I'd love to do some bedtime stories for kids or that kind of thing. But with the demands of the shooting schedule and balancing the demands of being a single mother, it's a wonder you can squeeze in anything.

She released a Youtube video with Cee-Lo Green “Mary Did You Know” that went viral with almost 3 million views. Downey is a "Smile Ambassador" for the non-profit organization Operation Smile which provides surgeries for children around the world who were born with severe cleft lip and palate. Career
She joined the Abbey Players in Dublin and toured the United States in a production of The Playboy of the Western World.

Downey received two Emmy and Golden Globe nominations for her role on the show. She also plays the role of Mother Mary in the series. She is currently the executive producer of the television miniseries The Bible on the History channel.