In some ways, British actress Rose Leslie was “our’s” first, as we loved her as the spunky servant Gwen on Downton Abbey. She may have gone on to major fame through her role in Game of Thrones, but she’s continued to play period roles as her career develops. She’s still young, so we can hope she continues to keep one foot in frock flicks!
Downton Abbey (2010, 2015)
Gwen! She was one of the core servants in the first season, but she wanted MORE, so she secretly trained to be a secretary and left the Abbey (yes, to be a Wildling on Game of Thrones). She turns back up in season 6 with her husband (a gentleman!) while doing charity work in support of a women’s college.
Blandings (2014)
The Great Fire (2014)
A not-great TV look at the Great Fire of London in 1666. I’m pretty sure Leslie plays a lower class townswoman.
Death on the Nile (2022)
She plays a socialite’s secretary and is vastly underused.
What’s your favorite Rose Leslie period role?
I think she’s good in most everything I’ve seen her in, but I’m wondering if she sets up contracts so that she won’t have to cut or alter her hair at all, even in period movies? Understandable, her hair is lovely, but it is one of the most distracting details to get wrong, especially for the 20s and 30s! It reminds me of Lily Collins, who keeps her trademark eyebrows untouched even in the (mediocre) Last Tycoon, where she’s playing a 1930s glamor girl whose brows would surely have been a quarter of the size.
Why doesn’t “Game of Thrones” count as a frock flick? It’s set somewhere in a distant British past.
Except it’s not literally supposed to be historical Britain, but is set in a fantasy world. It’s totally a fantasy frock flick! Just not a historical one.
Somewhere when dragons roamed Britannia? :-)
Downton Abbey, of course.
Downton Abbey!!