Many viewers are familiar with Elizabeth McGovern from her performance as Lady Cora Crawley in Downton Abbey—both the television show and its movie spin-offs, the last of which debuts this September.

Performances in N.Y.C. “It’s very liberating to take off that psychological corset,” the actress said of portraying the rambunctious Hollywood star Ava Gardner onstage. Credit...Kristina Dittmar for ...

EXCLUSIVE: Elizabeth McGovern is fired up when she talks about sensuous silver screen goddess Ava Gardner, whom the Downton Abbey star portrays in a stage show that hits New York next week. Gardner, ...