Downton Abbey's Hugh Bonneville banned from doing one thing during filming

Hugh Bonneville was often called out on the set of Downton Abbey for making one vital mistake. The actor, 61, starred as Robert Crawley, Earl of Grantham, in all six series of the ITV period drama from 2010 to 2015. He reprised the role for the 2019 film and again in Downton Abbey: A New Era (2022). Hugh will step into the shoes of Robert one final time for Downton Abbey: The Grand Finale which is set for release in September.

During the entirety of filming, there was one man who appeared behind the scenes to ensure the historical accuracy of the show. Historian Alastair Bruce was on hand to make sure every detail was correct, from the positioning of buttons on the actor's sleeves to the etiquette and language used. Speaking to Metro, Alastair revealed he had to constantly train Hugh to not put his hand in his pockets.

'I wouldn't want to pick on Hugh; I think almost every actor needed telling," Alastair said. "If you look at a man's pocket today it's cut at an angle to enable him to put his hand in his pocket."

He explained: "In those days if you look at trousers for the gentleman pockets went straight from south to north and it's actually jolly difficult to put your hand that far back to put your hand in.

"The truth is they didn't put their hands in their pockets because they couldn't."

But Hugh certainly wasn't the only one as Michelle Dockery was gently chided for slouching in front of her Dowager Countess grandmother in character as Lady Mary.

Meanwhile, Laura Carmichael needed to be reminded that Lady Edith would never leave her evening gloves on the table after dinner.

The final instalment of Downton Abbey will hit screens on 12 September and is promised to be a tearjerker.

Alongside Hugh, Michelle and Laure, many other familiar faces are returning for the final act. Elizabeth McGovern, Jim Carter, Phyllis Logan, Robert James-Collier, Joanne Froggatt, Allen Leech, Penelope Wilton, Lesley Nicol, Michael Fox, Raquel Cassidy, Brendan Coyle, Kevin Doyle, Harry Hadden-Paton, Sophie McShera, and Douglas Reith will all be reprising their original roles.

Last year, Hugh confirmed it will be the final instalment during an interview with Jason King on Heart Breakfast while promoting Paddington in Peru.

"The third film we filmed this summer yes, so that will come out next September, and I think it's very much the end of the story," he said, later declaring: "But it's been a wonderful journey, and so I think the third one will be a great sign-off for fans of the show."