When we last saw “Downton Abbey’s” Lady Mary, the eldest Crawley sister was recovering from the loss of Matthew and entertaining suitors.
When the show returns to the U.S. with its Season 5 premiere in January, Michelle Dockery (who plays Lady Mary on the PBS Masterpiece series) says her character will be indulging her less-dour side.
“Mary’s having fun this year. For me, it’s like the new Mary,” Michelle told Access Hollywood, when asked about the state of Lady Mary’s Season 5 love life. “She’s through the grief, she’s over that. She’s just decided to move on with her life and she’s not a dweller.”
Adding, “She’s just getting on with things.”
Does Lady Mary want to marry again?
“Of course she wants to find a husband and a father for her child, so she’s just kind of seeing what happens. She’s really embracing a social life again,” Michelle told Access, adding that she’s thrilled her character is no longer stuck in mourning clothing. “And the fashions – it’s lovely for me not to be in black all the time! I get to wear a bit of color, which is nice.
READ: ‘Downton Abbey’s Laura Carmichael On Lady Edith’s Future & ‘Heartbreak’
“It’s a very sort of new time for her,” she continued. “It’s like the new generation – [it] feels like a new era for Mary.”
It won’t be all romance and flirting for the widowed Lady though – she’ll be hard at work in her quest to keep Downton running.
“She’s taking on the responsibility of the estate, and her and Branson are working together far more this year,” she said.
Unfortunately for us, there won’t be any more pig incidents in Season 5 (remember Mary and Charles Blakes’ mud-slinging scene?!), but the actress fondly remembers filming the swine pit romp.
“It was really fun. You’re very careful of the dresses because often they’re antique, so you have to be really careful, [but] it was really fun being able to just like chuck mud all over myself,” she said with a laugh. “It was really good fun.”
“Downton Abbey” Season 5 will premiere in the U.S. on January 4, 2015 at 9 PM on Masterpiece on PBS.
— Erin O’Sullivan
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