Nearly a year after Dame Maggie Smith’s death, three principal cast members of Downton Abbey recalled the actor’s warmth, curiosity and love of her craft while promoting the franchise’s final film, Downton Abbey: The Grand Finale.
Kevin Doyle, Allen Leech and Hugh Bonneville spoke to Page Six this week about Smith’s off-camera presence and the atmosphere she created on set. Doyle, who played Joseph Molesley, said Smith liked to sit off camera and chat with other cast members, including Michelle Dockery and Laura Carmichael, who played her on-screen granddaughters.
“She loved the girls, didn’t she?” Bonneville said, recalling Smith’s easy rapport with Dockery and Carmichael. Leech, who portrayed Tom Branson, described Smith as someone who “loved other actors” and “loved acting. She loved work.” Bonneville, who plays the Earl of Grantham, said one of his favorite memories was watching Smith and guest star Shirley MacLaine reminisce about old Hollywood, noting he would sit back and “take the crumbs from their table.”
Smith, who died on Sept. 27, 2024, at 89, became internationally known for her portrayal of Violet Crawley, the Dowager Countess of Grantham. The role earned Smith three Emmy Awards and produced several widely quoted lines. Her character’s death was written into the 2022 film Downton Abbey: A New Era.
The new movie is the first major Downton project to be released without Smith in the cast. The original television drama premiered in 2010 and, though it was initially expected to run for three seasons, extended to six seasons through 2015 and later produced three feature films. Bonneville and Leech credited creator Julian Fellowes’s writing and a generosity of spirit in the storytelling for the series’ global appeal; Leech said Fellowes writes from a “default position” that people try to be good even as they err.
While reflecting on the franchise’s longevity, Bonneville said he did not expect the series to become the worldwide phenomenon it did. He noted producers initially thought costume drama had limited commercial appeal. The three actors said Downton Abbey: The Grand Finale marks the close of the film series; when asked about further movies, Bonneville quipped that a fourth film was unlikely because “Kevin’s fee got too big.”
Downton Abbey: The Grand Finale opened in theaters this week. The cast said the project carried added significance as the first time they reunited in a Downton production without Smith, whose performances and personality on and off set remained a touchstone for colleagues and audiences alike.