--- title: Maggie Smith to Leave ‘Downton Abbey’ description: The next season of the hit TV show Downton Abbey will be actress Maggie Smith's last. canonical: https://time.com/3728569/maggie-smith-downton-abbey/ author: Alexandra Sifferlin article:opinion: false article:content_tier: free article:published_time: 2015-03-02T17:13:52.000Z article:modified_time: 2026-05-11T05:05:18.298Z article:section: Entertainment og:title: Maggie Smith to Leave 'Downton Abbey' After Next Season og:description: The next season of the hit TV show Downton Abbey will be actress Maggie Smith's last. og:url: https://time.com/3728569/maggie-smith-downton-abbey/ og:site_name: TIME og:image: https://static.time.com/v3/assets/bltea6093859af6183b/blt9b6f90356968fd37/6987813e35ba6f6b8fc074c6/downton-abbey-s5.jpg?branch=production&width=3840&quality=75&auto=webp&crop=16:9 og:image:width: 1200 og:image:height: 675 og:image:alt: downton-abbey-s5 og:type: article twitter:card: summary_large_image twitter:title: Maggie Smith to Leave 'Downton Abbey' After Next Season twitter:description: The next season of the hit TV show Downton Abbey will be actress Maggie Smith's last. twitter:image: https://static.time.com/v3/assets/bltea6093859af6183b/blt9b6f90356968fd37/6987813e35ba6f6b8fc074c6/downton-abbey-s5.jpg?branch=production&width=3840&quality=75&auto=webp&crop=16:9 ---  # Maggie Smith to Leave _Downton Abbey_ After Next Season > Sponsored content. 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Terms and conditions apply. * Savings buckets are a feature of Ally Bank's Savings Account. * No ATM fees from Ally Bank at Allpoint and Moneypass ATMs plus we reimburse for fees charged by other ATM owners nationwide up to $10 per statement cycle. * Early direct deposit offers eligible direct deposits up to two days sooner. * Spending buckets are a feature of Ally Bank's Spending Account. by [Alexandra Sifferlin](https://time.com/author/alexandra-sifferlin/) ## Alexandra Sifferlin Mar 2, 2015 5:13 PM UTC  Downton Abbey Season 5 on MASTERPIECE on PBS Part Eight Sunday, February 22, 2015 at 9pm ET Someone tries to derail Rose and Atticus’s happiness. Mrs. Patmore gets a surprise. Anna is in trouble. Robert has a revelation. (C) Nick Briggs/Carnival Films 2014 for MASTERPIECE This image may be used only in the direct promotion of MASTERPIECE CLASSIC. No other rights are granted. All rights are reserved. Editorial use only. USE ON THIRD PARTY SITES SUCH AS FACEBOOK AND TWITTER IS NOT ALLOWED. Downton Abbey Season 5 on MASTERPIECE on PBS Part Eight Sunday, February 22, 2015 at 9pm ET Someone tries to derail Rose and Atticus’s happiness. Mrs. Patmore gets a surprise. Anna is in trouble. Robert has a revelation. (C) Nick Briggs/Carnival Films 2014 for MASTERPIECE This image may be used only in the direct promotion of MASTERPIECE CLASSIC. No other rights are granted. All rights are reserved. Editorial use only. USE ON THIRD PARTY SITES SUCH AS FACEBOOK AND TWITTER IS NOT ALLOWED.Nick Briggs—Carnival Films/Masterpiece/PBS by [Alexandra Sifferlin](https://time.com/author/alexandra-sifferlin/) ## Alexandra Sifferlin Mar 2, 2015 5:13 PM UTC Actress Maggie Smith will not be returning after next season of the hit TV show, _Downton Abbey._ Smith told [_The Sunday Times_](http://www.thesundaytimes.co.uk/sto/newsreview/features/article1524818.ece) that she will not be returning to the popular British melodrama to continue her role as Violet Crawley, the feisty Dowager Countess of Grantham — as well as giving a broad hint that the show itself would not be coming back either. “They say this is the last one, and I can’t see how it could go on,” [Smithsaid. ](http://www.people.com/article/maggie-smith-downton-abbey-ending)“I mean, I certainly can’t keep going. To my knowledge, I must be 110 by now.” The fifth season of the show ended its run on PBS on Sunday, though British viewers caught the most recent season in 2014. The veteran actress has won several awards for her _Downton Abbey_ role including a Golden Globe, and multiple Screen Actors Guild awards and Emmys. _Read next:_ [_7 Historic Moments_ ](http://time.com/3721893/downton-abbey-season-six-history/?xid=time%5Freadnext)[Downton Abbey _Could Tackle Next Season_](http://time.com/3721893/downton-abbey-season-six-history/?xid=time%5Freadnext) ### See Photos of Maggie Smith Before Her Downton Days  Caption from LIFE. In Maggie Smith's dressing room at London's Old Vic Theatre last winter, the Stephenses modestly entertain other members of the cast of Beaux' Stratagem, a National Theatre production. John Olson—The LIFE Picture Collection/Getty Images  Maggie Smith in her dressing room during a break from the play Beaux' Stratagem at the Old Vic Theatre. John Olson—The LIFE Picture Collection/Getty Images  Maggie Smith and Robert Stephens, 1971. Michael Rougier—The LIFE Picture Collection/Getty Images  Maggie Smith and Robert Stephens, 1971. John Olson—The LIFE Picture Collection/Getty Images  Caption from LIFE. On a Malibu beach outing, Toby rides his father's shoulders, while 4-year-old Christopher romps with his mother. The Stephenses spent 11 weeks rehearsing and performing their revival of Noel Coward's play Design for Living. Michael Rougier—The LIFE Picture Collection/Getty Images  Caption from LIFE. Near the house they rented in Malibu this spring, the Stephenses play with younger son Toby, 2. Michael Rougier—The LIFE Picture Collection/Getty Images  Maggie Smith, Robert Stephens and their children Toby and Christopher play on the beach in Malibu, California. Michael Rougier—The LIFE Picture Collection/Getty Images  Caption from LIFE. Maggie Smith and Robert Stephens first met when she joined the National Theatre Company in London. Stephens had been there since its inception in 1963\. It was, as they say, love at first sight: he was already married. Christopher, their first son, was born only four days after the divorce came through and they were able to marry in June 1967. Michael Rougier—The LIFE Picture Collection/Getty Images  Robert Stephens, Maggie Smith and Denholm Elliott in a scene from the play Design for Living at the Ahmanson Theatre. John Olson—The LIFE Picture Collection/Getty Images  Maggie Smith and Robert Stephens at their home in London, 1971. John Olson—The LIFE Picture Collection/Getty Images  Caption from LIFE. In the sitting room of their London house, Maggie lets Christopher sip some champagne while Robert looks on curiously. John Olson—The LIFE Picture Collection/Getty Images  Maggie Smith and her sons Christopher and Toby, 1971. John Olson—The LIFE Picture Collection/Getty Images [_Listen to the most important stories of the day._](http://time.com/newsletter/the-brief/?sl%5Fautoplay=true&xid=spl-fullbrief-article) ```json [{"@context":"https://schema.org","@type":"NewsArticle","@id":"https://time.com/3728569/maggie-smith-downton-abbey/","mainEntityOfPage":{"@type":"WebPage","@id":"https://time.com/3728569/maggie-smith-downton-abbey/"},"headline":"Maggie Smith to Leave Downton Abbey After Next Season","datePublished":"2015-03-02T17:13:52.000Z","dateModified":"2026-05-11T05:05:18.298Z","description":"The Dowager Countess won't be back after Season 6 — but will the show?","url":"https://time.com/3728569/maggie-smith-downton-abbey/","keywords":["TV","downton abbey","pbs"],"thumbnailUrl":"https://static.time.com/v3/assets/bltea6093859af6183b/blt9b6f90356968fd37/6987813e35ba6f6b8fc074c6/downton-abbey-s5.jpg?branch=production&width=1200&quality=75&auto=webp&crop=1200:675&height=675","author":[{"@type":"Person","name":"Alexandra Sifferlin","jobTitle":null,"url":"https://time.com/author/alexandra-sifferlin/"}],"articleSection":"Entertainment","image":[{"@type":"ImageObject","url":"https://static.time.com/v3/assets/bltea6093859af6183b/blt9b6f90356968fd37/6987813e35ba6f6b8fc074c6/downton-abbey-s5.jpg?branch=production&width=1200&quality=75&auto=webp&crop=1200:675&height=675","width":1200,"height":675,"headline":"downton-abbey-s5","caption":"Downton Abbey Season 5 on MASTERPIECE on PBSPart EightSunday, February 22, 2015 at 9pm ETSomeone tries to derail Rose and Atticus’s happiness. 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