Why this Maggie Smith one-liner is Hugh Bonneville's least favorite bit of dialogue in Downton Ab...

---

&34;I was hoping it was going to be cut,&34; the actor quips to EW. Why this Maggie Smith oneliner is Hugh Bonneville's least favorite bit of dialogue in Downto

"I was hoping it was going to be cut," the actor quips to EW.

Why this Maggie Smith one-liner is Hugh Bonneville's least favorite bit of dialogue in Downton Abbey: The Grand Finale

"I was hoping it was going to be cut," the actor quips to EW.

By Maureen Lee Lenker

Maureen Lee Lenker

Maureen Lee Lenker is a senior writer at ** with over nine years of experience. An award-winning journalist, she's written for Turner Classic Movies, *Ms. Magazine*, *The Hollywood Reporter*, and more.

EW's editorial guidelines

September 14, 2025 10:00 a.m. ET

Leave a Comment

Elizabeth McGovern and Hugh Bonneville in 'Downton Abbey: The Grand Finale'. Credit:

Rory Mulvey/FOCUS FEATURES LLC

- *Downton Abbey: The Grand Finale*, now in theaters, marks the conclusion of the *Downton *saga after 15 years.

- The film is full of references to some of the story's most iconic lines and plot points.

- Hugh Bonneville, however, is not a fan of the reference he was tasked with delivering.

Maggie Smith may not appear in *Downton Abbey: The Grand Finale, *but her presence is felt throughout the film.

In a notable moment, Hugh Bonneville, who portrays Robert Crawley, Lord Grantham, references one of Smith's most iconic lines as Violet, the Dowager Countess. "The weekend — I'm glad Mama isn't alive to hear you say that word," he quips when speaking of plans with Lady Mary (Michelle Dockery).

It's a funny and heartwarming wink to a piece of dialogue that helped turn *Downton Abbey *into a phenomenon. But Bonneville actually hated the line.

Hugh Bonneville in 'Downton Abbey: The Grand Finale'.

Rory Mulvey/FOCUS FEATURES LLC

"It's my least favorite line in the movie, and I was hoping it was gonna be cut," he tells *.*

It's not because he doesn't think it's funny, but rather because of the daunting task of trying to live up to Smith's memory. "How can you quote Maggie?" he continues. "She did it so iconically."

Bonneville wasn't surprised at the dialogue's inclusion, however. "I could sense it coming," he says with a laugh. "And it was down to me to reference it."

Why Julian Fellowes ended 'Downton Abbey' over Nazis

'Downton Abbey' creator and cast pay tribute to Maggie Smith

Mostly, Bonneville's reticence came from his great reverence for the late Smith and her legacy as an actress. "We were very lucky to work with one of the greatest actresses of her generation," he says. "For me to have been able to call her 'mummy' on and off for 15 years was a great privilege. She was one of a kind, and I feel very blessed to have been in her orbit for a while."

*Downton Abbey*: *The Grand Finale, *which is now in theaters, is the conclusion of the *Downton *saga, at least for this generation of characters. As such, it's bursting with nods to some of the most memorable parts of the story over its 15-year history.

Laura Carmichael, Harry Hadden-Paton, Elizabeth McGovern, Hugh Bonneville, and Michelle Dockery in 'Downton Abbey: The Grand Finale'.

Rory Mulvey/FOCUS FEATURES

"The movie is full of those little back references," Bonneville notes. "There's a reference to Mr. Pamuk from season 1, which is quite delicious, and various others along the way. It was inevitable that lines like that would pop up."

*** Sign up for **'s free newsletter to get the latest trailers, celebrity interviews, film reviews, and more.*****

Though the cast has been saying goodbye since the TV series ended in 2015, they all felt a more permanent sense of an ending while making this film. "It's a fond love letter to all the audiences that have followed us for so long," Bonneville reflects. "The compassion with which Julian Fellowes writes is second to none. He's created this fictional world in this uniquely British setting in which all the accidents of human nature play out, but at its heart, there's a generosity of spirit. I'm proud to be part of that story."

Original Article on Source

Source: "AOL Movies"

Read More

---

Source: GETTY MAG

Read More >> Full Article on Source: GETTY MAG

#LALifestyle #USCelebrities