Dan Stevens’ choice to leave Downton Abbey was as dramatic as his character’s exit, and he explains why.
Dan Stevens has admitted that his unexpected decision to leave Downton Abbey involved an element of “terror and discomfort”.
The star opened up about the surprising decision to leave the period drama at the height of its popularity, a move that saw his character, Matthew Crawley, written out of the show in dramatic fashion.
Dan, 41, played the central role of Matthew, heir to the Crawley family estate, from the series’ debut in 2010 until his unexpected departure at the end of season 3.
His exit shocked fans, especially as it was revealed that Matthew’s death in the season finale was not part of the original plan but was written in after Dan made the bold choice to leave the show.
In a recent interview with Business Insider, he admitted that leaving the show was a nerve-wracking decision, but one that ultimately paid off.
“Taking those kinds of risks does involve an element of terror and discomfort, and part of the journey is sort of finding out what that’s going to mean and how that’s going to progress,” he explained.
“I didn’t know the answer to any of those questions when I left, and it’s been fun answering them bit by bit over the years.”
While Dan’s departure left a huge gap in the popular ITV drama, he’s since embraced new challenges, starring in a range of projects including Noah Hawley’s Legion and the blockbuster Godzilla x Kong: The New Empire.
But he still has praise for Downton, which was his springboard to fame and also led tomany cast members going on to achieve TV and film success.
“I think what’s lovely is how the fan love for that show has endured and people are still discovering it,” Dan added.”I still get messages every other week where somebody hits the end of season three and can’t believe what’s just happened, but there’s just such an enduring love for that show and I have very, very fond memories of it.”
The show, set in the early 20th century, followed the lives of the aristocratic Crawley family and their servants on a fictional Yorkshire estate, capturing social change, romance, and historical events.
Dan’s character Matthew was central to the show’s early success, with his on-again, off-again relationship with Lady Mary Talbot (Michelle Dockery) one of its key plotlines. The two eventually married and had a child before Dan’s character was killed off in a tragic car accident.
Dan, who had only signed on for three seasons when he first joined, explained in a previous interview: “I had creative itches left unscratched,”
The actor was also joined on the show by the likes of Hugh Bonneville, Elizabeth McGovern, Jim Carter, Laura Carmichael, and Brendan Coyle.
