Shirley MacLaine joins the cast of 'Downton Abbey'

Oscar winning actress Shirley MacLaine will be joining the cast of British drama Downton Abbey for season 3.

Masterpiece on PBS and Carnival Films announced that MacLaine will be playing Martha Levinson, a new character who will be the mother of Lady Grantham. Levinson will be a good combatant with Maggie Smith's Dowager Countess.

"Shirley MacLaine is a great actress and she's as American as the day is long," said Masterpiece executive producer Rebecca Eaton as quoted by PBS.

According to The Huffington Post it has been said by Elizabeth McGovern, who portrays Lady Cora, that some American relatives would be coming to Downton, Levinson being one of them.

"My late grandfather directed Shirley MacLaine in Gambit in 1966 so it is a delight for me that she will be joining us on Downton Abbey. Julian has written another brilliant character in Martha Levinson," said Carnival Films' Managing Director, Gareth Neame as reported by PBS.

The show has been one of Masterpiece's most successful series in its history. The first season of Downton Abbey won six Primetime Emmys and a Golden Glode for Best Miniseries or Made for Television Film. The first episode of season 2 had approximately 6.3 million viewers. The episode also received 743,000 views on pbs.org over just three weeks.

Downton Abbey airs on Sundays at 9 p.m. EST on PBS. The third season will begin in the fall of 2012 in the UK and the winter of 2013 in the US.