Elizabeth McGovern

Actress, MASTERPIECE

Elizabeth McGovern is an Academy Award®, Emmy® and Golden Globe®–nominated actor whose career spans theatre, film, television, and music. She is best known for portraying Cora Crawley, Countess of Grantham, in Downton Abbey and its feature film adaptations, a role that earned her Golden Globe and Primetime Emmy nominations, as well as a SAG Award.

A longtime presence on MASTERPIECE, her work also includes Broken Glass, A Room with a View, Poirot, and the feature film The Chaperone, which she starred in and produced. Previous credits include the acclaimed film, Ragtime, as well as extensive stage work in both the United States and the United Kingdom, resulting in her 2013 Will Award from the Shakespeare Theatre Company.

Most recently, McGovern adapted and starred as Ava Gardner in the stage play Ava: The Secret Conversations. She is also a singer-songwriter with the band she formed and fronts, Sadie and the Hotheads.