‘Downton Abbey’ season 4: Hugh Bonneville finds time for a hosting gig

You have to imagine that right now has to be a very busy time for one Hugh Bonneville. The actor is currently in the process of shooting the fourth season of “Downton Abbey,” and is doing so under a veil of heavy secrecy and promises not to spoil anything for viewers around the world who are a little bit behind. In addition to that, Hugh is also finding the time to take on hosting duties for something very important in Great Britain.

It was announced this week that Bonneville will join previously-announced host Sheridan Smith for the Olivier Awards, which are basically Britain’s version of the Tony Awards recognizing excellence in theater. The awards are named after the brilliantly-talented Sir Laurence Olivier, and are sponsored for the time being by MasterCard.

Bonneville has an extensive history of playing roles on stage, and “Downton Abbey” in some ways is a hotbed of theater actors who are getting opportunities to cut their teeth in the world of TV. Maggie Smith is a legend of both the stage and screen, and the first thing that Dan Stevens did after wrapping up his role as Matthew Crawley was to take a part in the Broadway production of “The Heiress” alongside Jessica Chastain.

While this will be a nice break for Bonneville when it happens on April 28, he and the rest of the “Downton Abbey” cast will continue to be hard at work for many months ahead. The series will officially launch on ITV this fall, and will once again return to America on PBS this coming January.

Are you glad to see Hugh getting another opportunity to showcase his full range of talents? If you want to hear Siobhan Finneran’s explanation for leaving the series after three years on the job, you can do so by heading on over to the link here.

Photo: ITV