ITV Downton Abbey's Mrs Hughes star Phyllis Logan real life and famous husband

Phyllis Logan played Mrs Hughes in Downton Abbey
-Credit:ITV


This year marks a decade since the final episode of Downton Abbey aired. The period drama has been a huge success and won multiple awards over the years as a result of its gripping storylines and memorable characters.

One character fans took a fond liking to was Mrs Hughes, played by Phyllis Logan. She was the head housekeeper and in charge of all the female servants. She took a lead with the servant branch alongside Thomas Barrrow after he became butler.

In 2022, Buzzfeed rated Downton Abbey characters from best to worst. They placed Mrs Hughes as the second best in the series. And she was voted the best Downton Abbey character of all time in a poll conducted by RadioTimes.com. Phyllis starred in the show from 2010 until 2015, appearing in 52 episodes. She also appeared in two Downton Abbey spin-off movies.

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Becoming one of the show's most loved characters was perhaps due to her soft nature as she often showed her kind and nurturing side. Always on hand to offer a shoulder to cry on and a supportive figure for the young staff.

Off-screen, Phyllis, aged 68 has a completely different life to her onscreen counterpart. Phyllis is the youngest in her family and has a brother and a sister. She experience heartbreak when her father died at the age of 59 while she was at drama school.

The Scottish actress had other acting credits previous to Downton Abbey. She is widely known for her roles as Lady Jane Felsham in Lovejoy (1986–1993) and she won the BAFTA Award for Most Promising Newcomer for the 1983 film Another Time, Another Place and was nominated for BAFTA Award for Best Actress in a Leading Role for the same film.

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Phyllis married actor Kevin McNally in 2011, after the two met when filming the 1994 mini-series Love and Reason. They have one child together, David. The actor is best known for portraying Joshamee Gibbs in the Pirates of the Caribbean franchise.

Kevin McNally attends the Downton Abbey themed fundraiser for the NSPCC at The Savoy Hotel, Strand, London
Kevin McNally attends the Downton Abbey themed fundraiser for the NSPCC at The Savoy Hotel, Strand, London -Credit:Nick Ansell/PA Wire

During a 2017 interview with Mail Online, Phyllis spoke about finding love when she least expected it. "I never thought real love – the sort where your blood tingles and your world explodes with joy – would happen to me at my time of life," she said. "I believed I had missed out. But I'm ever so glad it happened.'"

The next career move for the actress comes as she joined the cast for The Puzzle Lady, the new drama from Channel 5. Production is underway in Northern Ireland, with the premiere set to unveil in 2025.