'Downton Abbey's' Dan Stevens to star in 'Heiress' on Broadway

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NEW YORK, May 14 (UPI) -- Dan Stevens, one of the stars of the British TV series "Downton Abbey," will make his Broadway debut in "The Heiress," the play's producers said Monday.

Stevens will co-star with previously announced cast members Jessica Chastain and David Strathairn in the stage drama by Ruth Goetz and Augustus Goetz, based on Henry James' novel "Washington Square."

"I couldn't ask for a more exciting Broadway debut: to work on such a fascinating play, with such fantastic actors as Jessica Chastain and David Strathairn and one of Broadway's great directors, Moises Kaufman. I can't wait to get started," Stevens said in a statement.

The production is to begin performances in October. In it, Stevens will play the role of Morris Townsend, the ambitious charmer a wealthy man doesn't want his daughter to wed. His previous stage work includes roles in "Arcadia," "Every Good Boy Deserves Favor," "The Vortex," "Hay Fever," "Much Ado About Nothing" and "As You Like It."