ELIZABETH MCGOVERN

This Juilliard-educated actress Elizabeth McGovern got her Drama degree back in 1981, but she had already been doing a bit of acting even before this. It was Joan Scott, a Hollywood agent, who saw her impressive performance in The Skin of Our Teeth and pushed for Elizabeth to take further acting lessons. This move proved to be fruitful and is partly to thank for her amazing turn as Evelyn Nesbit in the film Ragtime in 1981. The role even earned her an Academy Award Nomination.

She is also known for Cora Crawley’s roles, Countess of Grantham from the British drama series Downton Abbey in 2019, where she earned Golden Globe and Emmy nominations. Aside from acting, she is also a great musician and an outstanding singer-songwriter.

At 59 years old, there is no surprise that she’s continuously landing coveted roles in productions such as The Handmaid’s Tale and Ordinary People.