5. Downton’s first OMG moment came when the series’ dashing male lead, Matthew Crawley, was killed in the season three finale. “There were a lot of very upset people demanding an apology,” Stevens told Entertainment Weekly about his decision to close the show at the end of his three-year contract.
As to why he was ready to say goodbye to Downton, he explained, “It was amazing on all kinds of levels to do long-term television things. But at this point, it’s about seeing how I challenge myself and entertain myself.”
6. In an interview with E! News, Fellows emphasized that leaving, leading to a sudden ending of the character (who doesn’t return to appear in season 4) was Stephen’s choice.
Noting that contracts tend to be longer in America, he continued, “it seemed like the production team had just decided you knew,” as he slits his throat. “But in fact, he had just reached the end of his three-year contract and he wanted to continue doing a variety of things…we had to make it work.
7. However, Matthew’s devastating death was a smashed rating record for the season 4 premiere, which did not distract viewers as it attracted 10.2 million viewers.
8. If Stevens informed the Fellows early of his intention to leave the series, he said he staged the exit for his fan favorite Lady Civil in a different way: “I probably would have killed him together in a car accident.”
