Entertainment

Minnie Driver Auditions for 'Downton Abbey'

by Alicia Lutes

Minnie Driver is a hilarious, charming human. If that wasn't evidenced in your (hopefully) multiple viewings of Good Will Hunting, perhaps her latest trip to The Ellen Show will do the trick. In it, Minnie Driver, self-professed Downton Abbey obsessive, finally gets to take a stab at the Edwardian life with an audition reel for the series. Hey Julian Fellowes — are you paying attention ?

The goofy and absurd little clip is part improv, part sketch — Driver had not seen the script prior to hopping on stage — with DeGeneres making sure that it was chockablock with silly shenanigans for the actress to endure. From barking like a dog, Pavlov-style, to out of control hand gestures, and a rotating wheel of accents, Driver not only took it all in stride, but proved to be a bit of an improvisational champion. I mean the wordplay alone: who knew, right?

Considering all the calamitous doings that occurred in Yorkshire this past season, it seems as though Driver would do well in a visit to Downton. And the actress has not been shy regarding her devotion to the series. "I would do Downton Abbey—tomorrow,” Driver explained "I'm waiting by the phone! I don’t care what I play, I just want to be on the show. I want to be in it. I’m obsessed with it. I don’t even mind if they kill me after one episode. I just love that show. It's the greatest soap opera on TV!" So what are you waiting for, Fellowes? Get on it!

Check out the video and see for yourself all the myriad ways in which Driver would be a perfect addition to the fifth season of the PBS/ITV series. Do this not just for her, but for the millions of fans who would benefit.

Image: The Ellen Show