Dame Kiri Te Kanawa was so happy to land the role of Dame Nellie Melba in the next series of Downton Abbey that she named her new dog Abbey.
She will play the Australian singer who was one of the biggest operatic stars of the early 20th century.
Dame Kiri said she studied a diary of Dame Nellie's performances over a 30 years to get into the role and chose suitable songs for the part which includes her performing at a party at the fictional country house, PA reports.
The New Zealand singer said she was "not sure" she really acted in her scenes with the cast, which includes some spoken lines.
"I was trying to stay true to the character because as (writer) Julian Fellowes said, 'She's the only true character' that actually lived."
Dame Kiri admitted she was nervous before she arrived on set. "It was a long day - but I made it longer by staying up most of the night."
The new series, which starts on British television later this year, is set in 1922.
