Matthew Goode officially confirmed he won’t be reprising his role as Mary’s husband, Henry Talbot, in the third and final Downton Abbey movie. While many fans are sad to see him go, the actor revealed a very sensible reason why it is okay not to return.
Amid his busy schedule, the actor was also suffering from health issues, which was an added factor as to why he couldn’t make time for the filming. However, there is a more important reason, and it’s something fans would never expect.
Why Matthew Goode didn’t reprise the Downton Abbey role
Matthew Goode always looks at the silver lining, and his absence in Downton Abbey: The Grand Finale was a positive thing for him. While speaking with Radio Times, he explained why he was not able to make it to the movie and why he thinks not reprising the role was a better decision.
I was unavailable for the second because I was doing The Offer. Then [for the third] I was shooting [Dept. Q]. But I also buggered my knee, and I had to have an operation. That takes weeks to get over, so I was never going to be able to do it. And let’s face it, he was edging towards becoming a bit of a wet lettuce. So maybe it’s a good thing.
If you are wondering what “wet lettuce” means, that’s British slang for a weak or spineless type of person. The actor recalled he was busy filming for Netflix’s Dept. Q, which is a crime thriller drama that’s currently sweeping the streaming platform. He also revealed that they only had half a page of script for Henry Talbot.
Apart from the fact that there wasn’t much going on for his character, Goode saw that it was wiser not to return because they might be killing Henry. He did not personally see or read the script, but he knows his absence would be good for Michelle Dockery’s Mary.
He suggested a lot of potential scenarios that could happen in the movie, events that could be possible with Henry out of the picture. Goode would have wanted to work on the film as he adored his costars, but it seemed like a different direction would serve a better story.
Matthew Goode’s Dept. Q becomes a global hit
With Goode focusing now on his new show, Dept. Q, he’s extremely overwhelmed by the love and warm appreciation he received from fans.
He was initially nervous about how the audience would react to it, unaware that it would only take a few days to hit the top spot on the streamer’s global viewership charts.
Choosing to work on the Dept. Q instead of coming back to Downton Abbey definitely paid off big-time. Not only did the show garner positive reviews, but it also scored high ratings, even soaring past some of the best crime thrillers in the history of television.
Dept. Q is now streaming on Netflix. Downton Abbey: The Grand Finale will hit theaters on September 12, 2025 (USA).
This post belongs to FandomWire and first appeared on FandomWire
