Downey portrayed Jacqueline Kennedy Onassis in the Emmy Award-winning miniseries A Woman Named Jackie.

Downey has starred in and served as an executive producer for CBS television movies, including Borrowed Hearts and Second Honeymoon.

As President of Lightworkers Media, the faith and family division of MGM, she and her husband, Mark Burnett, produced the miniseries The Bible, in which she played Mary, mother of Jesus.

In collaboration with Burnett, Downey has produced feature films, including Ben-Hur (2016), Son of God, Little Boy, Woodlawn, Resurrection, Messiah, and Country Ever After.

[3] The Hollywood Reporter included the couple in its "Most Influential People of 2013," and named Downey one of the "100 Women in Entertainment Power" in 2014.

In 2021, she was honored with the Lifetime Achievement Award at the International Christian Film & Music Festival,[6] and was named an Officer of the Order of the British Empire (OBE) for her services to the arts, drama, and the community in Northern Ireland.

[7] Downey is a published author, with several books, including the New York Times best-seller Box of Butterflies (2018).

[10] Downey moved to New York City after an agent, whom she met during the tour of The Playboy of the Western World, suggested she had potential for success there.

Downey has said the character Monica interested her because it was a strong female role, which were "few and far between" and for its spiritual aspects: It was pilot season of ‘94 and I was reading through endless junk scripts that were being sent my way.

[21] Downey and Burnett wanted to stay as true to the content in the Bible as possible so they put together a wide variety of pastors and academics to review the script and filming.

For example, they worked with Pastors Joel Osteen and Rick Warren and academics such as Craig A. Evans and Mark Goodacre.

She hosted It's a Miracle (TV series), on the Pax Network and appeared on stage in A Picasso at the Geffen Theatre in Los Angeles.

On 16 July 2011, she appeared with actress Marion Ross in the made-for-TV movie Keeping up with the Randalls, broadcast on the Hallmark Channel.

[35] Downey is the executive producer of the animated video series, Little Angels, which was released on DVD with 20th Century Fox Home Entertainment on 14 February 2012.

[36] In December 2013, CBS announced a new miniseries with Downey and Burnett, The Dovekeepers based on the New York Times bestseller by Alice Hoffman.

[citation needed] Downey executive produced a re-telling of Ben-Hur,[40] starring Jack Huston, which was released in August 2016.

[43] Downey is the author of several books, including Unexpected Blessings and Box of Butterflies, which became a New York Times best seller.

[48] Downey received the Sally Award by the Salvation Army for her contribution to entertainment and helping those in need on 1 October 2015.

[50][51][52] On 18 April 2009, Downey and Burnett delivered the keynote address and accepted honorary doctorate degrees[53] at Pepperdine University's Graziadio School of Business and Management commencement ceremony.

TCF is focused on raising $25 million to help Middle Eastern minorities displaced by ISIS to return to a home where they can practice their faith without fear.

[citation needed] In February 2016, Downey and Burnett gave the keynote address at the National Prayer Breakfast held in Washington DC by President Obama.

[57] Downey was appointed Officer of the Order of the British Empire (OBE) in the 2021 Birthday Honours for services to the arts, drama and the community in Northern Ireland.