Published Monday, 30 January 2012
Shirley MacLaine starred inBernie and In Her Shoes. (© Getty)
She will be playing new character Martha Levinson, Lady Grantham's mother.
MacLaine, star of Bernie, In Her Shoes, Terms of Endearment and The Apartment, has been in more than 50 films highlighted by an Academy Award win as well as seven Golden Globe winners.
Laura Mackie, Director of Drama at ITV spoke of her excitement the American actress will be joining Downton, which has proved a huge success and captivated audiences worldwide.
She said: "It is so exciting to have an actress of Shirley MacLaine's stature joining our brilliant Downton Abbey cast for series three and a tribute to the show's success on both sides of the Atlantic".
The first series of Downton Abbey, written by Julian Fellowes, premiered on UTV to critical acclaim and collected a number of awards.
The success has continued with series two recently picking up a prestigious Golden Globe at the glittering ceremony in Beverly Hills.
It is currently being shown in the US.