DOWNTON Abbey actor Hugh Bonneville has been appointed to the role of Deputy Lieutenant of West Sussex.

Lord-Lieutenant Susan Pyper made the announcement with Julia Aisbitt and Peter Webb joining the TV star in similar roles.

Emmy award winner Hugh is well known for his popular roles as Robert Crawley, Earl of Grantham in ITVs Downton Abbey series, and Mr Brown in the Paddington films.

He started his career as a stage actor in 1986 and made his debut film appearance in Mary Shelley’s Frankenstein alongside Kenneth Branagh and Robert De Niro. He played John Bayley opposite Kate Winslet in the film Iris which won him a Bafta award for Best Supporting Role.

He was born in London and educated at Dulwich College Prep and Corpus Christi College, Cambridge before attending the Webber Douglas Academy of Dramatic Art.

He has lived in West Sussex for 40 years and is patron of Primary Shakespeare Co, the National Youth Arts Trust and the South Downs National Park Trust.

Jeff Travis, public relations officer at South Downs National Park Trust, said: “Hugh Bonneville has been patron of the South Downs National Park Trust, the independent charity working to protect and enhance the national park, since 2017.”

Julie Fawcett, chairwoman of the trust, praised Hugh for being “a passionate supporter”. She said: “He shares our vision of ensuring its special qualities such as wildlife and heritage are protected for future generations. We’d like to congratulate him on this appointment and know it is thoroughly deserved... reflecting Hugh’s love of the local area and its communities.”

He is joined by two other deputy lieutenants in Julie Aisbitt and Peter Webb. Julia has lived in New York and Sydney. She became a magistrate in 1994 and was elected chairwoman on the West Sussex Bench. She is presiding justice at the adult and youth courts and a champion of the Sussex Glyndebourne Opera House.  

Peter lives in Worthing where he grew up and established his own business, Electronic Temperature Instruments. Its success has been recognised by four Queen’s Awards for enterprise.