Downton Abbey star talks "soaking up" every moment opposite late Dame Maggie Smith
"I will treasure those moments."
Downton Abbey star Michelle Dockery has opened up about “soaking up every moment” opposite the late Dame Maggie Smith.
The beloved actor, who died in September 2024, aged 89, played Violet Crawley, Dowager Countess of Grantham, in all seasons of the original period drama show and both of its first two sequel films.
Speaking to Caroline Frost in a new interview with Radio Times magazine, Dockery, who plays Violet Crawley's granddaughter Lady Mary in Downton Abbey, said of her scenes with Dame Maggie: "I soaked up every moment. With a very special one like Maggie, it’s like playing championship tennis – you really up your game."
The actress, who is set to reprise her role in the upcoming third and final Downton Abbey film The Grand Finale – the first film Smith will not be involved in – added: "I was always slightly nervous going into those scenes, even though we were great friends and we worked together for 15 years."
She continued: "I will treasure those moments, and how we played Bananagrams between scenes. She was so good at it, and so sweet."
Set in the 1930s, Downton Abbey: The Grand Finale will revolve around the Crawley family as patriarch Robert Crawley (Hugh Bonneville) prepares to step down from leading the beloved estate and hand over control to his daughter, Lady Mary.
However, the threat of social disgrace and financial ruin soon throws the family into turmoil.
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Returning alongside Dockery and Bonneville for the third instalment are Dominic West, Elizabeth McGovern, Laura Carmichael, Jim Carter, Phyllis Logan, Robert James-Collier, Joanne Froggatt, Allen Leech, Penelope Wilton and Lesley Nicol.
They're also joined by Michael Fox, Raquel Cassidy, Brendan Coyle, Kevin Doyle, Harry Hadden-Paton, Sophie McShera and Douglas Reith.
Meanwhile, new faces this time around include Paul Giamatti, Joely Richardson, Alessandro Nivola, Simon Russell Beale and Arty Froushan.
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Downton Abbey: The Grand Finale will be released in UK cinemas on 12th September 2025. All seasons of Downton Abbey are available to stream on ITVX.
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Authors
Molly Moss is a Trends Writer for Radio Times, covering the latest trends across TV, film and more. She has an MA in Newspaper Journalism and has previously written for publications including The Guardian, The Times and The Sun Online.
