ITV Downton Abbey star confirms they won't return for third and final film
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The last instalment of the Downton Abbey movie trilogy, The Grand Finale, is poised to grace cinemas later this year, offering a sumptuous goodbye to fans of the cherished period drama.
Hugh Bonneville, portraying the esteemed Lord Grantham, has remarked that the upcoming film will be a 'great sign-off' for devotees, further stoking the fires of excitement for another splendid outing with their favourite characters.
Unfortunately, Matthew Goode will not reprise his role as Henry Talbot in the closing film.
Though he featured in the 2019 film, the actor cited conflicting professional commitments and health problems for his absence from future sequels.
In an interview with Radio Times, the 47-year-old actor detailed: "I was unavailable for the second because I was doing The Offer. Then, for the third, I was shooting this (Dept Q)," reports Devon Live.
He also mentioned suffering a knee injury requiring surgery, noting: "But I also buggered my knee, and I had to have an operation. That takes weeks to get over, so I was never going to be able to do it. And let's face it, he was edging towards becoming a bit of a wet lettuce. So maybe it's a good thing."
While his character won't receive a final curtain call, the forthcoming film promises a host of familiar faces; Belfast Live reports that Elizabeth McGovern, Michelle Dockery, Laura Carmichael, and Jim Carter are all set to return to their iconic roles.
The closing chapter of the series promises to be a glittering affair with Phyllis Logan, Robert James-Collier, Joanne Froggatt, Dominic West, and Sophie McShera joining for The Grand Finale.
In an April appearance on The One Show, actress Joanne Froggatt, beloved for her role in the celebrated series, opened up about the final instalment of the franchise.
Acknowledging the bittersweet end, Froggatt conveyed her emotions: "Oh my goodness, it's going to be hard! We've said goodbye a few times, thinking, 'This is the end', at the end of the seasons."
She recounted the journey: "Then we did one movie and we wondered if we'd get a second movie."
Froggatt then firmly established: "This really is, the third and final, so this really is goodbye. It's going to be emotional, but all good things must come to an end, I suppose."
During the conversation, Froggatt also let slip a fascinating detail about her character Anna, elaborating: "There's been pictures out there, so that's one spoiler.I wrote my own storyline there!" hinting at how her real-life pregnancy was incorporated into the filming timeline.
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