‘Downton Abbey’ star joins new Watergate drama series ‘Gaslit’
Dan Stevens is returning to TV for his latest role!
The Downton Abbey star will appear alongside Julia Roberts and Sean Penn in Starz’s upcoming Watergate drama Gaslit.
Stevens is best known to period drama fans for his role as Matthew Crawley in the first three seasons of ITV’s hit television series.
The 38-year-old English actor most recently starred in the new version of Blithe Spirit earlier this year.
Created by Mr. Robot writer Robbie Pickering, Gaslist is based on the Slate podcast Slow Burn and the series’ modern take on Watergate.
Julia Roberts (Erin Brockovich) is playing Martha Mitchell, the protagonist and the celebrity Arkansan socialite who was one of the first to publicly sound the alarm on Nixon’s involvement in Watergate in spite of her affiliation to the president via her husband, Attorney General John Mitchell.
Sean Penn (Milk) will play John Mitchell, who was Nixon’s most trusted advisor and best friend at the time.
Dan Stevens’ role is currently unknown, but he’ll be one of the main characters.
Christina Davis, president of original programming for Starz, commented: “In Gaslit, we not only have the opportunity to tell an incredible untold story in bringing Martha Mitchell’s historic role in Watergate to the forefront, but we are also incredibly lucky to have a dream cast including Julia and Sean and the best creative team and partners we could have asked for.”
Creator and lead writer Robbie Pickering added: “I’m so happy to have the opportunity to share the heartbreaking, fascinating story of Martha Mitchell with the world. Martha was the first and loudest voice to speak out against the bumbling criminality of a crooked presidential administration and she was one of the most complicated public martyrs of the era. To find anyone willing to tell her story is a dream … I’m over the moon.”
The official synopsis reads: “Gaslit focuses on the untold stories and forgotten characters of the scandal – from Nixon’s bumbling, opportunistic subordinates to the deranged zealots aiding and abetting their crimes to the tragic whistleblowers who eventually would bring the whole rotten enterprise crashing down.”
A sequel to 2019’s Downton Abbey movie is set to begin filming soon, but we don’t expect to see Dan Stevens amongst the cast!
Gaslit will premiere on Starz later this year.
Downton Abbey: The Complete Collection box set is available on DVD on Amazon.