‘Cora? She lets her hair down in France – literally!’
Elizabeth McGovern, one of the stars of the latest Downton Abbey movie, talks about what’s in store for Cora Crawley – and her close relationship with the rest of the cast…
Downton Abbey is back, in the form of a big-screen extravaganza, Downton Abbey: A New Era. And the much-anticipated cinematic return of the global phenomenon reunites the beloved cast as they go on a grand journey to the South of France to uncover the mystery of the Dowager Countess’ newly inherited villa. One of the original cast members is American actress Elizabeth McGovern, who plays Cora Crawley, Countess of Grantham, for which she’s been nominated for an Emmy and Golden Globe Award. Here, the talented mother-of-two, 60, who is also lead singer of band Sadie and the Hotheads, talks about reuniting with old friends for the film sequel, and her strong, dynamic character Cora’s journey of self-discovery…
So, how was it being reunited with the cast to film the sequel?
Well, it is kind of an extraordinary thing that you’re only able to appreciate when you’re in a series that is as long-running as Downton
Abbey! Because we go through a lot of things together as a group – we grow and become wiser together. And when you come to finally act once again with each other, it’s all there – you don’t have to work for it, but you can’t fake it. You can’t buy that kind of bond, that kind of respect.
And what about filming during a pandemic, as you all did?
What I think jumps off the screen and can be felt by an audience is that these people have not only been through a pandemic too, have seen the world turned upside down, but we’ve been through all the ups and downs of doing a series, travelling over the globe and growing old together. I mean, there’s no way to duplicate that, except by just doing it. So, it’s an extraordinary privilege, and unlike pretty much any other job in acting because it goes on and on, in this way.
It’s a wonderful, heartwarming film. Where would you say we find Cora in it?
For reasons which will remain mysterious, Cora is inspired to examine her own life and what it’s all added up to, really. And very unusually, she comes to certain conclusions about it. So, there’s a window that the movie provides where you get to know who she really is.
Tell us about filming in the South of France…
For me, it’s really satisfying to see the characters in a different environment. And because it’s a more relaxed atmosphere,
I feel as though it provides an opportunity for the characters to open up a bit. You can see it in various storylines, but we see Lord Grantham displaying emotion – and that isn’t something we see every day from him. And Cora lets her
hair loose! It’s fun to put these characters that we’ve got to know so well into a totally different environment and see how they respond to it. We can cut back and forth between the relaxed light of France, to what we’ve come to know and love as the ‘Highclere Castle atmosphere’ – and that keeps the film alive.
Are you still intrigued by the ‘upstairs downstairs’ element?
I find it very interesting that it’s so much about the hierarchy of the English aristocracy and English culture. And you have to assume there is a version of that kind of hierarchy in all these other countries that have responded to the series and films, because they recognise it.
So it reaffirms this idea that actually, as human beings, we’re all so much alike. There are different versions of the system in every single country. Why we go to war with each other? I don’t know, because I think we’re basically so alike.
Could you still watch this film even if you haven’t tuned into the series?
Well, I think Hugh [Bonneville, Elizabeth’s on-screen husband], will back me up when I say, I can’t remember any of this series – and I loved the movie!
● Downton Abbey: A New Era is showing in cinemas across the UK.