Maggie Smith’s Absence ‘Freed Up’ Narrative of New ‘Downton Abbey’ Film, Elizabeth McGovern Says

When the Downton Abbey story con

But Elizabeth McGovern , who plays Violet’s daughter-in-law Cora Crawley, doesn’t “feel there’s a big hole” without Smith, as she told The Guardian in a new interview. “In fact, in some ways, it sort of freed up the rest of the narrative to have a flow, because it’s not stopping for her moments,” she added.

Carnival Films for Masterpiece/PBS/Everett Collection

It seems McGovern isn’t knocking the late Smith but rather saying the Crawley family residents can roam more freely around the English countryside, so to speak, without its eldest member. In similar remarks to Deadline , McGovern said that though Violet’s Downton scenes were a delight, not having those scenes “gives [the new film] wings in a way” and “allows it to sort of fly on its o