It’s rare to see a bond as quietly delightful as the one Matthew Goode and Maggie Smith share- two actors from different generations who crossed paths on the sanctified sets of Downton Abbey. While Goode was only seen in the final season of the show and the film, his short feature made quite the impact, particularly on Smith, who once told him he gave her the best day on set.
During a recent Deadline interview, Goode recalled a cheeky day on set with the cast of Downton Abbey in the countryside. What started as a little naughty indulgence turned to one of the best days for the entire cast, filled with mild mischief, unforgettable joy, and camaraderie.
How Matthew Goode gave Dame Maggie Smith her best day on set
It started with a bottle of Minuty rosé. The cast of Downton Abbey was filming the wedding sequence of Henry Talbot (Matthew Goode) and Lady Mary ( Michelle Dockery) in the quaint countryside. Tucked away in the garden of a former Concorde pilot, the cast, about 20 of them, used the makeshift greenroom during their quiet countryside shoot. When the pilot generously offered the cast and crew a bottle of Provence rosé, it sat on the table with the rest of the cast too shy to accept the offer.
Goode, who is “a bit naughty” according to his own admission, took it upon himself to be the first to accept one glass of the wine, and then another, and then another. In his recent interview with Deadline discussing Dept Q, he recalled his time on the sets of Downton Abbey, saying:
To be on a set with Hugh [Bonneville] and Allen [Leech]. I’ve got great stories from those sets. We actually gave Maggie Smith one of the greatest days of her life, she said. She came off [set], and she said, “I think that might’ve been my favorite day on a set ever.
Talking about the day and rosé, he added:
This is going to sound jolly unprofessional, and it is a bit unprofessional, but it’s f*cking funny. I said, “Is it OK if I have another one?” And then you started to see all the other actors. None of us had that much to do, really. So we all started drinking. We went through 22 bottles of rosé. No one was drunk. But my god, were we merry. And if you’ve made Maggie Smith happy, then it can’t be wrong.
What began as one cheeky glass turned into 22 empty bottles of wine by the end of the day. At the heart of it all was Dame Maggie Smith, who apparently had the most fun on a set ever because of Goode. The day became a story that would live on in both the gracious garden hosts and the cast’s memory.
Here’s why Goode would never do something like that again
Even Goode knows his story sounds just a tad outrageous and unprofessional for a production as prestigious as Downton Abbey. He did warn the interviewer that it was going to sound unprofessional. And while everyone remained rather calm during their day of wine-filled camaraderie, the hilarity of half-cut British fictional royalty casually lounging around in a stranger’s garden is not lost on us.
Despite the fun the day brought with it, Goode made it clear (albeit humorously) that this was a one-time affair. He half-jokingly, half-seriously added:
I wouldn’t do it again though for any future producers listening.
The spontaneous rosé-fueled gathering might’ve fascinated Maggie Smith and made for great anecdotes, but Goode knows exactly what to say when it comes to conveying professionalism. And while Goode won’t be returning to the Downton Abbey franchise for the third film, we can find solace in knowing he gave the beloved Maggie Smith her best day on set.
Downton Abbey is now available for streaming on Prime Video (USA)
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