Downton Abbey co-star says he ‘felt’ the late Dame Maggie Smith’s presence on set

She was a titan of the British stage and screen, whose impact will be felt for years to come. Yet according to one co-star, Dame Maggie Smith’s presence was still felt during the filming of the final Downton Abbey movie, even after her passing.

Indie star Paul Giamatti was speaking to People magazine about his role in the period drama and admits that it was strange not to be working with the late British actress, who appeared in the television series and first two movies as matriarch Violet Crawley.

Smith sadly passed away at the age of 89. Her sons, Toby Stephens and Chris Larkin, announced her passing “with great sadness,” sharing with fans that she had died “peacefully” in September 2024.

Giamatti will reprise his role as Harold Levinson in Downton Abbey: The Grand Finale and admitted the set was “not the same without her, but it felt very much like in her honour in some way.” 

“She certainly still feels present through the whole thing,” he said via People.

“Not having her there is obviously a huge loss, but everybody was still acting in her spirit.”

In addition, the 57-year-old actor revealed that working with Smith on the first Downton picture was “one of the best things ever”  in his career, despite not doing “that much with her.”

Giamatti was surprised he was asked back for the last Downton Abbey movie after he last appeared in the Downton Abbey television series back in 2013.

“The interesting thing for me was that they even asked me at all because I was like, ‘I don’t have an important character in this story,” he said.

The Holdovers star’s touching comments come after another co-star recently honoured Smith’s life and work with a deeply personal tribute.

Dame Judi Dench recently honoured Smith like all her dearly departed friends in a unique way, planting a tree in her memory.

During a recent episode of Countryfile, Dench revealed her garden has become a living tribute to the people who have touched her life, stating that she has “a lot of famous people in my garden”.

In a touching update, Dench revealed that her gardener recently discovered a crab apple on the tree she planted in Smith’s honour.

“Joe, who works for me, came in and he had one little crab apple,” Dench told the BBC.

“And so I had it in my pocket at her funeral, which was a very nice thing to have.”

-with BANG.