‘Downton Abbey’ season 6: Maggie Smith turns 80, appears likely to return

This weekend is turning out to be quite a big one for Maggie Smith. After all, how could it not be when you consider that the entertainment icon is celebrating her 80th birthday?

Sunday marks the occasion for the “Downton Abbey” star, and we feel like it is definitely a time to celebrate. Are there going to be questions about her future on the ITV series in the process? Certainly.

The first thing to remember here is that ultimately, Smith is going to have to deal with her questions about her future on “Downton Abbey” for as long as she remains a part of the show. That is just what happens when you are the oldest cast member, and you are also a lesson at the same time. In her case, this is made even more remarkable due to how despite having hundreds of stage and screen credits over the years, Violet may be the one that she is best known for.

Luckily, we do feel like the Prince Kuragin storyline really did inject some excitement back into her story again, given that for the longest time, there really was not that much for her to do other than just fire off some one-liners here and there on various subjects. She has received many awards over the years for playing this character, but this could be one of them that is actually the most deserved of all, given what we have seen from her lately.

Want to receive some further news right away when it comes to “Downton Abbey”? Then just head over here, where you can read all about whether or not we should see more of Allen Leech as Tom Branson. Also, sign up today if you want to grab some more TV updates on all we cover, courtesy of our official CarterMatt Newsletter. (Photo: ITV.)