Downton Abbey may be the nation’s favourite period drama, but one of its biggest stars has claimed that she’s never watched an episode of it.
Appearing on the Graham Norton Show, Dame Maggie Smith admitted that she’s not watched the show before, but did say that she’s “got the box set.”
Smith plays the Dowager Countess of Grantham, a fan-favourite character in the show.
With the final series almost finished airing, Smith said that she’s glad the show is finally over.
“By the time we finished [the Dowager Countess] must have been about 110. It couldn’t go on and on, it just didn’t make sense,” she explained.
With that in mind, Smith also said that she would not appear in a Downton Abbey film if it came to light.
“I can’t,” she said. “What age would she be?”
Also known for her role as Professor McGonagall in the Harry Potter films, Smith spoke about how the franchised changed her life.
“There were a lot of small people who said hello, which was nice,” said Smith.
“A whole different lot of people know me because of it. It was like I’d never existed before. One child asked me, ‘Were you really once a cat?’ and I heard myself say, ‘Pull yourself together, how could I have been!’”
BBC One, 10.35pm
