"Downton Abbey" Characters in Real Life

Lylah M. Alphonse, Senior Editor, Yahoo! Shine
Downton Abbey
Downton Abbey

The gloomy yet glamorous house. The vibrant characters. The gorgeous costumes. And, of course, the drama. Fans of the Masterpiece Theater's"Downton Abby" can't get enough of the show, which transports viewers into World War I-era England and into the lives of the high-brow and low-born alike.

Downstairs, a staff of servants attend to every detail of the 200-plus-room house and the aristocrats who inhabit it. Upstairs, the lords and ladies dress for dinner (with help from their valets and maids) and consider marriage proposals that could save or ruin the lives they live and the home they love.

The actors bring their characters to life so thoroughly that it's almost a shock to see them off-screen in modern-day clothing and without servants' caps or elaborate turn-of-the-last-century hairstyles. Here's a look at what some of our favorite characters look like in and out of costume:



























The real-life Downtown Abby: Highclere Castle. It was built in 1842 by Charles Berry, who also built the Houses of Parliament, and has been home to the Carnarvons since 1672.
The real-life Downtown Abby: Highclere Castle. It was built in 1842 by Charles Berry, who also built the Houses of Parliament, and has been home to the Carnarvons since 1672.



George Herbert, the eighth Earl of Carnarvon, and his wife Fiona, Countess of Carnavon. The Countess isn't sure how many rooms her home has.
George Herbert, the eighth Earl of Carnarvon, and his wife Fiona, Countess of Carnavon. The Countess isn't sure how many rooms her home has.





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