Elizabeth McGovern<\/a> found the late Dame Maggie Smith’s absence from the new Downton Abbey film “freed up the narrative”.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n
Elizabeth McGovern felt Dame Maggie Smith’s presence making the new Downton Abbey film<\/p>\n
The 64-year-old actress had been worried that losing her co-star – who died in September 2024 aged 89 – would be a huge loss to Downton Abbey: The Grand Finale but she felt the screen legend’s presence “permeated” the entire film and her essence was a part of every scene.<\/p>\n
Elizabeth – who plays Cora Crawley – told The Guardian newspaper: \u201cShe\u2019s still very much in the atmosphere. I don\u2019t feel there\u2019s a big hole. In fact, in some ways, it sort of freed up the rest of the narrative to have a flow, because it\u2019s not stopping for her moments. <\/p>\n
“But everything she represents is there. She\u2019s in every room, in every interaction, so it\u2019s not like she\u2019s not there. It\u2019s a weird thing.”<\/p>\n
Elizabeth admitted playing the American heiress could feel restrictive because of the treatment of women at the time.<\/p>\n
\nAsked if the role could be challenging, she said: \u201cAt times, yes. I think as a contemporary woman, it is hard to feel the straitjacket of that period.\u201d <\/p>\n
\n\u201cI wish at times she could have had more interesting stories, [but it wouldn’t have been appropriate for her to have] any more political or social power, because it just wouldn\u2019t be accurate to the time\u201d.<\/p>\n
\nMaggie’s character, Violet Crawley, Dowager Countess of Grantham, died near the end of the last movie, 2022’s Downton Abbey: A New Era, and executive producer Gareth Neame previously admitted the actress’ real life passing has added extra emotion to Downton Abbey: The Grand Finale.<\/p>\n
\nHe told TV Line: “The fact that Dame Maggie herself has now passed away since that time, I do think, has given a real added poignancy to a story that we would have planned anyway.<\/p>\n
\n“The loss of the Dowager, it now feels far more significant that you see actors playing characters mourning the family matriarch. But I also see actors mourning…and it feels more genuine and more meaningful.”<\/p>\n
\nAnd another Downton Abbey: The Grand Finale star, Hugh Bonneville, previously admitted it was “poignant” shooting the movie without Maggie.<\/p>\n
\nSpeaking on BBC’s The One Show, he said: “It was quite poignant making the last film knowing that her character had passed away and then in real life, she passed away after we finished filming.<\/p>\n
\n“So, really, this final film will be a proper tribute to her and to the show, which is coming to an end after 15 years.”<\/p>\n
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