Elizabeth McGovern has spoken about the absence of the late Dame Maggie Smith from the upcoming film 'Downton Abbey: The Grand Finale', suggesting that it has 'freed up the narrative'. The 64-year-old actress, who plays Cora Crawley, initially feared that losing her co-star would be a huge loss to the production, but she now feels that Smith's presence 'permeated' the entire film.
In an interview with The Guardian, McGovern said: 'She’s still very much in the atmosphere. I don’t feel there’s a big hole. In fact, in some ways, it sort of freed up the rest of the narrative to have a flow, because it’s not stopping for her moments.' She added that everything Smith's character represented is still present in every room and interaction.
McGovern also discussed the challenges of playing an American heiress in the early 20th century, describing the role as sometimes restrictive due to the treatment of women at the time. She noted that it was difficult to feel the 'straitjacket of that period', but acknowledged that giving her character more political or social power would not have been accurate to the era.
Dame Maggie Smith's character, Violet Crawley, died near the end of the previous film, 'Downton Abbey: A New Era' (2022). Executive producer Gareth Neame said that Smith's real-life passing in September 2024 at age 89 has added extra poignancy to the new film. He told TV Line: '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.'
Hugh Bonneville, who stars in the film, also reflected on the experience, telling BBC's The One Show that it was 'poignant' shooting without Smith. 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. 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.'
