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5:45 pm - 01/14/2013

Maggie Smith Returning for Season 4 of Downton Abbey



The Dowager Countess is staying put.

Downton Abbey exec producer Gareth Neame confirmed to TVLine Sunday at HBO’s post-Golden Globes bash that Maggie Smith will indeed be returning for the drama’s upcoming fourth season.

Over the summer, Abbey creator Julian Fellowes admitted that even he didn’t know if the Emmy- and Golden Globe-winning actress would be back. “I can’t tell you, ‘Oh, yes, she’s definitely contracted [for Season 4] — because she isn’t,” he said. “It’s entirely up to her when she stays and when she goes.

“With Maggie, you never know,” he added. “Other [actors] sign on for the next series and they sign for this and they sign for that, but she doesn’t. She stays her own person. But as far as I’m concerned, I hope she stays with the show until Downton falls down.”

Smith’s decision to stick around ensures that all of the show’s major castmembers are on board for Season 4, with the exception of [MAJOR SPOILER ALERT] Jessica Brown Findlay and Dan Stevens, whose respective characters, Sybill and Matthew, are killed off in Season 3.


Source
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tine_marie 14th-Jan-2013 11:02 pm (UTC)
I hope they make it a plot point where they find Violet drinking the blood of virgins next series or something, because she's gotta be immortal. Like how old would she be at this point?
skeet_skeet 14th-Jan-2013 11:03 pm (UTC)
Mid to late 70s probably.
slagathor42 14th-Jan-2013 11:02 pm (UTC)
love her
tusiaczek87 14th-Jan-2013 11:03 pm (UTC)
only stovens was stupid enough to leave this show

hope his career will be the biggest flop ever

queen Michelle for an EGOT tbh

beesknees7 14th-Jan-2013 11:09 pm (UTC)
She is seriously the cutest. Someone on my dash called her 'sunshine in human form' last night and I couldn't agree more.
tusiaczek87 14th-Jan-2013 11:10 pm (UTC)
she really is! such a positive, bright person
skeet_skeet 14th-Jan-2013 11:11 pm (UTC)
She's like a six year old in adult form ilh.
morgan90 14th-Jan-2013 11:17 pm (UTC)
It was so gracious of her to laugh at Aziz Anzari's painfully unfunny jokes
fauxkaren 14th-Jan-2013 11:18 pm (UTC)
She's so wonderful. Everyone should stan for hee tbqh.
hateistoodark 15th-Jan-2013 12:26 am (UTC)
No flaws detected
therearewords 14th-Jan-2013 11:07 pm (UTC)
I hope they step over Chin's death with a "She was mourning too much to talk about it, ON TO BRIGHT THINGS" and not 6 episodes of fake darkness while nobody cares.
masterofhentzau 14th-Jan-2013 11:12 pm (UTC)
I need Judy Dench to be cast in Downton as Violet's bff/arch-rival
thesegoto11 14th-Jan-2013 11:16 pm (UTC)
omg a showdown of the dames. this is my dream.
therearewords 14th-Jan-2013 11:21 pm (UTC)
Frenemy. All the spiked barbs, all the awesome shared giggles.
hoechlingurl 14th-Jan-2013 11:13 pm (UTC)
Hahaha. Vamps 2
devolute 14th-Jan-2013 11:15 pm (UTC)
Thank god, she's like the only good character left.
hoechlingurl 14th-Jan-2013 11:17 pm (UTC)
Chin Chinny Chin Stovens will be forced to appear in the show's finale as a ghost
yurasama_love 14th-Jan-2013 11:18 pm (UTC)
I love her!
jearsforqueers 14th-Jan-2013 11:22 pm (UTC)
BOW TO THIS GODDESS.
misscrystal25 14th-Jan-2013 11:25 pm (UTC)
My boyfriend and I just started watching this and marathoned through season 1 in a day or two. We're well into season 2 now and we're quite loving it.
miindy 14th-Jan-2013 11:26 pm (UTC)
of course I read that as "not returning" and about had a fit.
antoniascarlett 14th-Jan-2013 11:28 pm (UTC)
Fuck that Dan Stevens. I still can't believe that prick left.

I hope that means more screen time for Thomas!
xcollsangelx 14th-Jan-2013 11:40 pm (UTC)
Season 4 is probably when Violet will die :(

Nobody likes death like Julian Fellowes.

hateistoodark 15th-Jan-2013 12:27 am (UTC)
He needs to kill Robert more
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