Michelle Dockery, 43, appeared on the red carpet in New York City Monday evening, displaying her pregnancy in a sparkling black gown as she joined fellow Downton Abbey cast members for the U.S. premiere of Downton Abbey: The Grand Finale.
The screening, held at Jazz at Lincoln Center, came days after Dockery surprised audiences by announcing her pregnancy at the London premiere of the third and final film based on the long-running television series. Dockery, who reprises her role as Lady Mary Crawley, arrived without her husband, producer Jasper Waller-Bridge, 37, who attended the earlier London event.
On the New York carpet, Dockery embraced co-star Elizabeth McGovern, who drew attention in a neon pink-and-orange sequin dress. Laura Carmichael, who plays Lady Edith, wore a grey gown, and Joanne Froggatt, who portrays Anna Bates, appeared in a strapless black dress with wet-look hair. Also attending were Hugh Bonneville, Allen Leech, Paul Giamatti, Alessandro Nivola and series creator Julian Fellowes. Model Maye Musk was photographed at the screening as well.
Downton Abbey: The Grand Finale is set in 1930, roughly 18 years after the series began, and follows the Crawley family in the aftermath of the Wall Street Crash. The film centers on the fallout from Lady Mary’s divorce and questions about her eligibility to inherit Downton amid public scrutiny, while the household grapples with financial strain and the threat of social disgrace. The movie, which pays tribute to the late Dame Maggie Smith — who died last September — will be released on Sept. 12.
Dockery married Waller-Bridge in 2023. The pair first met in 2019 through Waller-Bridge’s sister, actress and writer Phoebe Waller-Bridge, and announced plans to marry in The Times in January 2022. Dockery’s earlier fiancé, Irish publicist John Dineen, died in 2015 after a 15-month battle with a rare form of cancer.
The premiere in New York drew cast and creative team members to mark the conclusion of a franchise that began as a television series more than 15 years ago and spawned two previous feature films. The final installment brings to screen an ensemble cast that has charted social change and family dynamics through the interwar period, with the Crawley family’s future now shifting toward the next generation.
Bonneville attended the London premiere last week with his girlfriend, Heidi Kadlecova, marking a rare public appearance for the couple. The U.S. and U.K. events capped a series of global premieres leading up to the film’s wide release.
At both premieres, industry and media attention focused on the film’s handling of historical themes and on-screen farewells to long-running characters, as well as tributes to Smith’s contribution to the series. Dockery’s pregnancy announcement added a personal note to the festivities as the cast gathered to celebrate the franchise’s conclusion.