In a new interview touting Downton Abbey series 4, lead actress Michelle Dockery emphasizes the importance of Maggie Smith.
Dockery goes so far as to say that without Smith, who plays Violet Crawley, the show couldn’t continue.
“It just feels like the show gets better every year, though. I mean, we’ll see. If more people start leaving, that’s when it can’t go on. Like if Maggie Smith decided not to do any more, I think that really is the end. One of the great things about the show is the ensemble: It’s as much about Edith and Mary as it is about Daisy and Ivy. So if more people start dropping off. I just don’t think it will work.”
The remarks are particularly interesting because there were rumors of Smith’s departure prior to the start of series 3 and series 4 filming. The possibility is all too real given the legendary’s actresses’ age.
Would Dockery’s prediction come true if Smith decided to leave? We think showrunner Julian Fellowes would do some soul searching but ultimately decide that so long as he has stories to tell in the world of Downton, the show could continue with any of the major players gone.
Elsewhere in her interview with Vulture, Dockery discussed her co-star’s (who’s name we’ll avoid writing here to avoid spoilers) decision to leave. She reiterated that she could’ve left after series 3 as well, but decided to continue on because “there wasn’t any rush” for her to go.
Downton Abbey series 4 premieres Sunday, September 22 on ITV in the United Kingdom. The show will not air in the United States until January 5 on PBS.