Cringe Early Role This Downton Abbey Star Would Like Us To Forget About

When the show first aired in 2010, something about it connected with audiences on a whole new level, and for six seasons and two subsequent feature films, millions of viewers continued to tune in. The show seems to offer exactly the kind of setting, characters, storylines, aesthetics, and simpler-times vibe that audiences around the world need to escape reality.

Of course, the show's cast played a major role in its success. Some of the brilliant actors were known long before they joined the show, while others gained fame and successful careers thanks to it. In any case, it seems that there has never been a more perfect cast for a show.

A great example of this, of course, was Hugh Bonneville, who played the patriarch of the leading family, Robert Crawley, for the entire run of the series and in both movies.

When Bonneville first appeared in the series, he was nearly 57 years old and had an extensive filmography and theater experience behind him. But it was the role of the Earl of Grantham that people remembered him for. Viewers praised his great screen presence and the way he brought to life Robert Crawley, who felt like a perfect father/mentor figure.

But even the most brilliant actors are not immune to failure and have roles to be ashamed of. And Hugh Bonneville is no exception.

Looking back on his successful career, the actor would probably prefer to cross out one particularly disappointing role from his filmography.

Back in 1996, British broadcasters made the disastrous decision to produce a remake of the American sitcom Married... with Children.

The new show was called Married for Life and followed the lives of a once-promising high school football player turned loser, his family, and his acquaintances. Bonneville played the role of Steve Hollingsworth, the annoying neighbor of the protagonist named Steve Rhoades in the American sitcom.

While the show was very popular in the U.S., British audiences were not ready for its bawdy, over-the-top social satire.

The mass-market American jokes just didn't sit well with an audience used to their own special brand of humor. Not a single viewer or critic gave the remake a positive review. As a result, the sitcom was short-lived and canceled after only seven episodes.