Laura Carmichael: Filming Downton Abbey was like being on a holiday camp

Laura Carmichael felt like she was "on a holiday" camp while shooting 'Downton Abbey: A New Era.'

The 35-year-old actress is known for starring as Lady Edith Crawley in the hit ITV period drama series as well as its spinoff films and described shooting the latest instalment in France during COVID-19 lockdowns as like being on a "hilarious holiday" with her castmates.

She said: "We were filming in 2021 wo there were sill some travel restrictions and CVOID-protocols to follow but thankfully we were allowed to move around our hotel so we were kind of on this hilarious holiday for 10 days with the crew. It felt like a holiday camp. We were altogether and unable to leave, but it was pretty amazing. There’s just something about that part of the world that’s so magic."

'Downtown Abbey: A New Era follows wealthy aristocratic family the Crawleys as they as they grand journey to the South of France to uncover the mystery of the dowager countess's newly inherited villa and Laura - who stars alongside Dame Maggie Smith and Hugh Bonneville in the movie - explained that the plot brought up a lot of "emotion" for the characters and admitted that spending time abroad was such a "luxury."

She told Gold Derby: "The Crawleys are in such a different environment, and it brings up all of this emotion for them. It takes them away from a stiffer world and I think that there is something just so beautiful and relaxing about that part of the world. There was an amazing swimming pool in the villa and some days we would go and sit there. What a luxury. One of the last days we shot a scene there, we were all drinking fake champagne and it felt pretty great."