Dominic West has admitted that it was “very daunting” joining the Downton Abbey: A New Era cast.
The Wire actor, 52, is set to star in the sequel film alongside series stars Maggie Smith, Hugh Bonneville, and Michelle Dockery.
In an interview with Downtown Abbey: The Official Podcast, hosted by Jacqueline Coley and Anita Rani, Dominic said: “It’s very daunting coming onto a show that’s been going for so long that is such a big phenomenon and such a big success.”
Discover the mystery, picture the possibilities, experience a new era.
Watch the new trailer for #DowntonAbbey: A New Era, and experience the motion picture event only in theaters May 20. pic.twitter.com/rJwPWXPkmw
— Downton Abbey (@DowntonAbbey) February 15, 2022
During the podcast, Dominic mentioned that the setting of the film itself was intimidating.
He said: “I’d never been to Highclere (Castle) before…you go up the drive and you come over the brow of the hill and there it is. It’s like some Disney castle and you can’t quite believe that it’s real.”
“It’s such an extraordinary outline against, against the horizon and…so that was the first sort of intake of breath.”
The father-of-four also opened up about his experience working with Maggie Smith, saying: “It was funny sitting there talking to her, it was brilliant and…all the casts sat down and you could see they’d been doing this for however long.”
The legacy continues. Tune in to @TODAYshow on @nbc tomorrow morning for an exclusive look at the new trailer for #DowntonAbbey: A New Era! pic.twitter.com/pwH8rHAXht
— Downton Abbey (@DowntonAbbey) February 14, 2022
The first Downtown Abbey film, based on the popular period drama TV series, was released in September 2019 and was an immediate box office hit.
The highly-anticipated sequel will follow the lives of the aristocratic Crawley family and their servants in the South of France, where they will try to uncover the mystery of the Dowager Countess’s newly inherited villa.
Downtown Abbey: A New Era is set to hit Irish and UK theaters on April 29, 2022.
As well as his role in Downton Abbey, Dominic has also joined the cast of The Crown, taking over from Josh O’Connor as Prince Charles.
