CLEVELAND, Ohio -- Whether fans of the aristocracy upstairs or the servants downstairs, audiences for more than a decade have loved “Downton Abbey” where change is always afoot.
That’s definitely the case with the popular television series’ second feature film from award-winning creator Julian Fellowes.
In theaters on Friday, “Downton Abbey: A New Era” reunites the beloved cast as they not only welcome a silent film movie company to the estate but also go on a grand journey to the South of France to uncover the mystery of a newly inherited villa.
We recently caught up with Fellowes to discuss the new film, potential character crossovers with his HBO show “The Gilded Age” and the likelihood of a third “Downton Abbey” movie.
Hello, Julian. Before we talk about “Downton Abbey,” have you ever been to Cleveland?
I’ve been to Cleveland two or three times. I used to have an old pal there, Betty Mattie -- a rather wonderful name. She was the great queen of charitable organizations. She got me there to talk and raise money at charity dinners.
Regarding “Downton Abbey: A New Era,” congrats on the movie. What really stands out in the series’ second feature film is just how tenuous it is being an aristocratic family, or in this case the Crawley clan.
Its appeal is that all of these people -- upstairs, downstairs, the local doctor, whoever -- by and large are doing their best to deal with their lives as they’ve been dealt them. Some of them have, obviously, far more advantages than others but nobody has a simple life. It is a modern mistake to think if you’re Elon Musk that life is a simple thing. Nobody’s life is a simple thing. I suppose that is the side of the drama that we have emphasized, that all of these people are having to deal with stuff like we all have to deal with. I hope we make it clear that just because the Crawleys have many advantages that their employees don’t have doesn’t mean it’s easy sailing for everyone. That’s sort of what grounds the show, really.
Why do we love Carson (played by Jim Carter) so much?
There is something about him that’s very decent and very morally sound. The fact that he’s also funny is very much a bonus for a writer. In the old days, you had all of those actors -- like Gary Cooper -- who were just incredibly decent. There aren’t so many now. There was such a long fashion for people being eccentric or sinister or slightly wacky or off-center. Yet I think there is a great appeal in people who you feel at heart have decent instincts. And if you ask for advice, what they would tell you would be the right thing to do. Jim’s got that so I enjoy celebrating his inner form of Carson, really.
We know they’re all your children, but who is your favorite character?
I don’t really have favorites. Of course, (Dowager Countess Violet Grantham) Maggie (Smith) is fun to write for because she has this extraordinary ability to be very, very funny one second and a minute later to make you cry. I love writing to exploit that, giving her a laugh line in the middle of a very sad scene. But I enjoy writing for them all.
At this point, can you write the Dowager’s zingers in your sleep?
They come to me often enough but you need the players to make them funny. When you have very, very good players, they’ll pick anything up. They can read a script and tell you what lines they can get a laugh from before you’ve had time to tell them. That’s always nice to watch and enjoy.
How would a much younger Violet fare during a 19th century Gilded Age visit to New York City?
It’s quite an interesting idea because she would have been in her 30s and a young wife. She’s coming from a very different society. Of course, it might be quite fun to compare them. The Gilded Age society is a much tougher affair. People have an agenda and they’re fighting their way through. It’s a less cozy place than society in England in that time, which was a sort of more or less closed shop. It was just gentler. That’s why I enjoy (HBO show) “The Gilded Age.” It has a very different energy and dynamic. I think we’re very lucky to have (Copley native) Carrie Coon, Morgan Spector, Christine Baranski, Cynthia Nixon and so on. They’ve all caught their characters so precisely. I love being on set. I’m going on set next week. I’m really looking forward to it.
What about a unique “Downton Abbey” crossover with Cora’s parents, Isidore and Martha Levinson, appearing on “The Gilded Age?”
The Levinsons, they’re terrifying. I never commit myself to anything, as I’m sure you understand. You’ll have to wait and see.
Finally, is a third “Downton Abbey” film on your radar?
It’s not on the radar yet that I’m aware of. Each time I say goodbye to these characters, back I am at the desk two years later. What I feel is, if there is another film, I’d be very happy about it and if the cast wanted it and so on. And if there isn’t, then that’s fine, too. I think we’ve had a jolly good run and this is a note for the end of it. So either way, I’m happy.
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