Johanna Griggs recalls Maggie Smith’s furious outburst on Downton Abbey set

Dame Maggie Smith is arguably one of the most well known and loved actresses in the industry, receiving some of her best reviews yet for her more recent role in Downton Abbey.

And while she played the sassy and overly opinionated Dowager on the show, it seems her character isn’t all that far from her real-life persona at work – and she takes no prisoners on set either.

Better Homes and Gardens star Johanna Griggs has recalled a foul-mouthed run-in she had with the veteran movie and TV star when she visited the UK set of Downton Abbey with her lifestyle show in 2011.

The Aussie TV show jetted to England to film a behind-the-scenes look at the cast and the crew, news.com.au reports. However, while Griggs admitted she was especially excited to meet Dame Maggie, it didn’t exactly go to plan.

While filming on set at Highclere Castle, the team were given permission to film a rehearsal for one of the scenes from afar. It included Dame Maggie’s character Lady Violet Crawley, Dowager Countess of Grantham, and she reportedly spotted the crew halfway through and immediately stopped filming.

“We were shooting a wide shot of the room and then Dame Maggie just quietly stops and says, ‘Why is there a f***ing camera in my face?’” Griggs claimed to the publication.

When the PR company attempted to explain that the Channel 7 show had permission to be there, as one of Australia’s biggest lifestyle shows, Dame Maggie allegedly fired back: “Well, I don’t care who they f***ing are, so get the f***ing camera out of my face.”

After quickly backing out of the room, the rest of the cast reportedly comforted the team by saying that it’s just Dame Maggie’s “thing” to put people off and call them out.

It comes after the legendary actress admitted Downton Abbey had a “ridiculous” effect on her life and ruined her anonymity.

Read more: Maggie Smith says Downton Abbey ruined her life

“It’s ridiculous. I lead a perfectly normal life until Downton Abbey,” she said to the British Film Institute previously. “I’d go to the theatre and galleries and now I can’t and that’s awful.”

Rather than being too bitter about it though, Dame Maggie kept a wry smile on her face and seemed to find the whole thing more amusing than anything else.

“It’s truly television,” she said. “I’d be working around for a very long time before Downton Abbey and nobody knew who the hell I was and now it’s all has changed.”

Are you a fan of Maggie Smith? What is your favourite of her past roles?