‘Downton Abbey’ season 4 notes: New Dan Stevens, Ed Speleers quotes
For this “Downton Abbey” notes, we start off yet again with the latest from actor Dan Stevens, who hilariously seems to be getting forced to speak out more about his departure from the show now than he was when it first happened just over four and a half months ago.
In this quote from InStyle, Stevens first of all explains that his recent new look, which includes going brunette and having a gaunt appearance, is thanks in part to a movie role that he is filming soon. Of course, there are also some benefits that come with it, as the actor explains that “it’s a bit of a self-made disguise” that keeps him from being recognized at almost every turn for his classic role on the ITV series.
For those of you who were upset about him having Matthew killed off, though, the actor did say something nice that could make you a little teary-eyed: “I’ll always be a Crawley!” So there you have it: proof that an actor leaving a show does not necessarily mean that they had some sort of miserable experience on it. Sometimes, they just want to move on and try some other things.
Speaking of trying other things, you may have heard already that Ed Speleers (who will be back as Jimmy for season 4 of the show) is going to be running in the London Marathon for the charity Pets as Therapy on Sunday alongside 30,000 other runners. So how in the world does he have time to prepare for such a strenuous event with a busy schedule of doing this show and other roles? In a new fitness-oriented interview, he tries to explain:
“It’s difficult to get to the gym, but with running all you need is trainers [that’s running shoes for Americans], so you can be anywhere at any time. There are few sports like that.”
Speleers is not the only “Downton Abbey” actor to be taking part in the marathon, as Allen Leech (Tom Branson) will also be looking to give back. If there is one word that we would use to describe all of this, it is without a doubt dedication. We also applaud the event’s organizers for moving forward and encouraging running even after the shocking events out of Boston this week.
If you want to watch one of the newest “Downton Abbey” parody videos, you can do so just by heading on over to the link here.
Photo: ITV