Matthew Goode got here aboard Downton Abbey in its fifth season to play Henry Talbot, who would develop into the second husband of Michelle Dockery’s Woman Mary Crawley. Nevertheless, following a short look within the first Downton Abbey film, Goode was absent from Downton Abbey: A New Period and won’t be current in Downton: Abbey: The Grand Finale when it’s launched on the 2025 motion pictures schedule. Whereas it’s a disgrace Henry received’t be a part of this closing chapter for the historic drama saga that’s been going since 2010, I do adore the reminiscence he lately shared about his involvement in giving the late Maggie Smith her “favourite day on a set” on the unique collection.
Goode has been making the press rounds to advertise his new TV present Dept. Q, which will be streamed now with a Netflix subscription. In an interview with Deadline, the actor talked about how he has “nice tales” from the units of Downton Abbey, together with the aforementioned second with Smith, who performed Woman Violet Crawley. Goode began by saying:
It was the marriage of our characters, and we shot it out very secretively someplace out within the countryside. I believe in Oxford someplace. And our inexperienced room for 20 actors was the backyard of an ex-Concorde pilot. That is going to sound jolly unprofessional, and it’s a bit unprofessional, nevertheless it’s fucking humorous. He got here out with a bottle of rosé and simply put it on the desk, a bottle of Minuty, which was a pleasant Aix-en-Province rosé. And clearly all the opposite actors, they checked out it they usually’re like, ‘No. Nicely, clearly we will’t do this.’ I’m only a bit naughty. I don’t know if it’s coming throughout or not. And it was actually scorching, and it was taking a look at me and the perspiration was rolling down the bottle and I stated, ‘I’ll have a glass, thanks a lot.’
Okay, ingesting on the job usually isn’t a good suggestion, significantly should you’re an actor having to spout off numerous traces. Nevertheless, given the recent climate and that Matthew Goode presumably didn’t must get in entrance of the cameras anytime quickly, I additionally get why he requested for the glass of the rosé. He continued:
And I sat and I quaffed it bloody rapidly. And I stated, ‘Is it OK if I’ve one other one?’ And then you definitely began to see all the opposite actors, significantly those that didn’t have any traces that day, only a large ensemble piece, none of us had that a lot to do, actually. So all of us began ingesting. We went via 22 bottles of rosé. Nobody was drunk. However my god, have been we merry. And should you’ve made Maggie Smith joyful, then it might’t be improper.
I’m glad Maggie Smith acquired a kick out of the alcohol-fueled shenanigans that day, so I suppose kudos to Matthew Goode for deciding to imbibe slightly bit. Had all these actors and extras wanted to be out there for scenes quickly after, then it had the potential to be a catastrophe. As an alternative, Maggie Smith ended the day with a cherished reminiscence, and clearly it nonetheless means rather a lot to Goode. He concluded by saying this in regards to the aforementioned pilot who had the backyard:
He was a gentleman and it was a beautiful home and beautiful backyard as effectively. And in addition we gave them good tales as a result of then immediately they’ve acquired a ton of half-cut, fairly well-known individuals of their backyard having nice enjoyable. So, they’ve acquired anecdotes for the remainder of their life. I wouldn’t do it once more although for any future producers listening.
That’s smart of him to supply assurances that this isn’t common habits for him. A minimum of Downton Abbey followers now have one other great second from Maggie Smith’s life to consider. Smith’s time within the franchise got here to an finish in Downton Abbey: A New Period, when she handed away in 1928 surrounded by her family members. A New Period was launched in Could 2022, and in September 2024, Smith died on the age of 89.
Whereas each the actress and her character are gone, Downton Abbey: The Grand Finale can pay tribute to Maggie Smith, and Michelle Dockery described the film as a “actual tribute” to her. We’ll see how that is achieved when The Grand Finale is launched on September 12. Use your Peacock subscription to stream the unique collection.