Tom Ellis, British Heartthrob, Might Join Cast of 'Downton Abbey' As Lady Mary’s Love Interest

Tom Ellis could join the cast of Downton Abbey as the new love interest for the recently widowed Lady Mary played by Michelle Dockery.

Ellis, who’s well known across the pond for his work on the comedy show Miranda, impressed the producers of Downton Abbey during his audition. "He really showed his versatility, and he's also incredibly popular with the female viewers," an ITV source told the U.K. Mirror.

Downton’s season 3 finale, which aired on Sunday in the U.S., saw Mary’s husband Matthew Crawley (Dan Stevens) meet an untimely death in a car crash just after the birth of their son. The fourth season, however, won’t be showing Mary in deep mourning for her spouse. "We begin Series 4 six months later,” Downton Abbey writer Julian Fellowes told The New York Times. “We don't have to do funerals and all that stuff. That's all in the past by then.”

Ellis is married to former EastEnders star Tamzin Outhwaite, with whom he has two children. While neither actor is well known in the U.S. now, a role on Downton Abbey for Ellis could launch them both into worldwide recognition – like it’s done for other cast members, including Stevens and Jessica Brown-Findlay, who've since left the show.