Quotes
[About her Downton Abbey’s character] “She seemed shallow. But she changes. Even though her values were about privilege and having a good time, she learned to care about bigger things.”


“I would like to be a decent example to other girls and that probably means believing in their belief in me. I want to respect the dream we’re all having.”


“I never want to be one of those actors who sits around pretending it isn’t totally exciting.”


[About her Downton Abbey’s character] “In the first year, she was in a bit of a whirlwind, a bit intense, so it’s been really fun playing her this [fourth] series to find lights and shades and see the more sensitive side to her.”


“I am still amazed at the success I have had since leaving Tring Park. I credit my time there as really giving me the grounding and acting skills to succeed in the world of entertainment. They encouraged me to be confident in my abilities, while nurturing my dedication and drive for acting.”


[About joining Downton Abbey] “At first, it was scary to be joining a show that is so brilliant and wonderful and that everyone loves. But within the fi rst episode, I began to feel a part of it. Everyone is so generous and warm.”


[About Michelle Dockery] “I don’t know what I would have done without her. We went to the same drama school and she has been giving me lots of help and advice. She is great at keeping a sense of humour about it all.”


[About Maggie Smith] “I think Dame Maggie is one of the greatest actresses ever. To be with her on set, watching her, is a gift for any young actress.”


[About Downton Abbey] “I still feel a bit like, ‘Am I really in this show?’ It’s such a HUGE thing and it’s so great and it’s just a brilliant drama. I watched it, and to be in it and a part of the whole series is absolutely wonderful, and it’s been a great opportunity for me because I’m just starting out. It’s not my first job, but Downton feels like your first job, because it’s so huge it’s like nothing else mattered before!”


[About her Downton Abbey’s character] “She’s like a flapper, that wave of passion and dancing and drinking.”


[About her Downton Abbey’s character] “She’s a very strong-willed character. Like a coiled spring waiting to be released, she is desperate to rebel against the strictures of her upbringing.”


[About her father and grandmother Helen Horton] “They were both a huge inspiration, and although neither of my two brothers were interested in an acting career, I went to the Guildhall School of Music & Drama and loved it.”


“Would I do nude scenes? If it were necessary and I trusted the director; but really you have to be so careful. It does sometimes worry me that young girls are asked to take their clothes off a lot and because they are at the beginning of their careers, they haven’t necessarily got the confidence to question it.”


“To be honest, I already feel that being in Downton is a fairy tale come true, so to metamorphose into Cinderella is completely wonderful and surreal.”


[About Downton Abbey] “When we do have scenes together, the whole cast stays in the same hotel and we gather for a glass of red wine in the evening and listen to Mr Carson – Jim Carter – tell the most brilliantly entertaining stories. We’re like a lovely, extended family.”