Warning, spoilers ahead for Downton Abbey: A New Era! Michelle Dockery has opened up about a very emotional moment in the new film, in which the cast and crew said goodbye to Dame Maggie Smith.
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In the new film, her character, Lady Grantham, passes away after revealing that she was struggling with a terminal illness in the original film – and Michelle admitted that there wasn't a dry eye in the house for the heartbreaking scenes.
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She told EW: "It's been 12 years, so it was quite a moment. Half the challenge was trying to hold back the tears as much as possible before the moment where we could actually cry. It was such a sensitive scene for Maggie and for everybody, and you could really hear a pin drop on set that day."
She continued: "I was dreading [the scene], actually. Watching each other's reactions around the room as we were performing it, I could see beneath the performances that everybody was crumbling underneath. That made me almost burst into tears every five minutes. That felt like the right way to end it. I still can't quite believe it."
Michelle opened up about filming the heartbreaking scene
In the movie, Lady Grantham passes away at Downton Abbey surrounded by her family and the staff – and fans were just as emotional as Michelle! Taking to Twitter, one person wrote: "Spent the last 15 minutes sobbing even though I was expecting what happened. But I never thought it would be so beautifully executed. I’m in awe. Truly. A huge congratulations to Julian, Simon and to the INCREDIBLE cast. THANK YOU. Always."
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Another person added: "I went to the movies today for the first time in over two years and I remember how it is one of the most exhilarating things one can do in life. I laughed and sobbed all in great pleasure. Thank you #DowntonAbbey for consistent crowd pleasing and thank you #DowntonAbbeyANewEra."
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