Skip to main contentSkip to footer

Downton Abbey fans furious after spotting major photoshop change to Maggie Smith

What do you think?


downton maggie
Emmy Griffiths
TV & Film Editor
On 6 June 2022
Share this:

An eagle-eyed Downton Abbey fan has revealed how post-production edited Dame Maggie Smith’s eyes in the original film - and it’s fair to say that viewers aren’t best pleased!

Exclusive: Downton Abbey's Raquel Cassidy and Kevin Doyle open up about Baxter and Molesley’s love story

In the TikTok video, the fan, who uses the moniker @swiftieholic, shared footage of Maggie from the original movie while comparing it to the film trailer, pointing out the clear differences - as in the trailer her eyes are unedited, while in the movie version, they have clearly been photoshopped.

WATCH: Downton cast reminisce on 12 years in the franchise at Premiere of a New Era 

The voiceover in the clip can be heard saying: "I was watching Downton Abbey the movie and I noticed something… there was something off about this shot of the Dowager. So I compared it with the trailer. Then I screenshot the same frame from the movie and the trailer. You can see they edited her left eye for the final movie."

MORE: Michelle Dockery didn't think she'd play Lady Mary in Downton Abbey 

RELATED: Downton Abbey: A New Era boss shares details on third film

Replying to the video, one person wrote: "Why mess with Maggie’s face? She’s beautiful." Another person added: "How dare they honestly." A third posted: "That’s so sad. Maggie Smith is perfect! And that’s part of her look and charm and who she is."

maggie michelle

Maggie's eyes appeared to have been edited 

Another simply wrote: "That’s so bizarre!" To which the original creator replied: "Right? They just copy and pasted her right eye onto her left."

Maggie has previously opened up about her role in Downton to ES magazine, explaining: "I am deeply grateful for the work in Potter and indeed Downton but it wasn’t what you’d call satisfying. I didn't really feel I was acting in those things.

She also previously admitted that she didn't think she'd be making an appearance in the movies at all, telling Graham Norton: "No, because honestly, she was about - by the time we're through - she must've been 110. So, I couldn't go on and on and on. I couldn't. It just didn't make sense."

Like this story? Sign up to our What to Watch newsletter to get other stories like this delivered straight to your inbox.

Sign up to HELLO Daily! for the best royal, celebrity and lifestyle coverage

By entering your details, you are agreeing to HELLO! Magazine User Data Protection Policy. You can unsubscribe at any time. For more information, please click here.