Downton Abbey's Elizabeth McGovern reveals why she was a 'little bit worried' about working with her director husband

Elizabeth McGovern is set to star in the new installment of the Downton Abbey franchise, Downton Abbey: A New Era as Lady Cora Crawley. 

Elizabeth McGovern who plays the matriarch of the Crawley family in the Downton Abbey A New Era cast recently spoke about her relationship with the director of the film, her husband, Simon Curtis.

"I felt so proud of him," Elizabeth told Hello! as she revealed she was a little bit nervous when he first joined the Downton crew.

"I was a little bit worried going into it because it’s really difficult going into a thing that’s so established with so many actors doing their parts for so long but he rose to the occasion and was really brilliant, and he’s done a fantastic film," said Elizabeth.

This isn't the first time that Simon has worked with his wife of 30 years, as he directed the 2018 movie The Chaperone in which Elizabeth starred as the lead character, Norma Carlisle.

Elizabeth said that it was a challenge to think of him as the director and not her husband but the pair made it work. "It’s a very interesting challenge but I tried as much as I could to think of him as the director and not the guy who's always watching TV in the background," said Elizabeth.

Simon Curtis is an established director who has worked on television period dramas, David Copperfield and Cranford. He also has directed the films The Art of Racing in the Rain and Goodbye Christopher Robin.

Fans are excited to see what will happen next in the installment of the beloved franchise and the film's trailer has suggested that there is a lot to look forward to as the Crawley family visit the French riviera.

The new Downton film will be released in theatres in the US on May 20, and will be released in UK cinemas on April 29, 2022.

If you want to catch up on all the Downton drama before heading to the cinema, all six seasons of the show are available to stream on Netflix. The first Downton Abbey film is also available to purchase on Amazon.