Maggie Smith’s brutally honest opinion of Downton Abbey resurfaces after her death

Dame Maggie Smith’s existent feelings connected the deed amusement Downton Abbey person resurfaced pursuing the icon’s decease astatine 89-years-old.

A clip of the iconic actresses’ 2015 quality connected The Graham Norton Show has resurfaced, showcasing the adust consciousness of humour she became known for.

During the interview, Smith, known for her relation arsenic Violet Crawley, Dowager Countess of Grantham, successful Downton Abbey, revealed that she had ne'er really watched the deed series, a confession that near the assemblage – and big Graham Norton – successful fits of laughter.

In the light-hearted clip, erstwhile Norton asked if she was relieved that Downton Abbey had travel to an end, Smith didn’t hesitate to explicit her satisfaction.

‘Oh yeah,’ she replied, eliciting laughter from the crowd.

She further explained, ‘By the clip we finished, [my character] indispensable person been astir 110, truthful I couldn’t spell connected and on. It conscionable didn’t marque sense.’

She continued admitting she had ne'er really watched the show, contempt her iconic portrayal, adding, ‘I’ve got the container set, truthful I tin ticker it,’ to the amusement of some Norton and the audience.

Despite her dismissal of watching her ain work, Smith’s portrayal of Violet Crawley remains 1 of her astir celebrated roles.

Her sharp-tongued yet lovable quality provided galore memorable moments passim the show’s five-year tally from 2010 to 2015, and the character’s bequest continued adjacent into the 2022 movie Downton Abbey: A New Era.

Dame Maggie’s different iconic roles included Professor Minerva McGonagall successful the Harry Potter franchise, arsenic good arsenic successful critically acclaimed films similar The Prime of Miss Jean Brodie, for which she won her archetypal Academy Award successful 1970.

Her enactment successful California Suite earned her a 2nd Oscar, portion her roles successful films similar The Lady successful the Van and Gosford Park solidified her arsenic acting royalty.

The Oscar-winning histrion died successful infirmary connected Friday 27 September, her sons Chris Larkin and Toby Stephens said successful a statement.

‘It is with large sadness we person to denote the decease of Dame Maggie Smith,’ they began.

‘She passed distant peacefully successful infirmary aboriginal this morning, Friday 27th September.

‘An intensely backstage person, she was with friends and household astatine the end. She leaves 2 sons and 5 loving grandchildren who are devastated by the nonaccomplishment of their bonzer parent and grandmother.

‘We would similar to instrumentality this accidental to convey the fantastic unit astatine the Chelsea and Westminster Hospital for their attraction and unstinting kindness during her last days.

‘We convey you for each your benignant messages and enactment and inquire that you respect our privateness astatine this time.’

Following the quality of her passing, tributes poured successful from colleagues and admirers alike.

Rupert Grint, who starred alongside Smith successful Harry Potter, honored her representation by changing his Instagram illustration representation to a throwback representation of the 2 of them.

Daniel Radcliffe shared a connection remembering her ‘incredibly kind’ bequest and her idiosyncratic interaction connected his life.

‘The archetypal clip I met Maggie Smith I was 9 years aged and we were speechmaking done scenes for David Copperfield, which was my archetypal job. I knew virtually thing astir her different than that my parents were awestruck astatine the information that I would beryllium moving with her,’ helium said, per Variety.

‘The different happening I knew astir her was that she was a Dame, truthful the archetypal happening I asked her erstwhile we met was “would you similar maine to telephone you Dame?” astatine which she laughed and said thing to the effect of “don’t beryllium ridiculous!”.

‘I retrieve feeling tense to conscionable her and past her putting maine instantly astatine ease. She was incredibly benignant to maine connected that shoot, and past I was fortunate capable to spell connected moving with her for different 10 years connected the Harry Potter films,’ helium fondly remembered.

He continued: ‘She was a fierce intellect, a gloriously crisp tongue, could intimidate and charm successful the aforesaid instant and was, arsenic everyone volition archer you, highly funny.

‘I volition ever see myself amazingly fortunate to person been capable to enactment with her, and to walk clip astir her connected set. The connection fable is overused but if it applies to anyone successful our manufacture past it applies to her. Thank you Maggie.’

Hugh Bonneville, her Downton Abbey co-star who played her son, reflected connected her unmatched talent, calling her ‘a existent fable of her generation’ and remembering her for her ‘sharp wit and formidable talent.’

Dan Stevens, who played Matthew Crawley successful Downton Abbey, besides took to societal media to retrieve Smith arsenic ‘truly 1 of the greats,’ portion histrion and broadcaster Gyles Brandreth praised her arsenic ‘one of a benignant successful each way.’

Smith was not lone the beating bosom of each task she was in, she was besides highly versatile, which was exemplified successful films similar Ladies successful Lavender and The Lonely Passion of Judith Hearne, and connected signifier successful the acclaimed David Hare play The Breath of Life.

In 2015, she brought Alan Bennett’s memoirs to beingness successful The Lady successful the Van.

Dame Maggie Smith’s bequest is definite to unrecorded connected – adjacent if she didn’t overmuch attraction for 1 of her astir iconic roles, Downton Abbey’s Dowager Countess of Grantham.

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