theatre ("Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs"); and If Not for You (CBS 1995, own series).

In May 2007, she played Ellen Doubleday, Daphne du Maurier's paramour, in Daphne, a BBC2 television drama by Amy Jenkins based on Margaret Forster's biography of the author.[14]

In December 2008, McGovern appeared as Dame Celia Westholme in "Appointment with Death", an episode of Agatha Christie's Poirot. In the same year, she appeared in the three-part BBC comedy series Freezing, written by James Wood and directed and co-produced by her husband Simon Curtis. First broadcast on BBC Four, it was also shown on BBC2 in February 2008. McGovern played an American expatriate actress named Elizabeth, living in Chiswick with her publisher husband, played by Hugh Bonneville, and co-starring Tom Hollander as her theatrical agent.

From 2010 to 2015, she portrayed Cora Crawley, Countess of Grantham, wife of Robert Crawley, 7th Earl of Grantham (played by Hugh Bonneville) in the British TV series Downton Abbey,[15] and also in the 2019 and 2022 film adaptations. Downton Abbey was the third time McGovern and Bonneville have been cast as a married couple on screen, having previously co-starred in Freezing and Thursday the 12th together.[16]

Music

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McGovern is also a singer-songwriter and plays the guitar. In 2008 she began fronting the band Sadie and the Hotheads at The Castle pub venue in Portobello Road, London. The band released an album of songs she developed with The Nelson Brothers, who are now part of the band. The album, I Can Wait, also includes Ron Knights on bass and Rowan Oliver, borrowed from Goldfrapp, as drummer for the recording sessions.[10] Michelle Dockery, who plays McGovern's eldest daughter in Downton Abbey, has occasionally sung with the band.[17] Dockery was also a guest backing vocalist on the bands second album How Not To Lose Things, released in 2012.[18] Terl Bryant also joined the band, taking over from Rowan Oliver as drummer and percussionist.[19]

Throughout 2013, Sadie and the Hotheads toured the UK and Europe and performed in festivals including the Isle of Wight Festival, Montreux Jazz Festival and Edinburgh Festival Fringe.[20][21][22] At the end of the year they announced that they were working on their third album with support from former direct-to-fan crowdfunding company PledgeMusic.[23] Still Waiting was released in early 2014 prior to their next UK tour as the support act for Mike and the Mechanics.[24]

McGovern recorded three Christmas tracks in 2014. Her rendition of It Came Upon a Midnight Clear and duet with Julian Ovenden performing The First Noel appear on the double-disc album Christmas At Downton Abbey, produced by Warner Music. Sadie and the Hotheads also released their cover version of the Christmas song The Little Drummer Boy.[25][26]

Following the conclusion of TV series Downton Abbey in late 2015, McGovern and her band Sadie and the Hotheads began work on a fourth album and embarked on a mini tour of the UK.[27] While they continued to record their new album, the band released a compilation album of songs from their first three albums entitled The Collection (Everybody's Got A Song) in early 2016.

In 2017, McGovern and "Hothead" Simon Nelson collaborated with American singer and musician Duke Robillard on a track for his album Duke Robillard & His Dames of Rhythm. McGovern sings vocals for "Me, Myself and I" while Nelson is a guest musician on electric guitar for the track.[28]

McGovern's fifth album, The Truth, was released in early 2019. Unlike her previous albums with her band, The Truth was released under her name, though it features all of the musicians from Sadie and the Hotheads. The album includes a track on which Samuel L. Jackson appears as a guest vocalist.[29][30]

Theatre

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Roles in New York include:

In her theatre programme CVs (below), McGovern lists her other theatre work in the U.S. as including:

Since moving to London, McGovern's stage work has included:

McGovern was awarded the 2013 Will Award by the Shakespeare Theatre Company.[41]

In early 2020, McGovern was in rehearsal to star in a revival of The Little Foxes by American playwright Lillian Hellman at the Gate Theatre in Dublin. However, due to the Impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on the performing arts, the show has been postponed indefinitely.[42][43][44]

Personal life

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In 1992, McGovern married British film director and producer Simon Curtis; the couple have two daughters and live in Chiswick, London.[45][46]

Filmography

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Film

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Year Title Role Notes
1980 Ordinary People Jeannine Pratt
Last Year's Model Unknown Short film
1981 Ragtime Evelyn Nesbit Nominated—Academy Award for Best Supporting Actress
Nominated—Golden Globe Award for New Star of the Year – Actress
1983 Lovesick Chloe Allen
1984 Once Upon a Time in America Deborah Gelly (adult)
Racing with the Moon Caddie Winger
1986 Native Son Mary Dalton
1987 The Bedroom Window Denise
1988 She's Having a Baby Kristy Bainbridge Briggs
1989 Johnny Handsome Donna McCarty
1990 The Handmaid's Tale Moira
A Shock to the System Stella Anderson
Tune in Tomorrow... Elena Quince
1993 King of the Hill Lydia
Me and Veronica Fanny
1994 The Favor Emily
1995 Wings of Courage Noelle Guillaumet Short film
1997 The Wings of the Dove Susie "Sue" Stringham
1998 The Man with Rain in His Shoes Diane
The Misadventures of Margaret Till Turner
2000 Manila [de] Elizabeth
The House of Mirth Mrs. Carry Fisher
2001 Buffalo Soldiers Mrs. Berman
2006 The Truth Donna
2008 Inconceivable Tallulah "Tutu" Williams
2010 Kick-Ass Mrs. Lizewski
Clash of the Titans Marmara
2011 Angel's Crest Jane
2012 Cheerful Weather for the Wedding Mrs. Thatcham
2015 Unexpected Samantha's mother
Woman in Gold Judge Florence Cooper
Swung Dolly
2016 Showing Roots Shirley
2017 The Wife Elaine Mozell
2018 The Commuter Karen McCauley
The Chaperone Norma
2019 Downton Abbey Cora Crawley, Countess of Grantham
2022 Downton Abbey: A New Era Cora Crawley, Countess of Grantham
2025 Untitled Downton Abbey: A New Era sequel Cora Crawley, Countess of Grantham Filming
TBA And Mrs TBA Post–production

Television

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Year Title Role Notes
1979 California Fever Lisa Bannister Episode: "The Girl from Somewhere"
1984 Faerie Tale Theatre Snow White Episode: "Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs"
1990 Women & Men: Stories of Seduction Vicki Television film
1991 Ashenden Aileen Somerville Television film
Nominated—CableACE Award for Best Supporting Actress in a Miniseries or a Movie
1992 Tales from Hollywood Helen Schwartz Television film
1993 Performance Beatrice-Joanna Episode: "The Changeling"
1995 If Not for You Jessie Kent 8 episodes
Broken Trust Janice Dillon Television film
1996 Broken Glass Margaret Hymen Television film
The Summer of Ben Tyler Celia Rayburn Television film
Tracey Takes On... Judge Loring Episode: "Vanity"
Tales from the Crypt Laura Kendall Episode: "Horror in the Night"
1997 Clover Sara Kate Television film
1999 The Scarlet Pimpernel Lady Marguerite Blakeney 3 episodes
2000 Thursday the 12th Candice Hopper Television film
2001 The Flamingo Rising Edna Lee Television film
Hawk Susie Hawkins Television film
Table 12 Mel Episode: "Preserves"
2003 The Brotherhood of Poland, New Hampshire Helen Shaw 7 episodes
2006 Three Moons over Milford Laura Davis 8 episodes
2007 Daphne Ellen Doubleday Television film
A Room with a View Mrs. Honeychurch Television film
Law & Order: Special Victims Unit Dr. Faith Sutton Episode: "Harm"
2007–08 Freezing Elizabeth 3 episodes
2008 Agatha Christie's Poirot Dame Celia Westholme Episode: "Appointment with Death"
2009 10 Minute Tales The Ex-Wife Episode: "The Running of the Deer"
2010–2015 Downton Abbey Cora, Countess of Grantham 52 episodes
Screen Actors Guild Award for Outstanding Performance by an Ensemble in a Drama Series (2013, 2015)
Nominated—Golden Globe Award for Best Actress – Miniseries or Television Film
Nominated—Primetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Lead Actress in a Miniseries or a Movie
Nominated—Satellite Award for Best Actress – Miniseries or Television Film
Nominated—Screen Actors Guild Award for Outstanding Performance by an Ensemble in a Drama Series
2019 War of the Worlds Helen Brown 8 episodes
Wikimedia Commons has media related to Elizabeth McGovern.

Discography

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Sadie and the Hotheads

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Year Album title Notes
2007 I Can Wait
2012 How Not To Lose Things
2014 Still Waiting
2016 The Collection (Everybody's Got A Song) Compilation album of songs from first three albums.

Solo

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Year Album title Notes
2019 The Truth Features all Sadie and the Hotheads musicians.

Album guest appearances

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Year Album title Notes
2014 Christmas At Downton Abbey Vocals on "It Came Upon A Midnight Clear" and a duet on "The First Noel" with Julian Ovenden.
2017 Duke Robillard & His Dames of Rhythm Vocals on "Me, Myself and I".

References

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  1. ^ "Barack Obama hosts State Dinner for David Cameron at the White House". UK. Associated Press. March 15, 2012. Archived from the original on November 18, 2018 – via The Telegraph.
  2. ^ "Famous birthdays for July 18: Vin Diesel, Kristen Bell". United Press International. July 18, 2019. Archived from the original on July 19, 2019. Retrieved August 7, 2019. Actor Elizabeth McGovern in 1961 (age 58)
  3. ^ "Katharine Watts Is Future Bride Of Law Alumnus; Engaged to William M. McGovern Jr., Who Is Harvard Graduate". The New York Times. June 22, 1958.
  4. ^ Brady, Tara (September 14, 2019). "Elizabeth McGovern: A lifetime of living and acting with alpha males". The Irish Times. Retrieved January 31, 2022.
  5. ^ "Marriage Announcement 1 – No Title". Chicago Daily Tribune. September 19, 1958. Archived from the original on January 22, 2013. Retrieved July 6, 2017.
  6. ^ Cass, Judith (June 18, 1958). "Burnhams to Celebrate in West". Chicago Daily Tribune. Archived from the original on January 22, 2013. Retrieved July 6, 2017.
  7. ^ "Army and Navy Journal". 1938.
  8. ^ a b Gilbert, Gerard (December 18, 2010). "'Hollywood never suited me': Elizabeth McGovern on fleeing LA and Downton Abbey's Lady Cora". The Independent. Archived from the original on December 27, 2021. Retrieved February 1, 2022.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: bot: original URL status unknown (link)
  9. ^ Hoggard, Liz (November 1, 2010). "Elizabeth McGovern is the real dame of Downtown". London Evening Standard. Archived from the original on January 12, 2012. Retrieved November 15, 2011.
  10. ^ a b Heawood, Sophie (February 8, 2008). "Elizabeth McGovern: from Hollywood to a South London pub". Times Online. Archived from the original on May 17, 2011. Retrieved March 31, 2010.
  11. ^ "Elizabeth McGovern Returns to MASTERPIECE in The Chaperone". Masterpiece. May 16, 2017. Retrieved September 12, 2020.
  12. ^ Byrnes, Paul (April 17, 2019). "The Chaperone review: Youth takes on experience in portrait of two ladies". The Sydney Morning Herald. Retrieved September 12, 2020.
  13. ^ "The Scarlet Pimpernel". BBC Four. Retrieved July 9, 2021.
  14. ^ "Last night on television". The Daily Telegraph. London. May 14, 2007.[dead link]
  15. ^ "Downton Abbey". www.itv.com.
  16. ^ Neman, Daniel (September 18, 2019). "Don't worry, Hugh Bonneville — fans will show up for 'Downton Abbey' movie". St. Louis Post-Dispatch. Retrieved September 12, 2020.
  17. ^ The Times, interview with Michelle Dockery, November 6, 2010
  18. ^ Independent, interview with Elizabeth McGovern, December 1, 2012
  19. ^ Weightman, Anthony (February 22, 2013). "Sadie and the Hotheads – Live @ The Union Chapel". Access All Areas Music. Retrieved September 13, 2020.
  20. ^ "Downton Abbey star Elizabeth McGovern touring with Sadie and the Hotheads". Music News. December 9, 2012. Retrieved September 13, 2020.
  21. ^ Shenton, Mark (August 21, 2013). ""Downton Abbey" Star Elizabeth McGovern to Appear with Her Band Sadie and the Hot Heads at London's Hippodrome Casino". Playbill. Retrieved September 13, 2020.
  22. ^ "From "Downton Abbey" to country pop". Gefle Dagblad. September 3, 2013. Retrieved September 13, 2020.
  23. ^ "PledgeMusic Teams with Sadie & The Hotheads for New Album". BroadwayWorld Music. November 11, 2013. Retrieved September 13, 2020.
  24. ^ Lewis, Tim (March 14, 2014). "Elizabeth McGovern interview: 'A TV show hasn't got the energy of a gig'". The Guardian. Retrieved September 13, 2020.
  25. ^ Molloy, Antonia (October 14, 2014). "Downton Abbey Christmas album featuring Elizabeth McGovern to be released in November". The Independent. Retrieved September 13, 2020.
  26. ^ Graff, Gary (November 10, 2014). "'Christmas At Downton Abbey' Album Premiere: Elizabeth McGovern Talks Holiday Collection". Billboard charts. Retrieved September 13, 2020.
  27. ^ "Downton star Elizabeth McGovern: I'm happy to say goodbye to Lady Cora". itv.com. October 28, 2015. Retrieved September 14, 2020.
  28. ^ Fanelli, Damian (September 20, 2017). "Duke Robillard Premieres "Walkin' Stick" from New 'Dames of Rhythm' Album". Guitar World. Retrieved September 14, 2020.
  29. ^ Fleming, Donna (April 30, 2019). "Downton Abbey's Elizabeth McGovern on the challenges she faced making her latest movie, The Chaperone". Now To Love. Retrieved September 14, 2020.
  30. ^ Levine, Daniel S. (November 7, 2019). "'Downton Abbey' Star Elizabeth McGovern's New 'War of The Worlds' Series Is 'Horrifyingly Chilling' (Exclusive)". Pop Culture. Retrieved September 14, 2020.
  31. ^ Gussow, Mel (April 3, 1992). "Review/Theater; A High-Keyed 'Hamlet' Starring Stephen Lang". The New York Times.
  32. ^ Pollack, David. "What A Night: Twelfth Night Directed by Peter Altman At the Huntington Theatre through Dec. 23". www.thecrimson.com. The Crimson. Retrieved November 25, 2021.
  33. ^ Rich, Frank (January 13, 1988). "Theater: Midsummer Night". The New York Times.
  34. ^ Paleo, Tracey (April 18, 2023). "Review: AVA: THE SECRET CONVERSATIONS at The Geffen". BroadwayWorld. Retrieved May 16, 2023.
  35. ^ Gardner, Lyn (October 3, 2008). "Aristo: Minerva, Chichester". The Guardian. Retrieved January 7, 2018.
  36. ^ Mountford, Fiona (May 24, 2016). "Alexi Kaye Campbell: Interview". Evening Standard. Retrieved September 12, 2020.
  37. ^ Daniels, Nicholas (January 18, 2019). "Matthew Broderick makes his West End debut in a new London production of The Starry Messenger at Wyndham's Theatre". London Theatre Direct. Retrieved September 8, 2020.
  38. ^ Franklin, Marc J. (January 16, 2020). "A First Look at the U.K. Tour of God of Carnage". Playbill. Retrieved September 11, 2020.
  39. ^ "Elizabeth McGovern: 'I couldn't have held my own on Downton Abbey if I hadn't done a lot of theatre'". The Stage. Retrieved December 6, 2022.
  40. ^ Brennan, Clare (January 23, 2023). "Who's Afraid of Viriginia Woolf? review - Elizabeth McGovern cracks the whip". The Guardian. Retrieved May 16, 2023.
  41. ^ Goldstein, Jessica (August 7, 2013). "Backstage: Rorschach and Synetic thrilled with Kickstarter campaigns". The Washington Post. Retrieved August 7, 2013.
  42. ^ Falvey, Deirdre (May 14, 2020). "Cathy Belton's Isolation Diary". The Irish Times. Retrieved September 12, 2020.
  43. ^ Falvey, Deirdre (April 2, 2020). "Updated: Covid-19 shuts Irish culture – Your guide to cancelled events". The Irish Times. Retrieved September 12, 2020.
  44. ^ "Dublin's Gate Theatre will not reopen until 2021". Raidió Teilifís Éireann. July 30, 2020. Retrieved September 12, 2020.
  45. ^ Gilbert, Gerard (December 18, 2010). "'Hollywood never suited me': Elizabeth McGovern on fleeing LA and Downton Abbey's Lady Cora". The Independent. Retrieved January 15, 2012.
  46. ^ "Downton's Elizabeth McGovern: 'Ladies, never say never. It isn't over yet...'". The Daily Telegraph. September 14, 2014.
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