Maggie Smith May Not Be Preparing for “Downton Abbey” Exit After All - East Idaho News
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Maggie Smith May Not Be Preparing for “Downton Abbey” Exit After All

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030415 DowagerCountess?  SQUARESPACE CACHEVERSION=1425492687139WGBH(NEW YORK) — Downton Abbey actress Maggie Smith may not be leaving the show after its sixth season, despite what she may have suggested in a recent interview.

Smith, 80, who plays the Dowager Countess of Grantham on the popular PBS drama, told Britain’s The Sunday Times, “They say this is the last one, and I can’t see how it could go on.”

“I mean, I certainly can’t keep going. To my knowledge, I must be 110 by now. We’re into the late 1920s,” she added.

However, Smith’s rep says in a statement that the actress was speaking lightheartedly. The statement, obtained by TheWrap.com, notes that Smith “has always been on the record as saying she’ll be with the show for as long as the show runs.”

Smith’s co-star Lily James, a.k.a. Lady Rose, wants to see Downton Abbey stick around for a long time. She tells ABC Radio, “I just hope that it never ends. I just feel it’s going to be too sad to say goodbye to those characters. So, it will continue on in my dreams forever, I think.”

Though Lady Rose and her husband, Atticus, are moving to New York, James — who plays the titular character in Disney’s upcoming movie Cinderella — says she’s “pretty sure” she’ll return to the British drama for more episodes.

The fifth season of Downton Abbey concluded on PBS this past weekend. Filming on season six began earlier this year.


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