Veteran actress Susan Hampshire offers an intriguing insight into the driving force behind Downton Abbey creator Lord Fellowes, who she recalls as ‘very angry’ that he was never able to make a career as a film star.
The third and final Downton Abbey film – The Grand Finale – comes to cinemas next month.
But now Hampshire, who appeared alongside Julian Fellowes, 76, in Monarch Of The Glen in the early Noughties, has said that he was driven by the anger he felt at himself for not winning a part in hit TV drama The Forsyte Saga – in which she also starred in the late 1960s.
She said: ‘When he was doing Monarch Of The Glen he was writing Gosford Park and he was very, very, very angry that he wasn’t in The Forsyte Saga and he always resented the fact that he hadn’t written it and it wasn’t his baby. But he loved Coronation Street and he was inspired by The Forsyte Saga – and he managed to write a combination of Coronation Street and The Forsyte Saga and that was Downton Abbey.’
The 88-year-old also said of Fellowes: ‘He’s a very clever, brilliant man, but he knows it and he can have big rows with people if things are not going right. But he also cries so well on screen and in real life.’
Now, 20 years on from Monarch Of The Glen, she hopes that he has found peace of mind. Speaking at a Talking Pictures event in London, she said: ‘He’s a very interesting human being and I just pray to God that he’s at least happy now and all his envy and anger has gone because he’s so successful and so rich and he’s got every award under the sun.’
But Hampshire, who enjoyed a thriving career as an actress over six decades, finished by underscoring that Fellowes had aimed for the spotlight, but found his place behind the scenes.
‘He probably wanted to be a film star – we all have dreams, don’t we? But he’s more famous than any film star now. People will watch Downton for ever.’
Veteran actress Susan Hampshire offers an intriguing insight into the driving force behind Downton Abbey creator Lord Fellowes
She has claimed that the writer is ‘very angry’ that he was never able to make a career as a film star (pictured in September 2019)
As Hogwarts, the grounds of Alnwick Castle were ideal for the sport of quidditch in the Harry Potter movies.
Now the 12th Duke of Northumberland has followed suit, as he likes to play table tennis in the grand setting of the salon.
A member of the castle staff tells me: ‘This was once a music room where music would have been performed to visitors, but now the duke has a ping-pong table in here.’
The 12th Duke of Northumberland likes to play table tennis in the grand setting of the salon at Alnwick Castle, the set of the Harry Potter films (pictured)
You’ve heard of dad dancing, what about dad DJing? That was the word at Blur bassist Alex James’s Cotswold farm bash, The Big Feastival, last weekend, where actor star Simon Pegg, 55, hit the decks with his daughter Tilly.
They kept fans’ feet tapping with the strains of Britney Spears and Charli XCX to the delight of guests including Jeremy Clarkson.
Simon pegg took to the decks for Blur bassist Alex James’s Cotswold farm bash, The Big Feastival (pictured)
Zeta’s girl reveals songwriting secret
Catherine Zeta-Jones wowed the West End aged just 17 in 42nd Street, before clinching the Oscar for her showstopping turn as Velma Kelly in the 2002 musical film Chicago.
Now her daughter, Carys Douglas, 22, is making her bid to have her voice heard by millions. Carys, who graduated from Brown University in the US in June, shared an online video showcasing her soulful singing while playing the piano.
‘[It’s] from a song I started writing a bit ago,’ she tells followers.
Among those impressed was her mother, 55, currently starring in Netflix’s Wednesday, who posted a love heart in the comments section.
Carys Douglas, 22, is making her bid to have her voice heard after she posted a clip of her singing an original song to Instagram (pictured)
Playing Ron Weasley in the Harry Potter films, Rupert Grint’s first words were: ‘Excuse me, do you mind? Everywhere else is full.’ In the saga’s TV reboot, Ron might open with something like: ‘Ay up pal, do you mind?’
I can reveal that child actor Alastair Stout, who plays the ginger-haired wizard in the forthcoming HBO series, will keep his northern accent as Weasley.
‘Ron will have a Mancunian accent in the new Harry Potter reboot as the idea is to reflect his down-to-earth roots,’ an insider tells me. Mad fer it.
Child actor Alastair Stout, (pictured) who plays the ginger-haired wizard in the forthcoming HBO series, will keep his northern accent as Weasley
Jameela risks Meghan’s wrath
Jameela Jamil has played a key role in the court of Meghan Markle, publicly defending the Duchess of Sussex against her critics, but could that be about to change?
The actress and TV presenter has taken aim at Meghan’s close friend and confidante Serena Williams, for her recent endorsement of the weight-loss drug GLP-1.
Tennis ace Serena, 43, revealed that she’s lost 31lb with the aid of the slimming medication and has signed on to promote it.
Jameela Jamil has played a key role in the court of Meghan Markle, publicly defending the Duchess of Sussex against her critics but she recently hit out at Serena Williams (pictured in May)
Jamil, 39, snipes on Instagram: ‘Serena Williams is selling GLP-1s. The thing I feel most uncomfortable about here is that celebrities have access to doctors most others don’t have access to. These “miracle” weight-loss drugs come at a price.’
Meghan, 44, froze out Canadian stylist Jessica Mulroney, 45, after she got caught up in a public row in 2020.
Could Jameela be the next to fall from favour?
