--- title: Maggie Smith May Not Be Leaving 'Downton Abbey' After All description: The show’s publicists chime in with a comment canonical: https://time.com/3730760/maggie-smith-downton-abbey-leave-rumors/ author: Entertainment Weekly article:opinion: false article:content_tier: free article:published_time: 2015-03-03T21:05:15.000Z article:modified_time: 2026-05-11T05:05:15.798Z article:section: Entertainment og:title: Maggie Smith May Not Be Leaving 'Downton Abbey' After All og:description: The show’s publicists chime in with a comment og:url: https://time.com/3730760/maggie-smith-downton-abbey-leave-rumors/ og:site_name: TIME og:image: https://static.time.com/v3/assets/bltea6093859af6183b/blt3cf99bd0072684ab/698781f43c16396c10452119/ap315726203716-copy.jpg?branch=production&width=3840&quality=75&auto=webp&crop=16:9 og:image:width: 1200 og:image:height: 675 og:image:alt: Maggie Smith as the Dowager Countess Grantham in "Downton Abbey." og:type: article twitter:card: summary_large_image twitter:title: Maggie Smith May Not Be Leaving 'Downton Abbey' After All twitter:description: The show’s publicists chime in with a comment twitter:image: https://static.time.com/v3/assets/bltea6093859af6183b/blt3cf99bd0072684ab/698781f43c16396c10452119/ap315726203716-copy.jpg?branch=production&width=3840&quality=75&auto=webp&crop=16:9 ---  # Maggie Smith May Not Be Leaving _Downton Abbey_ After All by [Joshua Rivera / Entertainment Weekly](/author/entertainment-weekly/) ## Joshua Rivera / Entertainment Weekly Mar 3, 2015 9:05 PM CUT  Maggie Smith as the Dowager Countess Grantham in "Downton Abbey." Maggie Smith as the Dowager Countess Grantham in "Downton Abbey."Nick Briggs—AP by [Joshua Rivera / Entertainment Weekly](/author/entertainment-weekly/) ## Joshua Rivera / Entertainment Weekly Mar 3, 2015 9:05 PM CUT Following an interview with _The Sunday Times_ that suggested that Dame Maggie Smith [would be leaving _Downton Abbey_](http://www.ew.com/article/2015/03/02/people-maggie-smith-those-downton-abbey-rumors "undefined") after its sixth, currently in-production season, the show’s publicists have stepped in to say that the Dowager Countess of Grantham was just having a good laugh. [According to _The Associated Press_](http://hosted.ap.org/dynamic/stories/E/EU%5FBRITAIN%5FMAGGIE%5FSMITH?SITE=SCAND&SECTION=HOME&TEMPLATE=DEFAULT "undefined"), a spokesperson for Milk Publicity has stated that Smith has always agreed to stay with the show “for as long as the show runs.” Granted, since the show is renewed one season at a time, Smith’s statements may eventually be proven right—but there won’t be any official word until the sixth season is a wrap. _This_ [_article_](http://www.ew.com/article/2015/03/03/maggie-smith-may-not-leave-downton "undefined") _originally appeared on_ [_EW.com_](http://www.ew.com "undefined")_._ _Read next:_ [_7 Historic Moments_ ](http://time.com/3721893/downton-abbey-season-six-history/?xid=time%5Freadnext "undefined")[Downton Abbey _Could Tackle Next Season_](http://time.com/3721893/downton-abbey-season-six-history/?xid=time%5Freadnext "undefined") ### 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 "undefined") ```json [{"@context":"https://schema.org","@type":"NewsArticle","@id":"https://time.com/3730760/maggie-smith-downton-abbey-leave-rumors/","mainEntityOfPage":{"@type":"WebPage","@id":"https://time.com/3730760/maggie-smith-downton-abbey-leave-rumors/"},"headline":"Maggie Smith May Not Be Leaving Downton Abbey After All","datePublished":"2015-03-03T21:05:15.000Z","dateModified":"2026-05-11T05:05:15.798Z","description":"The show’s publicists chime in with a comment","url":"https://time.com/3730760/maggie-smith-downton-abbey-leave-rumors/","keywords":["Television"],"thumbnailUrl":"https://static.time.com/v3/assets/bltea6093859af6183b/blt3cf99bd0072684ab/698781f43c16396c10452119/ap315726203716-copy.jpg?branch=production&width=1200&quality=75&auto=webp&crop=1200:675&height=675","author":[{"@type":"Person","name":"Joshua Rivera / Entertainment Weekly"}],"articleSection":"Entertainment","image":[{"@type":"ImageObject","url":"https://static.time.com/v3/assets/bltea6093859af6183b/blt3cf99bd0072684ab/698781f43c16396c10452119/ap315726203716-copy.jpg?branch=production&width=1200&quality=75&auto=webp&crop=1200:675&height=675","width":1200,"height":675,"headline":"Maggie Smith as the Dowager Countess Grantham in \"Downton Abbey.\"","caption":"Maggie Smith as the Dowager Countess Grantham in \"Downton Abbey.\"","creditText":"Nick Briggs—AP","representativeOfPage":true}],"publisher":{"@type":"Organization","name":"Time","url":"https://time.com/","logo":{"@type":"ImageObject","url":"https://time.com/images/logo.png","width":528,"height":156},"foundingDate":"March 3, 1923","sameAs":["https://www.facebook.com/time","https://www.instagram.com/time/?hl=en","https://twitter.com/time","https://www.pinterest.com/timemagazine"]}},{"@context":"https://schema.org","@type":"BreadcrumbList","itemListElement":[{"@type":"ListItem","position":1,"item":{"@id":"/section/entertainment/","name":"Entertainment"}},{"@type":"ListItem","position":2,"item":{"@id":"https://time.com/3730760/maggie-smith-downton-abbey-leave-rumors/","name":"Maggie Smith May Not Be Leaving Downton Abbey After All"}}]}] ```