‘Downton Abbey’ season 4: Guess who won’t be watching themselves on TV?

It’s not often that you get an opportunity to hear Dame Maggie Smith speak out, as the 78-year old legend typically not only shies away from press, but also awards shows. She has not made a trip across the pond once this year to celebrate the success of “Downton Abbey,” even though it won the Screen Actors Guild Award for Best Ensemble Cast in a Drama Series.

Want to know something else surprising? Smith gave an interview to “60 Minutes” of all places leading up to Sunday night’s episode, and she told Steve Kroft that she has never even seen an episode of her hit series:

“I’ve never actually seen it. I don’t sit down and watch it. No, I’ve never watched it. … I will look at it when it’s all over, maybe, because it’s frustrating.”

As for why the woman behind the famed Dowager Countess has no reason to see herself, it’s simply because she does not really want to allow herself to be influenced in any way by what she sees on television:

“I always see things that I would like to do differently, and think why in the name of God did I do that?”

Here in North America in particular, we tend to have no real idea who Smith is as a person or what she sounds like, and for that reason alone this interview is especially refreshing. We are given an opportunity here to see the actress in a light that is very charming, and funny in a completely different sort of way than she is on the ITV and PBS series.

The best news is that we will be seeing Smith for quite a while longer. The actress is already officially signed on to appear in season 4 of the series, even though this came after months of speculation that perhaps she wanted to do other things with her schedule being as busy as it is.

Do you want to see some of what Laura Carmichael is saying about the new “Downton Abbey” season? If so, you can do so over at the link here.

Photo: ITV