As Dame Maggie Smith made her departure with Downton Abbey: A New Era, co-star Hugh Bonneville reflected on a pretty amazing fact in a sweet conversation.
For as much as fans love Maggie Smith's Dowager Countess, some Downton Abbey fans feel the character should have passed before the original series had completed.
Maggie Smith's Dowager Countess has inspired many memorable moments on Downton Abbey. However, she also inspired a rather unique request from one of her co-stars on the set of A New Era.
To the world, it's easy to see why Maggie Smith's Dowager Countess is a Downton Abbey fan favorite. But even series creator Julian Fellowes had a good feeling about her casting early on in the series' development.