It’s the end of an era! After 15 years, Downton Abbey is coming to an end, with The Grand Finale drawing the curtains on Julian Fellowes’ beloved franchise.
Ahead of its release, Digital Spy spoke exclusively with stars Robert James Collier, Laura Carmichael and Michelle Dockery about Downton’s ending, and it sounds like fans are in for a treat.
“It’s what the audience want as well, and that’s very much, I think, what Julian’s done because it’s the last one. He’s tied up all the loose ends,” explained Collier – aka butler Thomas Barrow.
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“Everyone’s happy at Downton Abbey, no one is sad at Downton Abbey, and that’s what the audience wants because the whole thing’s a bit of escapism.
“The world’s in turmoil at the minute, so just to have something nice and easy to watch, everyone gets a nice happy ending. Give the fans what they want.”
Rory Mulvey//Universal
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Echoing this sentiment, Carmichael, revered for her long-running performance as Lady Edith Pelham, said: “It’s really moving. We were so aware with this movie that it’s saying goodbye. I certainly felt that there was a bit of pressure with this one. It had to be fitting to say goodbye.
“Julian produced an incredible script, and it felt like we had to get it right,” she continued. “It had to be bigger and better and satisfying to fans of the show, and also fun to anyone who hasn’t seen Downton.
“It’s true escapism, a real adventure for the family and leaves them all in a really great place.”
Rory Mulvey//Universal
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As for Dockery, the actor, who reprises her role as fan-favourite Lady Mary Crawley, said: “I think it wraps up really beautifully.
“I think when I first read it, I thought [Fellowes] did a really great job at tying up all the storylines for each character and that it really feels like things are moving on, even though it’s the end.
“There’s a real feeling of passing on to the next generation. For several characters, it feels like there’s a real passing of the baton, and so I was really pleased with the way things ended up, and for Mary.”
Downton Abbey: The Grand Finale is released in cinemas on 12 September.
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Megan is a freelance news reporter for Digital Spy.Â
Freelance film & TV writer, Digital Spy
Critic and writer Jo Berry has been writing about TV and movies since she began her career at Time Out aged 18. A regular on BBC Radio, Jo has written for titles including Empire, Maxim, Radio Times, OK!, The Guardian and Grazia, is the author of books including Chick Flicks and The Parents’ Guide to Kids’ Movies.Â
She is also the editor of website Movies4Kids. In her career, Jo has interviewed well-known names including Beyonce, Steven Spielberg, Tom Hanks, Kiefer Sutherland, Tom Cruise and all the Avengers, spent many an hour crushed in the press areas of award show red carpets. Jo is also a self-proclaimed expert on Outlander and Brassic, and completely agrees that Die Hard is a Christmas movie.