Michelle Dockery Quotes

My dad worked all sorts of jobs when I was growing up and finally ended up as a surveyor; my mum delivers meals to old folk around where we live. We didn’t have much money when I was growing up, but I had a very happy childhood.

I’m not accident prone, really, but I was cutting something and sort of lost control, and it went through my big toe. There was a lot of blood and I nearly fainted, but its totally fine now.

My mum taught me always to see the funny side of things.

For years, I was often afraid to speak up when I didn’t fully understand a script. I’d tie myself in knots.

It’s old news, me and my accent, but it always seems to make headlines.

I want a house with a garden, but slap bang in the centre of London. Next door to a sushi bar.

Being in the same scenes as Maggie Smith and Shirley MacLaine is something I will never forget.

I do believe in one true love.

You can find a connection with any Shakespeare role you play.

I just enjoy acting, whatever area – theatre, film, television.

In the early ’20s, with the war over, there was a period of celebration, and you can see it in the fashion.

‘Expect nothing and hope for the best‘ is my mantra. A drama teacher called Joseph Blatchley told me that, and it’s the best advice I’ve had. If you keep an open mind and don’t expect too much, then you won‘t be disappointed.

Laugh at yourself – a lot. My mum taught me not to take myself too seriously.

I’d like to do something that involves music.

I really enjoy singing, it’s entirely different to acting because I’m just being myself.

I’ve had moments of thinking maybe I should go on Twitter. It’s something that I’ve been shy about, and I’ve thought that maybe I should do it.

The journey matters as much as the destination. By engaging in the moment on set, I’ve stopped rushing and now find pleasure in the collaborative process – the characters, the costumes – rather than worrying about the finished product.

‘Othello’ was my first Shakespearean discovery. I was obsessed with drama at school, and I studied the play for my English GCSE. Desdemona is the part that everyone wants, but Iago’s wife Emilia is the one I’ve always been drawn to.

I think the success of ‘Downton’ is partly because there are effectively 18 leading characters, all given equal importance, so it’s enormously involving on many levels. But also, it’s a new story. It’s not like Dickens or Austen, where everyone knows the denouement.

When I was a child, I went to stage school three times a week in the evenings – singing, ballet, tap, modern and acting, and I loved it.

I think some period drama can be quite alienating, but ‘Downton’ isn’t. This is going to sound quite, um, pretentious, but someone said that it’s like a soap written by a poet.

The kitchen is the most important place in any house. Visit your family, and that’s where you’ll end up. Go to a party, that’s where everyone congregates.

I love discovering tiny streets.

I worked out; I moved 16 times from the age of 19, just hopping about from different flats, because I couldn’t always afford to stay.

Shakespeare is renewed each time you see it or read it. I’ve seen ‘Midsummer Night‘s Dream‘ so many times, and each time it’s a little different, or a different line leaps out at me. It’s like re-reading a good book over and over, always noticing something you hadn’t seen the time before – and that’s rare.

I think the first time I realised ‘Downton Abbey‘ was a hit was when I was sitting in a tea shop in New York and the couple next to me were talking about ‘Downton Abbey,’ and then they recognised me.

It’s a bit of a history lesson, being an actor. I was in ‘Burnt By The Sun‘ at the National, which was set in Stalinist Russia, so I discovered all about that. You learn so much as you go along.

I’m not on Twitter, but I am on Instagram and follow Lena Dunham and Usher.

People will consider me a part of their lives for however long ‘Downton Abbey’ lasts. It’s a lovely thing to feel as an actor.

I’m quite surprised at how out of control I can be on stage because, actually, I find I like to be in control in life. It’s quite freeing, really.