The dowager Countess
Downton Abbey (ITV series) 2010-2015
Connie may have all the right lines when she wants to put someone in their place, but nobody delivers a zinger quite like Maggie Smith’s defiant icon Violet Crawley in Downton Abbey. ‘I think Maggie is the absolute master of that killer look and a put-down,’ smiles Amanda. ‘She’s amazing – she definitely has to be on my list of alpha females.’
But while Dame Maggie used to be given lines by writer Julian Fellowes, Amanda goes beyond the call of duty to give Connie memorable quotes. ‘The fans love it when she comes out with something great and they start posting memes online of the best put-downs. Often if I’m reading a book or I’m in the street and I hear a really good quip,
I’ll write it down for Connie to use in the ED later!’