keeping up with the royals

My So-Called Life’s A. J. Langer Has Reached Official Downton Abbey Status With Her Countess Title

Photo: ABC Photo Archives/Getty Images

In this week’s edition of “these things really do happen to normal people,” it’s come to light that former My So-Called Life star A. J. Langer — remember Angela Chase’s wild best friend, Rayanne? — has been low-key living her life as a bonafide countess since 2015. In a new feature in People, the actress explained that when her husband’s father, the Earl of Devon, died, the title was passed on, making her the Countess of Devon by marriage. The couple have since relocated from Los Angeles to Powderham Castle (!) in the English countryside with their two children, to keep up their ancestry and generally live a very period-drama-inspired life. “’Countess’ is a work title. We’re still A. J. and Charlie,” she said of her new life, but it’s not all tiaras and afternoon tea. “It was ‘welcome to the patriarchy,’ which I had never experienced. People only asking me questions about the kids and the house; me talking to a bank manager and him responding to my husband. We did walk into a culture that had been very Downton Abbey.” Still, she manages to enjoy spotting hundreds of deer on the property every day, surfing at the nearby English coast, and managing the castle’s many business opportunities. Hopefully much better than Lord Grantham did.

This My So-Called Life Star Is Now a Real-Life Countess