One star from Downton Abbey has spoken candidly about Maggie Smith’s absence from the interval drama’s ultimate chapter, studies OK!.

Throughout an unique interview with Attain Display screen Time, Raquel Cassidy – recognised by viewers as girl’s maid Phyllis Baxter – mentioned the temper on set for Downton Abbey: The Grand Finale with out the legendary actress, who dropped at life the sharp-tongued Dowager Countess, Girl Violet Crawley.

The 57 12 months previous performer revealed: “By way of not having Maggie there, and I’ve heard different actors say this too on the learn via, she sort of was there with us, unusually, as a result of she’d all the time been there and he or she’d all the time been such a central half to it.”

Cassidy defined that Girl Violet’s portrait hanging in Downton’s spectacular entrance corridor, together with script mentions, together with a witty comment a couple of weekend, ensured Smith’s presence remained palpable.

She added: “So she’s there each via wit and likewise the shortage. We miss her however we’re additionally honouring her reminiscence along with her humour and you are feeling that Mary takes it on.

“Mary will take her on, her spirit on, and he or she’ll dwell on each via the home and the individuals who beloved her and are remembering her.”

Cassidy then shared her private expertise of claiming farewell to Downton Abbey, having been concerned with the manufacturing since sequence 4 after her arrival in 2013.

“I am not grieving about all of it now. I did fairly a little bit of that earlier than. I believe I used to be fairly stunned about how profoundly I felt about it,” Cassidy admitted.

She revealed one of the crucial poignant moments got here through the script read-through for the ultimate movie, confessing: “It felt like my hair was standing on finish each time anybody spoke.”

She continued: “It was portentous and Maggie wasn’t there and we actually understood how blessed we now have been and what a privileged place we have been in.”

Cassidy disclosed she “dissolved into an actual mess of tears” when she accomplished filming.

She went on: “I did not count on that in any respect. I used to be in a type of moments, the place you may’t actually converse.”

Earlier than signing as much as the ITV interval drama phenomenon, Cassidy confessed she was already a “big fan” and jumped on the likelihood to affix Downton Abbey when the chance arose.

Talking concerning the franchise drawing to an in depth, the Academics and The Worst Witch actress mentioned she wasn’t greatly surprised by Downton Abbey’s lasting enchantment in comparison with maybe a few of her co-stars, who’d been with the present from day one, as a result of she understood what it meant to “love” the sequence.

Turning her consideration to what lies forward, Cassidy presently has a number of initiatives in improvement.

Cassidy hinted that she’d skilled a “scrumptious flurry” of curiosity following the film’s premiere, revealing she was getting “shut” to 1 alternative however added: “To this point, the following proper factor hasn’t come alongside.”

She then mysteriously steered she was eager to tackle extra interval drama roles: “So, who is aware of what’s across the nook?”

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