Julian Fellowes

Julian Fellowes
Chris McAndrew · CC BY 3.0 · source
Name	Julian Fellowes
Birth date	1949-08-17
Birth place	Cranleigh
Occupation	Novelist, screenwriter, actor, peer
Nationality	British

Julian Fellowes is an English novelist, screenwriter, actor and peer who gained international prominence as the creator of the television drama Downton Abbey and as a screenwriter on films such as Gosford Park. He has worked across television, film and theatre, and holds a seat in the House of Lords as a life peer. His career bridges popular period drama, contemporary writing and public service.

Early life and education

Fellowes was born in Cranleigh, Surrey, and raised in a family with roots in Britain's landed gentry and professions such as law and medicine. He attended Frensham Heights School before studying at Tonbridge School and then read law at Christ Church, Oxford. After Oxford he trained at the Royal Academy of Dramatic Art before beginning a career that would encompass acting, writing and later political appointment.

Acting and early career

Fellowes began his working life as an actor, appearing on stage in productions linked to companies like the Royal Shakespeare Company and in television dramas produced by organizations such as the BBC and ITV. He performed in plays by authors including William Shakespeare, Anton Chekhov and George Bernard Shaw, and took small parts in films distributed by companies including British Lion Films and Paramount Pictures. Concurrently he cultivated contacts with producers and playwrights such as Harold Pinter, Tom Stoppard and directors like Sir Peter Hall, which helped transition his career toward writing.

Writing and screenwriting

Transitioning from acting, Fellowes established himself as a writer of novels and scripts. His early published novels appeared alongside works by authors represented by agencies such as Curtis Brown and were followed by screenplays developed with producers including Robert Altman and Ismail Merchant. He achieved major recognition for his screenplay for Gosford Park, directed by Robert Altman and produced by Bob Balaban, which won awards from bodies including the Academy Awards and the BAFTA. He has authored novels that sit within the tradition of English social fiction associated with writers such as Anthony Trollope and Evelyn Waugh.

Television and film productions

Fellowes created and wrote the period drama Downton Abbey, produced by Carnival Films and broadcast by the ITV network in the United Kingdom and by PBS in the United States. The series featured actors drawn from companies like the National Theatre and performers such as Hugh Bonneville, Maggie Smith, Michelle Dockery, Elizabeth McGovern, Imelda Staunton and Laura Carmichael. He also wrote and produced other television projects and feature films including Doctor Thorne, adaptations for Masterpiece Theatre, and the film The Young Victoria produced by Graham King and directed by Jean-Marc Vallée. His productions have involved collaborations with costume houses like Cosprop and composers such as John Lunn and orchestras including the Royal Philharmonic Orchestra for original scores.

Awards and honours

Fellowes's screenplay for Gosford Park earned an Academy Award for Best Original Screenplay and recognition from the Writers Guild of America and the British Academy of Film and Television Arts. Downton Abbey won multiple awards including Golden Globe Awards, Primetime Emmy Awards and National Television Awards and Fellowes received honours such as a knighthood-level peerage when appointed to the House of Lords as a life peer with the title linked to Winchmore Hill. He has been recognized by institutions such as BAFTA, the Writers' Guild of Great Britain and universities including Oxford University with honorary degrees.

Personal life and public activities

Fellowes married actress Emma Sackville-West and later married Emma Joy Kitchener; he has children and resides between properties in London and the Cotswolds. He sat in the House of Lords where he contributed to debates touching on cultural policy and creative industries, engaging with peers from groups such as the Conservative Party (UK). He has supported heritage organizations including English Heritage and served as a public patron for charities connected to the Arts Council England and historic preservation groups like the National Trust.

Category:English screenwriters Category:English novelists Category:Peers of the United Kingdom