Dame Maggie Smith ’s true feelings on the hit show Downton Abbey have resurfaced following the icon’s death at 89-years-old. A clip of the iconic actresses’ 2015 appearance on The Graham Norton Show is doing the rounds on social media, showcasing the dry sense of humour she became known for. During the interview, Smith, known for her role as Violet Crawley, Dowager Countess of Grantham, in Downton Abbey, revealed that she had never actually watched the hit series, a confession that left the audience – and host Graham – in fits of laughter.
In the light-hearted clip, when Norton asked if she was relieved that Downton Abbey had come to an end, Smith didn’t hesitate to express her satisfaction. ‘Oh yeah,’ she replied, eliciting laughter from the crowd. She further explained, ‘By the time we finished, [my character] must have been about 110, so I couldn’t go on and on.
It just didn’t make sense.’ She continued admitting she had never actually watched the show, despite her iconic portrayal, adding, ‘I’ve got the box set, so I can watch it,’ to the amusement of both Norton and the audience. Despite her dismissal of watching her own work, Smith’s portrayal of Violet Crawley remains one of her most celebrated roles.
Her sharp-tongued yet lovable character provided many memorable moments throughout the show’s five-year run from 2010 to 2015, and the character’s legacy continued even into the 2022 film Downton Abbey: A New Era. Dame Maggie’s other .