Downton Abbey: The Grand Finale star Harry Hadden-Paton was accompanied by genuine family members on the set of the eagerly-awaited third and concluding film.
Numerous devotees of the blockbuster period drama are keenly anticipating the movie’s cinema debut this month, which will bring the curtain down on the historical series 15 years after it first aired on ITV.
The majority of the cherished cast will make a return for one final adventure, which will witness the Crawley household stepping into the 1930s whilst confronting a divorce controversy and the possibility of financial collapse.
Popular actor Harry Hadden-Paton will reprise his role as Herbert “Bertie” Pelham, 7th Marquess of Hexham, who disclosed that he and his screen spouse Lady Edith (portrayed by Laura Carmichael) won’t be enduring quite the same hardships as the remainder of the family.
Discussing their parts in the third instalment with the Radio Times, Hadden-Paton confessed the Pelhams wouldn’t be encountering “trials and tribulations”, reports the Express.
The 15-year Downton Abbey story is finally coming to an end(Image: FOCUS FEATURES)
He explains the couple will find themselves in a “place of happiness”, whilst Carmichael notes that Edith is “feeling her power” and “comfortable” in her role as a magazine editor.
Whilst visiting the production’s set, RT also spotted Hadden-Paton’s sisters amongst the background of a crucial scene.
He disclosed that Downton’s creators can be “very allowing” regarding having the performers’ relatives and friends appear as extras and in smaller parts.
The actor even arranged for his actual best man to assume the identical role on screen when Bertie wed Lady Edith. “Then, in series six, we had a big get-back-together scene at the Ritz, which we filmed in the middle of the night, and the entire Ritz dining room was comprised of crew in full make-up and costume pretending to be other diners,” he reminisced.
“The producer was the maître d’! So the lines have sometimes been a bit blurred between real and fictional with these surreal celebrations.”
Fans might spot Harry Hadden-Paton’s sisters in the background of a key scene(Image: ITV)
At this point, the cast were in their tenth week of filming with just one final set piece left to capture.
The scene required a large crowd of extras, allowing Hadden-Paton to “sneak in” his own family members to join the festivities.
While fans will be disheartened to bid farewell to Downton Abbey, writer Julian Fellowes has confessed that he can’t completely dismiss a potential return to the franchise.
“Every time I say ‘never’ in this business, I find six months later, I’m doing exactly what I said I’d never do,” he hinted.
However, the actors who portray Edith and Bertie believe their storyline has reached its conclusion, arguing it would be “too hard” to select specific characters for a spin-off.
