Downton Abbey stars ‘refused to work with show boss’ after uncomfortable set conditions
Downton Abbey became a cultural phenomenon when it first aired in 2010, but the award-winning series didn’t come without some on set tension.
When Downton Abbey first hit screens in 2010, the historical drama fast became a cultural phenomenon.
Julian Fellowes, 75, created the award-winning and served as its executive producer for all five series until its conclusion in 2015.
However, as the series went on, there was reportedly hostility between the actors and Fellowes. This was down to his decisions to rewrite on set whilst the cast remained in costume and his decision to have minor characters killed off.
According to the website TV Tropes, this led to the actors “refusing to work” with Fellowes on any further projects.
It said: “On the later seasons, Julian Fellowes’ tendency to do rewrites on set, with most of the actors having to remain in their tight Edwardian costumes under hot lights as spoiling dinner food fouled the air, did not endear him to many of the main cast.”
The comment continued: “Others had also been alienated by his vindictive tendency to have minor characters killed off screen when the actors were too busy doing other work to come back to the show.
“By the end of the series many were swearing they’d never work with him again, although some did for the two movies.”
Notable actors who didn’t return for the film included Lily James, who appeared as Lady Rose, as well as Ed Speleers, who played footman Jimmy Kent.
Matthew Goode also chose not to return to his role of Henry Talbot. However, none of these actors have ever cited the reason as working with Fellowees.
It comes after Sophie McShera, who played Daisy Mason, shared some surprising behind-the-scenes details from the hit series.
The actress revealed that the wardrobe team has a strict “no wash” rule to keep the outfits looking true to the time period.
Speaking to the Daily Mail in 2013, the 39-year-old explained: “We do stink, as they don’t wash our costumes. They have these weird patches, which are sewn into the armpits and which they wash separately.”
Following the success of the TV series, the story was expanded into two feature films. The first, Downton Abbey (2019), picked up where the show left off, while Downton Abbey: A New Era (2022) took the family on a new adventure, including a storyline set in the south of France.
