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Michelle Dockery reveals the 'downside' to filming Downton Abbey

The actress plays Lady Mary Crawley

Sharnaz Shahid
Deputy Online Editor
March 23, 2022
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Downton Abbey may have one of the most brilliant and breathtakingly beautiful wardrobes, but there's definitely a downside to wearing some of the 20th-century fashion - well that's at least, according to Michelle Dockery.

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The actress, who plays Lady Mary Crawley in the beloved period drama, has confessed that the elaborate costumes can sometimes smell bad towards the end of filming.

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"Yes, let's start with the smell. So some of these stunning original costumes have been worn by several actors," she tells Downton Abbey: The Official Podcast.

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"They're just sort of giving off a little hum, and it is normally by the end of the day of course because you've been in them all day. They just hum, and it's not your smell, it's like somebody else's smell."

Speaking ahead of the drama's sequel on the big-screen, Michelle confessed she has enjoyed the change in style as the storylines progressed over the years.

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Downton Abbey the sequel is coming to the big screen soon

"We could actually eat our lunches without being sort of in pain by the afternoon, and being able to eat a full meal as opposed to like being wary of how much we would feel bloated in this corset," she added.

Meanwhile, Laura Carmichael - who plays her younger sister Lady Edith - agreed with her sentiment, and remarked: "I think moving through the 20s it gets more exciting because the hemlines come up a bit, some more masculine tailoring."

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Downton fans will no doubt be thrilled to see their favourites including Hugh Bonneville, Maggie Smith and Elizabeth McGovern back together again. They will see some new faces have joined the cast; Dominic West, Laura Haddock and Hugh Dancy.

Dominic will play a 1920s Hollywood actor who is at Downton to shoot his new movie. White Lines and Guardians of the Galaxy star Laura will play a fellow silent screen star, while Hannibal actor Hugh Dancy will portray the fictional film's director.

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