Montreal Gazette

Too much happiness could be the ruin of Downton, Fellowes says

- DOUG CAMILLI camillimai­l@gmail.com

“Those grapes are probably sour, anyway” dep’t: Jul

ian Fellowes, inventor and show-runner of Downton Abbey, told The Telegraph that he is very sorry Dan Stevens chose to leave the show.

But he doesn’t sound it, in his ensuing comments: “Nothing is harder to dramatize than happiness,” he says, and the end of Season Three left most of the main characters all sort of disgusting­ly happy.

He has got a point: “That’s why in the old movies,” he added, “they don’t kiss and marry in the middle — they kiss and marry at the end.”

He then happily outlined the new plot situation, with many charming script possibilit­ies. Shooting on a new season begins next month.

Spotlight couple: Tiger Woods is now dating U.S. ski

er Lindsey Vonn, according to numerous reports, some of which claim this may be more than a fling. No denials from either side.

Two New York papers, the Post and the Daily News, say they’ve been a couple since November; he visited her at races in Austria, and they took a vacation in Antigua.

Vonn’s publicist said “she will not participat­e in any speculatio­n surroundin­g her personal life.” Woods refused to comment at all.

He’s 37. She’s 28.

Benjamin Millepied, the choreograp­her who married

Natalie Portman after making the ballet movie Black Swan with her, has been appointed director of Le Ballet de l’Opéra de Paris.

No word yet on whether Natalie will go live in Paris, but Ben doesn’t take up the gig full time until the autumn of 2014. Judging by the average celebrity marriage-span, they’ll be long-divorced by then, anyway.

He’s 35. She’s 31.

No wonder Clare Bowen is systematic­ally stealing the ABC series Nashville from the rest of the cast: she’s not hard on the eyes, and she can both sing and act.

But how did an Australian girl turn herself into a drawling Dixie waitress? She told People mag:

“My dad used to bring home videos from L.A., and my favourites were Steel Magnolias, Fried Green Tomatoes and Song of the South. So, I learned Scarlett from copying those when I was really little. So, she’s sort of an amalgamati­on of my three favourite films.”

She’s 23. Lifestyles of the rich and carrot-obsessed: Simon Cowell gets a particular type of carrot flown in from Singapore for his dressing room for the TV show Britain’s Got Talent.

Host Stephen Mulhern revealed this arresting fact to The Sun, adding that “It’s like someone’s been buffing (them). I was speaking to his friend about it and she said, ‘Oh, Simon’s had them flown in from Singapore.’ She said they are the only carrots he likes.”

Cowell is 53.

 ?? CARNIVAL FILM & TELEVISION ?? “Nothing is harder to dramatize than happiness,” says Julian Fellowes. The creator of Downton Abbey is working on new twists for the next season of television series.
CARNIVAL FILM & TELEVISION “Nothing is harder to dramatize than happiness,” says Julian Fellowes. The creator of Downton Abbey is working on new twists for the next season of television series.
 ?? JASON KEMPIN/ GETTY IMAGES ?? Australian Clare Bowen says she absorbed her drawl for her Nashville role from her favourite movies as a child.
JASON KEMPIN/ GETTY IMAGES Australian Clare Bowen says she absorbed her drawl for her Nashville role from her favourite movies as a child.
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