We Finally Know Why These Stars Left Downton Abbey

Lauded as one of the most beloved historical dramas of all time, the ITV British series "Downton Abbey" became a worldwide sensation during its six-season run, with audiences everywhere becoming completely enamored with the aristocratic Crawley family and their colorful staff. Initially set in 1912 after the tragic sinking of the RMS Titanic, the series explored the lives of the wealthy clan and their domestic servants at the eponymous family estate.

During its TV tenure, the show was the recipient of numerous accolades, including 15 Primetime Emmys and three Golden Globe Awards, and even spawned three film adaptations upon its conclusion. The acclaimed show featured a slew of famous faces during its tenure, including Michelle Dockery, Hugh Bonneville, and Lily James, with some "Downton Abbey" stars sadly dying during and after its run, while others simply left on their own accord. Walking away from a universally adored series can be quite daunting, but many of these stars who departed have gone on to find further success in the entertainment industry.

Dan Stevens memorably portrayed Matthew Crawley, the love interest of Dockery's Lady Mary. Together, the cherished couple shared one of the best kisses in "Downton Abbey" history and left viewers swooning during their three-season relationship. Fans were in utter disbelief when Stevens departed the show at the height of its fame, and other cast members ultimately followed suit in the ensuing years.

Small screen staple Rose Leslie appeared as housemaid Gwen Harding during the show's first season and later returned in a guest role for Season 6. It wasn't the actor's choice to leave the popular series, but her character had simply completed her arc. Leslie reflected on the career-changing role in an interview with Masterpiece. "Not only did I have the most wonderful experience on 'Downton,' but it was also the first job I ever got whereby I was employed for six months; it was just the most wonderful thing to be employed for that length of time!"

Leslie also revealed in the sit-down that her work in "Downton Abbey" helped her get the role of Ygritte in the HBO global sensation "Game of Thrones." "That job was a stepping stone to me then meeting my husband [Kit Harington], having my children, and living the life that I live," she explained. "Yes, I think it changed my life." In 2012, she was cast as the fierce warrior for the show's second, third, and fourth seasons, becoming a fan favorite and helping the fantasy series become a massive cultural success.

Since her period drama days, Leslie has continued to thrive in Hollywood, starring in shows such as "The Good Fight," "Vigil," and "The Time Traveler's Wife" as well as the movie "Death on the Nile." Her most recent screen credit was in the 2025 true crime series "The Hack," which also reunited Leslie with her former "Downton Abbey" co-star Cara Theobold.

Dan Stevens first garnered widespread prominence when he took on the leading role of Matthew Crawley. The apprehensive aristocrat became a part of the show's main love story alongside Michelle Dockery's Mary. Stevens left audiences devastated when he walked away from "Downton Abbey" at the height of its fame in 2012, after his character died in a car crash in the Season 3 Christmas special. His departure caused a massive uproar online, and frustrated fans voiced their outrage over the storyline.

Despite playing a core character in the period drama, the real reason Dan Stevens left "Downton Abbey" was because he didn't want to get "typecast" for future roles and hoped to add more "variety" in his career (via The Australian). He has gone on to showcase his range in a slew of dynamic projects, including films like "Beauty and the Beast" and "The Rental" and in the series "Legion," for which Stevens' performance attracted universal praise. Stevens is also slated to return for the upcoming monster movie "Godzilla x Kong: Supernova."

"'I'm still apologizing to people now. The way Matthew went was out of my hands — but it was rather shocking," The actor told the Mirror in 2017. "There were some very upset people and I've had to apologize to a lot of ­people over the past four years. ... I've done a lot since then, though — so hopefully people are seeing what I have been up to and are beginning to understand why I wanted to move on."

Thomas Howes portrayed "Downton's" second footman William Mason for two seasons, ultimately sacrificing himself for Matthew Crawley while on the battlefield during World War I. Like many of his co-stars, Howes wanted to pursue other opportunities, and producers also felt as though they had properly wrapped up William's storyline. Howes later told the Daily Mail that Phyllis Logan, who played beloved housekeeper Mrs. Hughes, was "in floods" when they read the script for his final episode. "There are a lot of momentous events in that episode," he said.

Howes' William famously had a romance with scullery maid Daisy (Sophie McShera), and the two were able to give fans some bittersweet closure by marrying before he succumbed to his war wounds. Prior to appearing on the show, Howes had studied at the Guildhall School of Music and Drama and starred in stage productions of "The Winslow Boy" and "The History Boys," and also had a supporting role in the British TV film "United" and children's comedy "ChuckleVision."

After his work on the series, Howes played Yashvin in the Oscar-nominated film "Anna Karenina" and appeared in TV shows including "Dark Angel," "Gentleman Jack," and "Ted Lasso." Since his portrayal of William Mason, Howes has also returned to the world of theater and delivered impressive performances in celebrated plays like "A Partnership," "The Importance of Being Ernest," and "The Wind in the Willows." 

Cara Theobold made her screen acting debut in 2012 when she starred as kitchen maid Ivy Stuart in the period drama, appearing as a main cast member for two seasons. Though she loved her time on the show, Theobold looked forward to pursuing new projects and was happy when Ivy departed the Abbey and set out for America to work as a cook. "I had such a wonderful time on 'Downton,' it was my first job so it's one that will always have a special place in my heart," she told Nuit Magazine.

"I was excited to move on to new roles and challenges but I do still watch the show and love seeing what all the characters are up to," Theobold stated, adding that the cast are "[s]uch a lovely bunch." Her joint work earned Theobold a Screen Actors Guild Award for outstanding performance by an ensemble in a drama series. "I worked mainly with the downstairs cast," she told The Independent, "and you sort of live there and feel you are of that world, and being in that nurturing environment gave me a lot of confidence. But I was really happy to do two series and use that as a platform — Ivy's story came to an end."

The actor followed up her stint as Daisy with roles in shows such as "Crazyhead," "Absentia," and "Boarders." Theobold has also found notable success in voice-over work, portraying Tracer in the "Overwatch" video game franchise.

Amy Nuttall was no stranger to the small screen when she began playing housemaid Ethel Parks in the second season of "Downton Abbey," having previously made a name for herselfon the British soap opera "Emmerdale." Her "Downton Abbey" character was introduced as a replacement for Gwen Harding (Rose Leslie), and she was shocked when she was asked to return for its third season in order to further tidy up Ethel's storyline. Nuttall previously believed she would only appear in one season.

"I was told that was it so it was a very nice, welcome, surprise phone call that I received ... to say that writer Julian Fellowes felt he hadn't quite finished the storyline off," Nuttall told Metro (via Hello! Magazine). "It was great to come back and see what else he had written for Ethel — and it was a very unexpected storyline. But actually you go, 'Yeah, that makes sense.'"

Her stellar work in "Downton Abbey" led to more TV opportunities.She subsequently appeared in "New Tricks," "Why Didn't They Ask Evans?" and "The Feud." Nuttall also played a supporting role in Tim Burton's star-studded sequel "Beetlejuice Beetlejuice," and she is slated to headline the upcoming fantasy drama "After the War." 

Matthew Goode appeared as Henry Talbot, who was first introduced in the Season 5 Christmas special. He served as the new love interest for Lady Mary (Michelle Dockery) and ultimately married her. Goode returned as the car enthusiast character for the 2019 big screen adaptation, but the actor left the franchise due to scheduling conflicts because he was busy filming two other movies during production of the other films. Goode ultimately felt that his absence was for the best because he also had to undergo knee surgery at the time.

"I was unavailable for the second because I was doing 'The Offer.' Then [for the third], I was shooting [Netflix's 'Department Q']," Goode revealed to Radio Times about his lack of involvement in the final two film installments. "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."

Goode has had a decorated acting career both prior to and after appearing in "Downton Abbey," with memorable roles in films such as "Match Point," "Watchmen," and "The Imitation Game," and shows including "The Crown," which chronicled the lives of the royal family but still left out real details of the story. He also appeared in 2024's "Abigail," which featured fellow "Downton Abbey" alum Dan Stevens. 

For three seasons, Jessica Brown Findlay starred as Lady Sybil Crawley, until her character tragically died during childbirth, making for one of the most unforgettable "Downton Abbey" scenes. Though her death may have been shocking for viewers, Brown Findlay had always planned to leave the show after her contract was up because she didn't want to get too complacent and hoped to pursue other opportunities. The series wasBrown Findlay's second screen acting job, and she became one of the first main cast members to depart the Abbey, as she had intended to early on.

"It was tough really because Jessica had said she was going to leave right from the beginning," series creator Julian Fellowes told Vanity Fair. "She said, 'I'm doing three years, then I'm leaving.' So that was all worked out." The actor revealed to Radio Times (via Express) that she wanted to avoid staying in her "comfort zone" for too long on the show. "I didn't want to fall into my comfort zone too much. My contract was ending and I was unsure about signing away another year, leaving me terrified, and that's what made me want to do it."

Like many of her fellow "Downton Abbey" stars, Brown Findlay continued to find success, nabbing roles in the shows "Harlots" and "Brave New World" and movies like "Victor Frankenstein" and "Munich: The Edge of War." The actor also took to the stage in West End theater productions of "Hamlet" and "An Enemy of the People." 

After his three-season arc as footman Jimmy Kent, Ed Speleers left the show in 2014 during its Christmas special largely because his character's storyline was finished and he had other acting projects in the works. Though Speleers could have returned for the trilogy films because Jimmy's fate outside of Downton was never disclosed, the actor told Channel 4's "Sunday Brunch" in 2018 (via Radio Times), "I didn't get the call, unfortunately ... To be fair," he added, "I'm doing 'Rain Man' so I wasn't able to do it. I don't think it would be right for my character to come back anyway."

Speleers went on to call the drama an "amazing gig" for him "on both a personal and a professional level" before concluding: "I never went to drama school. I felt that the job in many respects was my drama school." For his contributions to the hit series, Speleers won two Screen Actors Guild Awards along with his fellow cast members.

He followed up his "Downton Abbey" stint with another memorable TV role, playing the cold and calculating criminal Stephen Bonnet in the fourth and fifth seasons of "Outlander." Speleers has subsequently appeared in "You" and "Star Trek: Picard." He will next star in the British miniseries "The Lady." His film credits include "Howl," "Alice Through the Looking Glass," and "Midas Man."

Known for playing the scheming, troublemaking lady's maid Sarah O'Brien, Siobhan Finneran loved playing a character that audiences hated and winningly portrayed the show's villain for its first three seasons. She walked away from the series after completing her contract. "I signed up to do three series and that was all I wanted to do," she told the Daily Mail (via HuffPost). "I had great fun doing it but I just didn't want to do it anymore. I decided this before we even did the last series. When I stop loving something, I stop doing it."

Prior to her work in "Downton Abbey," Finneran was already an established actor and had appeared in "Coronation Street," "Clocking Off," and "Benidorm." She also earned a Manchester Evening News Theatre Award for best actress in a leading role for her performance in "On the Shore of the Wide World." Finneran had been in the entertainment industry for over 20 years when she began playing the conniving Sarah O'Brien, and it appeared she was more than ready to move on from the antagonistic character.

"I'm hoping she's flung off the roof of the Abbey," Finneran told Radio Times. "I don't think I'm gonna get my wish. She may well nip out for a pint of milk and a bag of sugar and nobody ever sees her again. I loved playing her but I don't miss wearing black, neck to floor."

Lily James appeared as Lady Rose MacClare beginning in the third season of the show before becoming a series regular for its fourth and fifth. The actor had previously studied at the Guildhall School of Music and Drama before she landed the role of the rebellious aristocrat. Fans wondered if Lily James would return to "Downton Abbey" as Rose for the films after coming back for the series finale. Audiences were disappointed when James did not reprise the role in the trilogy, largely because her Hollywood career was heating up and she was involved in multiple projects.

James was cast as the titular Disney heroine in 2015's "Cinderella" and became an overnight sensation, and her busy filming schedule afterward conflicted with the "Downton Abbey" movies. "She can't be [in it]; she's in every other film [in] the world at the moment," executive producer Gareth Neame joked to Entertainment Weekly. James has been quite busy since the show's conclusion,appearing in a slew of movies including "Baby Driver," "Mamma Mia! Here We Go Again," and "The Iron Claw."

Series creator Julian Fellowes agreed with Neam in the interview and added: "Lily is now a big star, and it would've been incredibly difficult for her to find time in her schedule to come and play essentially a supporting role in 'Downton' when her career was in a different place [than] when she was with us. ...She's our greatest success story from the cast of the show."