Hugh Bonneville, known for playing the Earl of Grantham in Downton Abbey, has explained why he’s not interested in revisiting the role. He’s stated he won’t be returning as Robert Crawley after his final appearance in the 2025 film, Downton Abbey: The Grand Finale.
During an appearance on The Jonathan Ross Show this Saturday, actor Jim Bonneville said he doesn’t miss playing Lord Grantham. While he feels fondly about the show, the people involved, and its lasting impact, he’s glad he no longer has to wake up early and film at the often-windy Highclere Castle.
During the interview, Bonneville was asked about a possible return for the show. He explained that if it came back, it likely wouldn’t feature the original cast.
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He was pretty sure a sequel wouldn’t happen with the original actors. However, the castle from the story is still there, so he left the door open to a possible reboot sometime in the future, maybe around 2060.
Honestly, when it first started, none of us fans really expected it to get past that initial order of seven episodes. We just figured it would be a short, fun ride, but we were happily surprised!
Everyone thought period dramas were a thing of the past, and honestly, starting this project felt like a huge gamble! We really had no idea if it would work out. But we went for it, and ended up creating something amazing – 52 episodes and three films, all over the course of 15 years. It was an incredible journey!
Speaking about the final film, the actor said: “It was a nice farewell.”
I was really interested to hear what the actor had to say in the interview, especially about why he’s decided to step down from playing Mr. Brown in the Paddington movies. He’d mentioned to Saga Magazine before that he’s getting older, and it just makes sense that he’d want to take it easy. It’s been amazing seeing him in the role, though!
He admitted the role was physically demanding, better suited for someone younger, but believed other actors could still pull it off. Ultimately, he emphasized that the focus should be on the bear itself, not necessarily the person playing the role.
When Ross asked him to explain further, Bonneville joked that he was simply getting too old for the role. He couldn’t do the physical stunts he used to, like the splits from the second movie. However, he playfully added that he’d be open to returning if the circumstances were right – even if it meant his character, Mr. Brown, needed a wheelchair.
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2026-02-10 14:19