DOWNTON ABBEY: Interview With Sophie McShera (Daisy Mason)

16th November 2015

DOWNTON ABBEY SERIES 6 is released on Blu-Ray^TM and DVD from 16 November 2015 from Universal Pictures (UK)

Sophie McShera is known for playing student Ros McCain in the fifth series of BBC drama Waterloo Road. She has also appeared in the TV shows Galavant and Inside No.9, as well as the 2015 feature film adaptation of Cinderella. In Downton Abbey she stars as the kitchen maid Daisy…

Q: How much did you enjoy your outburst at the auction in the first episode of Season 6? It was very impassioned…

A: I loved it. It always feels a bit strange to speak out in those circumstances because we’ve played these roles for so long. I was thinking, ‘Oh, my God, I can’t walk across that floor and shout at all those people! How am I going to do it?’ It was so weird. But it has been amazing to go from what she was in Season 1, at the beginning, to where we see her in this season. It’s such a brave step. And she becomes the voice for Mr Mason because she wants to protect him in her own way. She loves him so much. She feels dissatisfied with her lot, and with his lot especially. She wants to make a change or have a voice, and she’s finding that through her education. That little outburst was great fun to film.

Q: Do you think something like that would happen in real life?

A: I don’t know. You’d have to ask the historical expert. But she doesn’t just get away with it. It’s terrifying. She thinks she’ll most likely be sacked, and it’s touch and go. It’s not like, ‘Oh Daisy!’ It’s quite scary and it causes problems.

Q: Do you feel as though you’ve learned a lot about this period of history?

A: have, a little. We’re very much guided by our script and then we have the historical advisor on set every single day. The sense of detail from the advisor is amazing. I once brought some toast in. I didn’t have any lines in the scene, but I still got it wrong because I found out that Mr Carson has to have his toast first! There are all sorts of little things that you’d never think of, so to have him there was amazing.

Q: How did you feel when you found out the show was going to end?

A: There was no moment I can remember when we were told. It wasn’t a shock, we knew it was on the cards!

Q: How will you remember the show?

A: I will remember it with affection. I feel so lucky to have had this job, and to have worked with all these people. I’ve made some amazing friends and I will remember it so fondly, forever.

Q: Do you get recognised very often?

A: I get asked that a lot but I don’t get recognised all that much. I’m very lucky in that respect. Jim [Carter, playing Carson] does. He’s always getting his picture taken. Lesley [Nicol, playing Mrs Patmore] and I were recognised at Ground Zero in New York by a woman from New Zealand. But then you could walk round London all day and no one would recognise you!

Q: Do you and Lesley Nicol have a mother-daughter type of relationship in real life, like you do on screen?

A: I call her my Telly Mummy! Will we stay in touch? No, probably not, I can’t be bothered (laughs). No, of course we will. We’re great friends.

DowntonAbbeyBlu

DOWNTON ABBEY SERIES 6 is released on Blu-Ray^TM and DVD from 16 November 2015 from Universal Pictures (UK)

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