She found herself launched to global stardom playing the privileged Lady Mary in Downton Abbey. But Michelle Dockery's latest role as Letty Dobesh in Good Behaviour sees her indulge in behaviour that would give the Crawley's butler, Carson, a heart-attack.
Stripping naked for a raunchy sex scene in second episode of the TNT show, the 34-year-old screen siren seduces a hunky hitman whilst attempting to stop him killing his next target.
Letty clearly isn't afraid of throwing herself into the task at hand, as demonstrated when the con-artist tries to disrupt hitman Javier's next kill by seducing him.
Previews from the second instalment of the crime drama show Michelle in the throws of a passionate encounter with the killer (played by Juan Diego Botto).
In one shot the Dagenham-born star can be seen clutching onto her chiseled co-star as the pair amp-up the raunch-factor the cameras.
The scene stars seductively with Letty stood in a white robe in front of a mirror as Javier moves towards her slowly.
Laying his hands on her hips, the assassin slowly draws Letty into a sensual embrace, and her delight is clear to see as the pair gaze at their reflection in a mirror.
Though the outcome of the co-woman's mission is far from clear, it's a certainty that Good Behaviour will see Michelle taking on a less prim and proper role.
And it certainly seems that she's happy the show is airing this month, as on Tuesday she was all smiles as she attended TNT's premiere for the drama in New York.
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Speaking at the premiere about her on-screen relationship with the chiseled Juan, she said: "He [Javier] kind of rescues her but he also holds her captive. It's just so messed up!"
The series is as sly at drawing viewers into this combustible arrangement as Javier and Letty are in targeting the victims he's been hired to kill.