‘Downton Abbey’ Star Describes the “Final Moment” of Filming ‘The Grand Finale’

While the previous Downton Abbey film may have been subtitled A New Era, the upcoming third film and final installment in the franchise certainly indicates the end of an era. Downton Abbey: The Grand Finale hits theaters on Sep. 12, 2025, and will bring back the familiar faces and characters that fans have grown to love. They include Joanne Froggatt, who has portrayed Anna Bates (née Smith) in the show since the beginning. Froggatt currently stars in the Paramount+ series MobLand as Jan, who is trying to create some semblance of a normal life despite her husband Harry (Tom Hardy) being a dangerous enforcer for a criminal family. MovieWeb spoke with Froggatt about the show, and also touched on Downton Abbey: The Grand Finale.

“It’s the third and final movie, and we started filming the first season 15 years ago. So it was super emotional,” Froggatt told MovieWeb

“The last day of the shoot was really special. Lots of people came in, Michelle [Dockery] included, who weren’t filming on that day, and we just all kind of — it actually was myself and Brendan [Coyle] who shot the final moment of the shoot, which was really special. And everyone was there and kind of, like, cheering on, and we all gave each other hugs, and reflected on those 15 years.”

“It’s great. It’s been just magical,” added Froggatt. “I mean, you don’t get to do that very often in this industry, and the fact that I’ve shared it with such a wonderful group of people will always be really special. It’ll always have a special place in my heart, and it’s been a special part of my life.”

Michelle Dockery Agrees It’s a Special ‘Grand Finale’

Earlier this year, MovieWeb spoke with another Downton Abbey star, Michelle Dockery, who has played Lady Mary Talbot (formerly a Crawley) since the beginning of the show. “First of all, to do one film was incredible for us. To now look back and we’ve done a series and three movies is just incredible. We would never have foreseen that,” Dockery told MovieWeb. She continued:

“Going back into this one was like it always is. It is like stepping back into a family again, and we’re all so close, and it’s such a great atmosphere. To be going back to something that you’re very familiar with, it’s quite unusual, actually, in a career, to go back to something that many times. But knowing it was the last created a different feeling, you know, and actually made me relish, really relish every moment as much as possible. It’s my home away from home. But it’ll last forever.”

Downton Abbey: The Grand Finale hits theaters on September 12, 2025, from Focus Features. In the meantime, you can see Joanne Froggatt in a very different kind of family drama, with MobLand airing new episodes each Sunday. You can watch it through the link below: