Downton Abbey's final film features unexpected cameos from relatives of iconic star
Downton Abbey: The Grand Finale will see the beloved period drama come to an end, but one star managed to fit in some real-life family members during the final film
Downton Abbey: The Grand Finale star Harry Hadden-Paton was accompanied by his real-life relatives on the set of the eagerly-awaited third and final film.
Legions of devotees of the blockbuster period drama are keenly anticipating the movie's cinema debut this month, bringing the curtain down on the historical series 15 years after it first graced ITV screens.
The majority of the cherished cast will make one final appearance, witnessing the Crawley dynasty navigate the 1930s whilst confronting a divorce controversy and the spectre of monetary collapse.
Beloved performer Harry Hadden-Paton will reprise his role as Herbert "Bertie" Pelham, 7th Marquess of Hexham, revealing that he and his screen spouse Lady Edith (portrayed by Laura Carmichael) won't be enduring the same hardships as their relatives.
Discussing their parts in the third instalment with the Radio Times, Hadden-Paton confessed the Pelhams wouldn't be facing "trials and tribulations", reports the Express.
He explains the couple will be in a "place of happiness", whilst Carmichael notes Edith is "feeling her power" and "comfortable" in her role as a magazine editor.
Whilst visiting the production's set, RT also spotted Hadden-Paton's sisters amongst the background performers in a crucial sequence.
He disclosed that Downton's creators can be "very allowing" when it comes to featuring the actors' mates and relatives as background artists and supporting characters.
The performer even arranged for his actual best man to assume the same role on screen when Bertie wed Lady Edith.
"Then, in series six, we had a big get-back-together scene at the Ritz, which we filmed in the middle of the night, and the entire Ritz dining room was comprised of crew in full make-up and costume pretending to be other diners," he recalled.
"The producer was the maître d'! So the lines have sometimes been a bit blurred between real and fictional with these surreal celebrations."
During this particular shoot, the cast were in their tenth week of filming with just one final major sequence remaining.
Since the scene required a substantial crowd of extras, Hadden-Paton was permitted to "sneak in" his own family members to participate in the festivities.
Whilst viewers will feel disappointed to bid farewell to Downton Abbey, screenwriter Julian Fellowes has confessed he cannot completely dismiss the possibility of returning to the franchise.
"Every time I say 'never' in this business, I find six months later, I'm doing exactly what I said I'd never do," he teased.
Nevertheless, the actors portraying Edith and Bertie remain convinced their storyline has concluded, arguing it would prove "too hard" to select particular characters for a spin-off series.
Downton Abbey: The Grand Finale is in UK cinemas from Friday, 12th September.