Elizabeth McGovern talks working on ‘Downton Abbey’ without Maggie Smith

Elizabeth McGovern, who plays Cora Crawley in hit English drama Downton Abbey, spoke about how it felt like filming the series finale following Maggie Smith's departure.

The Ordinary People actress believes that her late co-star's presence "permeates" the forthcoming movie Downton Abbey: The Grand Finale despite her death in September 2024.

"She's still very much in the atmosphere," McGovern said of Smith, who played her mother-in-law, the Dowager Countess Violet Crawley, during an interview with The Guardian.

Reflecting on the impact the Harry Potter star had on the period series, McGovern added, "I don't feel there's a big hole. In fact, in some ways, it sort of freed up the rest of the narrative to have a flow, because it's not stopping for her moments."

Smith's character passed away near the ending of franchise's previous instalment, Downton Abbey: A New Era.

Due to this reason the Downton Abbey: The Grand Finale was also not adversely affected when the Smith really passed away.

"Everything she represents is there," McGovern added. "She's in every room, in every interaction, so it's not like she's not there. It's a weird thing."

Downton Abbey: The Grand Finale will see almost all of the original series' cast return to their roles, including Hugh Bonneville, Michelle Dockery, Laura Carmichael, Jim Carter, Phyllis Logan, Robert James-Collier and Paul Giamatti, who played Cora's brother, Harold Levinson, in the original series.

The Downton Abbey: The Grand Finale is set to release on September 12.