‘Downton Abbey’ season 5: Who is honoring Maggie Smith now?

If there is one thing that we have learned about Maggie Smith over time, it is that various organizations love to hand her awards for things. In many ways, we certainly understand it. She’s an actress who has been around for well over half a century, and done great work in everything from film to theater to television.

So to see Maggie continually honored is an inevitability at this point. She frequently wins TV awards without even being present to accept them (she rarely travels to America, for example), and was recently awarded a spot within the Order of the Companion of Honour. For most Americans this may not be something they are familiar with, but this is a very high form of recognition from the British commonwealth for contributions within the world of the arts. Obviously Smith’s role on “Downton Abbey” has likely helped her to obtain a visible presence at this stage in her career, but the testament to her work here is that she really would not have needed it to be worthy of getting this honor next to her name.

Smith, like many other actors on the show right now, is hard at work on the fifth season. This is slated to premiere on ITV later this summer / early fall in Britain, and will then head over to America with new episodes starting early next year. There is no real timetable for how long she will continue to play the Dowager Countess Violet; ultimately, it is a situation where she can do it for however long she wants to.

Are you still excited for more Dowager exploits on “Downton Abbey,” and happy for Maggie when it comes to receiving this honor? Share below, and head over here to see some of our other coverage on this upcoming season. You can also sign up to get some other news on all we cover via our CarterMatt Newsletter.

Photo: ITV