To hail the return of those beloved Brits, PEOPLE is celebrating with anewDownton Abbeyspecial editionfeaturing exclusive cast and creator interviews, an oral history of the six-season series, and behind-the-scenes photos of the big-screen sequel, which catches up with the Crawley family and their staff in the late 1920s. The time shift is seen in not only shorter hemlines and talking pictures, but in the family itself. “What’s lovely in the new film is that you see Mary and Edith much more settled and really matured as women, and their relationship has evolved,” says Michelle Dockery, who plays Lady Mary. “There are less jabs between the two of them. Maybe it’s because they live apart—that’s helpful!”
Elizabeth McGovern and Laura Carmichael in ‘Downton Abbey: A New Era’.Ben Blackall/Focus Features
Sophie McShera, Laura Haddock, and Charlie Watson in ‘Downton Abbey: A New Era.'.Ben Blackall/Focus Features
Laura Carmichael (Lady Edith), was among those enjoying the sun and two-week poolside pre-filming quarantine in France. “We had a really fun time, especially with the crew—it was a real gift,” she says. “I feel for the cast that didn’t have that story line, because we had a wonderful time.”
“The great skill one learns is not to eat at all,” replies Bonneville. “Because if you eat at one camera angle, you have to eat at all of them. I think over 10 years Maggie [Smith] ate one pea.” To alleviate the boredom of all those lengthy table shoots, he says, “we played a game called Wink, Murder.” Everyone would a draw folded pieces of paper, with one indicating he or she is the murderer. “If that person winks at someone, they die. Sometimes you’d have 20 people playing at a dining room scene, so that was very entertaining.”
Behind the scenes of ‘Downton Abbey: A New Era’.Ben Blackall/Focus Features
“You’d have to try to be clever enough to kill somebody when they weren’t saying a line on-camera, so they wouldn’t be seen dying,” explains McGovern. With due modestly, Allen Leech (Tom Branson), confesses that he was often the winner. “The trick is that you don’t have to murder everyone quickly,” says the man who plays the gentle former chauffeur. “You can do it quite slowly.”
With more interviews and on-set intel, PEOPLE’s new special editionDownton Abbey: All About the Beloved Series & Filmsis available now wherever magazines are sold.
source: people.com
