Julian Fellowes facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
The Lord Fellowes of West Stafford
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Official portrait, 2018
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| Member of the House of Lords Lord Temporal |
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| Assumed office 13 January 2011 Life peerage |
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| Personal details | |
| Born |
Julian Alexander Fellowes
17 August 1949 Cairo, Kingdom of Egypt |
| Political party | Conservative |
| Spouse |
Emma Joy Kitchener
(m. 1990) |
| Children | 1 |
| Residences | Dorset, England |
| Alma mater |
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| Occupation |
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Julian Fellowes (born August 17, 1949) is a famous English actor, novelist, writer, producer, and film director. He is also a member of the House of Lords, which is part of the British Parliament. Fellowes has won many awards for his work, including an Academy Award and two Primetime Emmy Awards.
He is well-known for writing the movie Gosford Park (2001), which won him an Oscar. He also created, wrote, and produced the very popular TV series Downton Abbey (2010–2015). More recently, he created the HBO series The Gilded Age, which started in 2022. Julian Fellowes has also written stories for stage musicals like Mary Poppins (2004) and School of Rock (2015).
Contents
Early Life and Education
Julian Fellowes was born in Cairo, Egypt. He was the youngest of four boys in his family. His father, Peregrine Fellowes, was a diplomat, which means he worked for his country's government in other countries. His mother was Olwen Mary.
The Fellowes family lived in South Kensington and later in Chiddingly, East Sussex, England. Julian also spent some of his childhood in Nigeria, where his father helped manage oil operations. He learned a lot about the film business from a family friend, David Kingsley, who ran a film company.
Julian went to several private schools in Britain, including Ampleforth College. He then studied English Literature at Magdalene College, Cambridge, and later attended the Webber Douglas Academy of Dramatic Art in London to study acting.
Career Highlights
Julian Fellowes started his career as an actor. He performed in many plays in London's West End. He also wrote romantic novels using a different name, Rebecca Greville.
In the early 1980s, he moved to Los Angeles and acted in some TV shows. He later returned to England to continue his acting career. He appeared in several TV series, including Knights of God, Our Friends in the North, and Aristocrats. He also played Prince Regent George IV in two films.
Gosford Park and Directing
In 2001, Julian Fellowes wrote the script for the mystery film Gosford Park. This movie won him an Academy Award for Best Original Screenplay, which is a huge honor for writers. He also won an award from the Writers Guild of America.
In 2005, Fellowes directed his first film, Separate Lies. For this, he won an award for Best Directorial Debut. He also wrote and introduced a BBC One series called Julian Fellowes Investigates: A Most Mysterious Murder in 2004.
He wrote two popular novels, Snobs (2004) and Past Imperfect (2009). Both became best-sellers. He also wrote the script for the musical Mary Poppins, which opened on Broadway in 2006.
Other movies he wrote include The Young Victoria (2009), Vanity Fair (2004), and The Tourist (2010). He also directed From Time to Time (2009), which won several awards at children's film festivals.
Downton Abbey and Beyond
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Julian Fellowes created the very successful TV show Downton Abbey for ITV1 in 2010. This show was a period drama with a large cast of actors. It won him two Primetime Emmy Awards for his writing and for the series itself. He also received nominations for other major awards.
He later wrote two movies that continued the Downton Abbey story: Downton Abbey (2019) and Downton Abbey: A New Era (2022). Both movies were popular in cinemas.
In 2012, he wrote a TV miniseries about the Titanic. He also wrote the script for the 2013 movie Romeo & Juliet, based on William Shakespeare's play.
His musical School of Rock opened on Broadway in 2015. In 2016, he was nominated for a Tony Award for writing the musical's story. He also released a period novel called Belgravia in weekly episodes.
The Gilded Age
In 2015, it was announced that Julian Fellowes was working on a new TV series called The Gilded Age. This show is set in New York City in the late 1800s, during a time of great industrial growth in America. It explores the lives of wealthy families in New York's high society.
Fellowes explained that he wanted to show how these new rich families changed the way people thought about wealth. The series premiered on HBO in January 2022.
He also wrote a TV adaptation of the novel Doctor Thorne by Anthony Trollope, which aired in 2016. In 2020, he created two more TV series: Belgravia and The English Game for Netflix.
Selected Works
Film
| Title | Year | Role | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2001 | Gosford Park | Writer, Associate Producer | Won Academy Award for Best Original Screenplay |
| 2004 | Vanity Fair | Writer | Based on a famous novel |
| Piccadilly Jim | Writer | ||
| 2005 | Separate Lies | Director, Writer | |
| 2009 | The Young Victoria | Writer | |
| From Time to Time | Director, Writer, Producer | ||
| 2010 | The Tourist | Writer | |
| 2013 | Romeo & Juliet | Writer, Producer | Adapted from William Shakespeare's play |
| 2017 | Crooked House | Writer | Based on a novel by Agatha Christie |
| 2018 | The Chaperone | Writer, Executive Producer | |
| 2019 | Downton Abbey | Writer, Producer | Continued the TV series |
| 2022 | Downton Abbey: A New Era | Writer, Producer | |
| 2025 | Downton Abbey: The Grand Finale | Writer, Producer |
Television
| Title | Year | Role | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2004 | Julian Fellowes Investigates | Writer, Creator | Also appeared as an actor |
| 2010–2015 | Downton Abbey | Writer, Creator, Executive Producer | Very popular series on ITV and PBS |
| 2012 | Titanic | Writer | Four-part miniseries |
| 2016 | Doctor Thorne | Writer, Executive Producer | Based on a novel |
| 2020 | Belgravia | Writer, Creator, Executive Producer | ITV series |
| 2020 | The English Game | Writer, Creator, Executive Producer | Netflix series |
| 2022–present | The Gilded Age | Writer, Creator, Executive Producer | HBO series |
Theatre
| Title | Year | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| 2004 | Mary Poppins | Adapted from the novels |
| 2015 | School of Rock | Adapted from the 2003 film |
| 2016 | Half a Sixpence | Based on a novel |
| 2016 | The Wind in the Willows | Adapted from the novel |
Public Service and Family Life
In 2011, Julian Fellowes became a Baron Fellowes of West Stafford, which is a special title that allows him to be a member of the House of Lords in the British Parliament. He sits with the Conservative group.
He also does a lot of volunteer work. He is the Chairman of an appeal for Talking Books for the RNIB (Royal National Institute of Blind People). He supports many charities, including those helping hospices, older people, and children with serious illnesses.
Julian Fellowes married Emma Joy Kitchener in 1990. They have one son, Peregrine. His wife is a great-grandniece of a famous British general, Earl Kitchener. Julian Fellowes was appointed a deputy lieutenant of Dorset in 2009. He is also the president of the Society of Dorset Men. Their main family home is in Dorset, England.
Awards and Honours
Julian Fellowes has received many awards for his work. These include:
- An Academy Award for Gosford Park (Best Original Screenplay).
- Two Primetime Emmy Awards for Downton Abbey (Outstanding Limited Series and Outstanding Writing).
He has also been nominated for four BAFTA Awards, a Golden Globe Award, two Laurence Olivier Awards, and a Tony Award.
See also
In Spanish: Julian Fellowes para niños
