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30 things you didn't know about Downton Abbey
You can rent Highclere Castle for weddings and private events
The series was inspired by popular American shows
“I was constantly thinking in terms of those American structures. I had liked E.R. There was something called Chicago Hope that I liked very much, and Thirtysomething, with all those stories going at once," series creator Julian Fellowes said in Rebbeca Eaton’s memoir, Making Masterpiece: 25 Years Behind the Scenes at Masterpiece Theatre and Mystery! on PBS,
A real family lives in the castle where the show was filmed
Highclere Castle has been occupied by the Carnavon family since 1679. You can tour it in the spring and summer on selected dates for about £25, plus enjoy special seasonal events around Valentine's Day, Mother's Day or Christmas. It's also available for weddings and private events.
Gillian Anderson turned down a role on the series
She was initially approached to play Cora Crawley, who was ultimately portrayed by Elizabeth McGovern.
The servant's quarters scenes were filmed on a soundstage
The quarters at Highclere Castle weren't in good enough condition to film in, so the kitchen and servant's bedroom scenes were instead filmed in a London studio.
Laura Carmichael was working in a doctor's office when she got the part
She was working as a receptionist when she read for Edith.
...and she almost turned down the role
She had just been offered the role of Viola in a touring production of Shakespeare's Twelfth Night, and initially thought the role on Downton would be a small one.
"A few days later my agent said, 'You have an audition for a period drama.' I thought it was going to be a 'Yes, milord,' a half-day's filming, one line maybe. But it would be good to have on your CV that you'd done telly. And I thought, 'I'm going to have to turn down this dream Shakespeare for this TV job. What a disaster!' And it was Downton. So I went and read and realised it was for a lead part. And I don't know how it happened," she said.
Elizabeth McGovern and Hugh Bonneville were TV spouses before Downton
The actors also played husband and wife on a short-lived BBC sitcom called Freezing.
There was only one bedroom set
Cora, Mary, and Edith all had the same bedrooms in real life — it was just redecorated depending on whose room it needed to be. And it was redecorated quite frequently, apparently.
"By the end of the season it's quite thick with paint and wallpaper," Donal Woods, production designer, told PBS. "If you're very smart, you'll look out the window and it's always the same view."
Jessica Brown Findlay, who played Lady Sybil, almost wasn't an actress
"Until I was 18, ballet was my life. I loved it; I even danced at the Royal Opera House with the Kirov," she explained. "Then I injured my ankle, had three operations on it, and the last one went wrong. I was told I would never dance again."
Each episode cost more than a million euros to produce
In her book, The World of Downton Abbey, Jessica Fellowes revealed just how pricey the show was to produce.
Julian Fellowes named a character after a relative
Mary’s son is named after Julian Fellowes' niece's baby, George. "His birth is commemorated on Downton," Fellowes explained to PBS,
The costumes weren't always fresh
"We do stink, as they don’t wash our costumes," Sophie McShera, who played cook’s assistant Daisy, explained to the Daily Mail. "They have these weird patches, which are sewn into the armpits and which they wash separately."
Jim Carter is an amateur magician
The actor, who played butler Mr Carson, practices magic in his free time.
The food you saw on screen was real
"Often the food will be on the table and we’re not actually going to eat it,” London-based food stylist Lisa Heathcote said. "If you have fake food, it’s going to look like fake food."
Maggie Smith wouldn't watch the show while it was on
"It’s frustrating. I always see things that I would like to do differently and think, ‘Oh, why in the name of God did I do that?'” she explained in an interview with 60 Minutes.
Queen Elizabeth II was a big fan
The Queen watched the show regularly and liked to spot historical inaccuracies.
The collars of the men's shirts were uncomfortable
"Stiff collars are a pain the neck, quite literally," Hugh Bonneville explained in The Chronicles of Downton Abbey: A New Era. "But they affect your bearing and make you stand in the right way."
Elizabeth McGovern is in a band
It's called Sadie & The Hotheads and co-star Michelle Dockery sometimes joins her for gigs.
There are real antiques in the castle
The mahogany desk and chair in the Music Room were once Napoleon's.
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