Maggie Smith and Dominic West had ‘incredibly emotional’ retirement chat.

After Dame Maggie Smith told Dominic West that the new Downton Abbey film would be her final acting assignment, he stated it was “very emotional” – only for her to later clarify she has no intentions to retire.

The Wire actor joins the cast of the hit historical drama Downton Abbey: A New Era for the second instalment, portraying a silent film star in a film being shot at the stately home.

He expressed his delight at the prospect of working alongside Dame Maggie Smith, a double Oscar winner best known for her appearances in Harry Potter, Sister Act, A Room With A View, Gosford Park, and The Prime of Miss Jean Brodie, and who plays the Dowager Countess Violet Crawley in the long-running film.

He was saddened, though, when she informed him that this would be her final film.

West told a press conference: “I sat next to her around that famous table for two or three days and got to just chat to her and listen to her hilarious jokes and sly remarks.

“She said at one point that she’s going to throw in the towel now. She said: ‘That’s it. I’m not going to do any more.’ And I said: ‘What? Acting?’ and she said: ‘Yeah, no more acting.’

“I said: ‘Theatre as well?’ and she said: ‘No, I’m not doing theatre either, and this will be my last job.’ And that was incredibly emotional.