When the Downton Abbey story concludes with its Grand Finale movie — in theaters on Friday, September 12 — one notable member of the family might be felt however not seen. Violet Crawley, the Dowager Countess of Grantham, died on the finish of the second movie, 2022’s Downton Abbey: A New Period, and actor Maggie Smith died at age 89 final yr.
However Elizabeth McGovern, who performs Violet’s daughter-in-law Cora Crawley, doesn’t “really feel there’s an enormous gap” with out Smith, as she informed The Guardian in a brand new interview. “In truth, in some methods, it form of freed up the remainder of the narrative to have a move, as a result of it’s not stopping for her moments,” she added.
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It appears McGovern isn’t knocking the late Smith however slightly saying the Crawley household residents can roam extra freely across the English countryside, so to talk, with out its eldest member. In comparable remarks to Deadline, McGovern mentioned that although Violet’s Downton scenes have been a delight, not having these scenes “provides [the new film] wings in a approach” and “permits it to form of fly by itself.”
McGovern additionally informed The Guardian she anxious Smith’s absence would really feel like an excessive amount of of a loss for Downton Abbey: The Grand Finale however discovered Smith’s presence nonetheless “permeates” the movie. “She’s nonetheless very a lot within the ambiance,” she defined. “The whole lot she represents is there. She’s in each room, in each interplay, so it’s not like she’s not there. It’s a bizarre factor.”
Michelle Dockery, who performs Mary Crawley, informed Collider earlier this yr it was “such a deal with to have the ability to come again collectively once more” for The Grand Finale, which she calls “an actual tribute to Maggie Smith.” (A trailer for the movie exhibits Mary trying misty-eyed as she gazes at a portrait of Violet on a wall at Downton Abbey.)
And Hugh Bonneville, the actor behind Robert Crawley, mentioned on BBC’s The One Present this June (per BANG Showbiz) that “it was fairly poignant making the final movie, realizing that her character had handed away, after which in actual life, she handed away after we completed filming.”
“So, actually, this remaining movie might be a correct tribute to her and to the present, which is coming to an finish after 15 years,” he added.
Downton Abbey: The Grand Finale, In Theaters, Friday, September 12