Dame Maggie Smith did not hold back when in came to discussing her role in the popular TV drama Downton Abbey.
The 89-year-old actress, who passed away today, admitted in 2015 she had never actually watched a single episode of the show.
Eventually though she did get round to it after she got a bit more time on her hands.
When asked by CBS News whether she had watched the series she said: ‘No. But they gave me the boxed set.’
Downton Abbey – set in a fictional Yorkshire county estate – first aired in 2010 and would go on to have its last episode five years later, in December.
Dame Maggie Smith played the Dowager Countess of Grantham in Downton Abbey
The acting star – who was also a well-known face of the Harry Potter films – passed away peacefully in hospital early this morning, her sons said in a statement
The British star was known for prominent roles in Harry Potter and Downton Abbey, and her Academy Award-winning performance in The Prime Of Miss Jean Brodie
Downton was filmed at Highclere Castle, a Grade I listed country house in Newbury that instantly became a tourist trap as a result of the show’s success
The film Downton Abbey 3 will be released worldwide on September 12, 2025, it was announced earlier this year in June
The final episode of Downton Abbey aired on ITV on Christmas Day and Downton producer Gareth Neame revealed that it was Maggie’s decision to quit that led to the series ending.
‘We easily could have gone for a seventh season, but if I’d have said ‘We haven’t got Maggie’ it would have been a shadow of itself,’ he told The Sun.
‘We all feel very blessed. Nobody regrets ending when we did.’
The acting star – who was also a well-known face of the Harry Potter films – passed away peacefully in hospital early this morning, her sons said in a statement.
Her children, Widow Clicquot actor Chris Larkin, and Die Another Day star Toby Stephens announced this afternoon: ‘It is with great sadness we have to announce the death of Dame Maggie Smith. She passed away peacefully in hospital early this morning, Friday 27th September.
‘An intensely private person, she was with friends and family at the end. She leaves two sons and five loving grandchildren who are devastated by the loss of their extraordinary mother and grandmother.
‘We would like to take this opportunity to thank the wonderful staff at the Chelsea and Westminster Hospital for their care and unstinting kindness during her final days.
‘We thank you for all your kind messages and support and ask that you respect our privacy at this time.’
