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Violet Crawley

Violet Crawley (played by Maggie Smith), is Robert's mother and widow of the previous earl. Violet was born in the 1840s to a baronet and has one sister, Roberta, who loaded the guns at the Siege of Lucknow in 1857. Violet also has a niece, called Susan, who is married to the Marquess of Flinthshire, known as Shrimpy. In the 1860s, Violet was pursued by Lord Hepworth of Hatton Park.

Violet symbolises the "old world" and order of the pre-war days and sometimes has difficulty accepting change. When Robert has electricity and telephones installed, she complains to him about the amount of light in the house and the "loud noises" the phone makes; she is even confused by a swivel chair. Initially she is opposed to Matthew's position as heir as he is from the upper middle/professional class and not the aristocracy. She is also shocked at their more modern attitudes but comes to accept Matthew and later his mother, Isobel, into the family. When Matthew announces his engagement to Lavinia, who is from a similar background to Matthew, she broods over the fact that Lavinia was not of a higher social standing.

Violet is portrayed as a matriarchal figure and quick of wit despite her age. She is immensely proud of her son and loves her granddaughters very much. At heart, Violet is a kind woman that has less trouble to accept people for their worth than she wants to admit. When her nephew, James, the heir to Downton, and his son, Patrick, die in the sinking of the Titanic and Matthew appears on the scene, she disapproves of him and favours Mary, preferring that the entail be broken so that Mary can inherit the estate. She is protective of her family and wants the best for them even if her logic is sometimes flawed. When her youngest granddaughter, Sybil, insists on marrying Tom Branson, the family chauffeur, Violet assures Robert that she will "minimise the damage" by making up details about Branson's family to make the marriage more acceptable to their social class. She is also quick to defend Mary when she is threatened by Sir Richard Carlisle after Mary calls off their engagement.

Although Violet has been accused of being unable to communicate across the class divide, she is kind and compassionate to the servants. When it becomes apparent that one of their footmen, William, has been fatally wounded, Violet, backed by Lady Edith and William's father, insist that William is brought back to Downton so he can die in familiar surroundings with friends and family. She also insists that the local vicar wed William and Daisy, the scullery maid/kitchen maid, and attends the ceremony. Later, Daisy feels guilty about it and is caught crying while cleaning the fireplace. Violet goes against social norm to hear Daisy out and comfort her.

Throughout the Great War, Violet remains a strong influence at Downton Abbey but finds her influence under threat. She has a tendency to quarrel with Isobel Crawley, Matthew's mother. As president of the Downton Hospital, Violet had complete control over the hospital and its lead doctor, Richard Clarkson. A trained nurse and physician's widow, Mrs Crawley begins to push the doctor into pursuing more modern medical practices, much to Violet's horror. Violet is also frequently shown at odds with Cora due to their conflicting cultural backgrounds: for example, she protests when Cora agrees to opening some of the rooms as a convalescence unit in response to the large number of war wounded returning home and the two come into conflict over certain issues such as management style.

Maggie Smith

Dame Margaret Natalie "Maggie" Smith, DBE (born 28 December 1934) is a British film, stage and television actress. She made her stage debut in 1952 and has had an extensive, varied career in stage, film and television spanning over sixty years. Smith has appeared in over 50 films and is one of Britain's most recognisable actresses.

She first drew praise for the crime film Nowhere to Go (1958), for which she received her first BAFTA Award nomination. Her 1965 film role as Desdemona, in William Shakespeare's Othello, earned her an Academy Award nomination (the first of her six) and a Golden Globe nomination. Since then Smith has worked consistently in film, television and stage, establishing herself as one of the most respected British actresses. Her most notable films include The Prime of Miss Jean Brodie, Travels with My Aunt, Murder by Death, California Suite, Death on the Nile, Evil Under the Sun, A Private Function, A Room with a View, The Lonely Passion of Judith Hearne, Gosford Park and The Best Exotic Marigold Hotel. She has also appeared in a number of widely popular films, including Clash of the Titans, Hook, both Sister Act films, and as Professor Minerva McGonagall in the Harry Potter film series. She currently stars in the critically acclaimed drama Downton Abbey as Violet Crawley, the Dowager Countess of Grantham, for which she has won a Golden Globe and two consecutive Emmy awards.

She has won numerous awards for her acting in theatre, film and television; including seven BAFTA Awards (five competitive awards and two special awards including the BAFTA Fellowship in 1996), two Academy Awards, three Golden Globes, three Emmy Awards, and a Tony Award. Smith is one of the few actresses to have won the Triple Crown of Acting. In September 2012, she was honoured with the Stratford Shakespeare Festival’s Legacy Award. She accepted the award, presented to her by Christopher Plummer, in a star-studded ceremony at the Fairmont Royal York Hotel.

Smith is the only person to win an Academy Award for playing an Academy Award nominee, Diana Barrie, in 1978's California Suite. She is also one of only five actresses to win Oscars in both lead and supporting categories.

Future thread titles:
"There can be too much truth in any relationship."
"Just because you're an old widow, I see no necessity to eat off a tray."
"When you talk like that, I'm tempted to ring for the nanny and have you put to bed with no supper."
"That's because of age. If you live long enough in England, they think you're amazing."
"One went to school, one wanted to act, one started to act, and one's still acting."

Previous Threads: [1] [2]

Enora

TFTNT Lindsay!

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You're welcome.

I can't wait for more Violet zingers in S4. She's going to be amazing yet again.

Enora

Oh yes she'll be amazing as usual!
I'm looking forward to see her especially with Mary. Since I saw a bit of their scene in the trailer I'm waiting for it.

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Me too. I'm 100% sure that Violet will deliver once again and give us all the feels.

Maggie Smith, Judi Dench & More to Lead the National Theatre’s 50th Anniversary Live Broadcast Celebration | Broadway Buzz | Broadway.com

quaist

Violet's surely gonna do her best to be supportive of Mary in that difficult time.

Enora

Surely and like always!
Violet is so important to her family: she's like the trunk of a tree and the others family's members are the branches, without her all falls apart.

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Love this BTS photo of Dame Maggie from S4. Tagging just in case but nothing too spoilery.

Enora

I love this pic too.
It show well all the pleasure they have to filming their scenes.

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If it wasn't for Maggie Smith, I don't think I'd be watching the show anymore. It has to end if she's leaving.

starshine7

I completely agree she IS Downton Abbey!!

Enora

Yes without Maggie/Violet the show will never be the same.

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And just an entire week of waiting now until we finally see Violet back! If anything, I'm really looking forward to her scenes the most.

Enora

I'm looking forward for all her quotes, she always has the best lines.
And to seeing her into the family during those sad moments.

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And one week from today, we finally get to see Violet back in our telly! And also good luck to her at the Emmys!