Maggie Smith hints at Downton Abbey exit, says the Dowager Countess 'must be 100 by now'
The actress said she 'certainly can't keep going'
Your support helps us to tell the story
From reproductive rights to climate change to Big Tech, The Independent is on the ground when the story is developing. Whether it's investigating the financials of Elon Musk's pro-Trump PAC or producing our latest documentary, 'The A Word', which shines a light on the American women fighting for reproductive rights, we know how important it is to parse out the facts from the messaging.
At such a critical moment in US history, we need reporters on the ground. Your donation allows us to keep sending journalists to speak to both sides of the story.
The Independent is trusted by Americans across the entire political spectrum. And unlike many other quality news outlets, we choose not to lock Americans out of our reporting and analysis with paywalls. We believe quality journalism should be available to everyone, paid for by those who can afford it.
Your support makes all the difference.Maggie Smith has said her acerbic-tongued character may not survive another year of Downton Abbey.
The 80-year-old actress hinted that she may leave the award-winning ITV drama after the next series.
In an interview with The Sunday Times, she said: “They say this [series] is the last one, and I can’t see how it could go on. I mean, I certainly can’t keep going.”
She quipped: “To my knowledge, [Violet] must be 110 by now. We’re into the late 1920s.”
The Oscar-winning actress is best known on the show for her damning one-liners as the Crawley family matriarch, the Dowager Countess of Grantham.
Smith said that while she loved being part of the drama, she found it hard to cope with the new levels of fame that came with the show.
“One isn’t safe after doing Downton. What’s sad is I’ve gone through my whole life without any of that. I could go round galleries and things on my own and I just can’t do that now.”
It is not known yet if Downton Abbey will continue beyond its sixth series.
Julian Fellows refused to give any hints in a recent interview with the New York Times.
“It’s not really my decision. I don’t own Downton Abbey now. NCB Universal owns Downton Abbey. So I could walk away, but I wouldn’t walk away. It’s too much my baby.
“It won’t go on forever – I’m not a believer in that. But I can’t immediately now tell you where the end will be.”
Downton Abbey has broken records in the US to become the most-watched drama in the history of channel PBS.
The series’ pull across the pond rather than its home-grown fan base is expected to dictate whether it will be recommissioned for a seventh series.
Join our commenting forum
Join thought-provoking conversations, follow other Independent readers and see their replies
Comments