Downton Abbey Cast; Seann William Scott; Tim Blake Nelson & Lynley cast

The Cast of Downton Abbey, Seann William Scott, the cast of Lynley AND Tim Blake Nelson?? That's whose on this episode of Pop Culture Weekly with Kyle McMahon. 

What happens when a classic detective story gets a modern twist? British actors Leo Suter and Sophia Barclay join me to uncover the magic behind their new crime drama, "Lynley". They share how their dynamic chemistry and a fresh blend of humor breathe new life into the beloved Inspector Lynley series, all while staying true to its storied history. We explore the challenging yet exciting task of reimagining such a cherished narrative for today’s audience.

Then discover the unexpected career shifts of Seann William Scott, the man forever etched in our minds as Stifler from American Pie but too much of a talent to be pigeonholed. Sean talks his new film Bad Man,  opens up about his dabbling in multiple genres and reflects on what it means to be a part of a cultural phenomenon. He shares his candid thoughts on returning to his iconic role and the evolving landscape of Hollywood comedies. Listen in as Seann recounts surreal moments from his early career and the lessons he's learned from meeting his idols.

Finally, we bid a heartfelt goodbye to an aristocratic saga that captured hearts worldwide. The cast of Downton Abbey - Joanne Froggatt, Alan Leech, Hugh Bonneville, and Kevin Doyle - reflect on the emotional journeys of their characters and the legacy of this beloved series. They share personal connections and humorous anecdotes that highlight the series' impact over the past 15 years. 

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Episode Transcript

Speaker 1 (00:00):
In this episode of pop Culture Weekly, I talk with
the cast of Downton Abbey, Sean William Scott, Tim Blake
Nelson and the cast of Lindley. Let's go.

Speaker 2 (00:10):
Welcome to pop Culture Weekly with Kyle McMahon from my
Heart Radio your pop culture news, views, reviews and celebrity
interviews on all the movies, TV, music and pop culture
u CRABE Weekly. Here's Kyle McMahon.

Speaker 1 (00:27):
Nett no no, no net, Hello, and welcome to pop
Culture Weekly with Kyle McMahon. I of course am Kyle McMahon,
and I thank you as always for joining me on
pop Culture Weekly, the only show where you'll get hard
hitting pop culture journalism mixed with my inability to not

(00:49):
be able to shut up. Today this episode we have
got a stacked lineup like legitimately British crime drama, indie films,
a comedy legend in the final chapter of Downton Abbey.
Basically the only thing missing is a Kardashian cameo and
give it time, that'll happen too. All right, let's hit it.

(01:12):
So first up Linley, the brand new British crime drama
that's bringing Inspector Linley back to the screen. It's got murder,
it's got intrigue, it's got brooding detectives who somehow managed
to look like they're in a GQ photoshoot while chasing criminals.
Leo Sutter, who you probably know from things like Vikings,

(01:34):
Valhalla plays Linley, and Sophia Barclay, who's from Ted Lasso
and a Book of Secrets, joins him as his sharp
and brilliant partner, and together they're serving murder, mystery, and
cheekbone sharp enough to cut glass. Here they are Leo
Sutter and Sophia Barclay. How are you, guys. I'm very well.

(01:58):
Thanks Kyle, Thank you for speaking with me. I really
appreciate it. Oh, thank you for having us on of course.
So tell me, first of all, congrats on the show
it is. I love how it's kind of a mix
of you know, it's got this crime drama element, but
it's also got this you know them versus us sort

(02:20):
of thing. You know that there haves and have not,
and then you know, it's also kind of funny in
many ways. Is that something that drew you guys to
the series. Well, that's a good question.

Speaker 3 (02:33):
Yeah, I think one of the things that drew me
was that this is a great it's a great tried
and tested format, you know, a good crime detective show
with a cool detective in a sports car, which is
fairly simple and straightforward. But I think it's true that
as a model of a TV show, what people are

(02:55):
after a good stories that keep you engaged. And there's
something about these characters and these mysteries that are really
compelling when I've read the scripts for the first time,
and was equally as good when we started performing them
an Island.

Speaker 4 (03:13):
Yeah, I was going to agree with exactly what you said,
but I also totally agree with you, Kyle about the
humorous element. It's so so barely there and felt. But
I think when you put two such different characters together,
like Lilian have's immediately with Leo and I was such

(03:33):
a joy to jump into that kind of huge opposing
forces that they have to be together to work together.
And even if it's not an out and out comedy show,
there is a lot of humor in it.

Speaker 5 (03:44):
So yes, I would. I totally love that you picked
up on that.

Speaker 1 (03:47):
Yeah, and as you said, it is subtle, but I'm
very I think I have more of like a traditionally
English sense of humor. You know, Yeah, I'm like dry
and sarcastic. And when I was a kid, I used
to watch reruns of Are You Being Served? Which, like what,
you know, none of my friends were watching that, but
like so I always just really enjoyed that type of humor,

(04:11):
and so when I see it, no matter how subtle,
I'm like, oh, you know what I mean, I like
hone in on it because I feel like you don't
really get that and a lot of American uh, you know,
projects where it's where it's it's there, but it's not
front and center, and it kind of brings just a
little bit of levity to you know, some some grizzly things.

Speaker 4 (04:35):
You know, right, And it's it's so English culture as well.
I think you would be hard pressed to find any
English person who doesn't have an element of self deprecation
or if they're on a brand of humor. So I
think the two things being very English. Like Leo said,
it is such an English English like DNA show, having
the element of humor there is so great did.

Speaker 1 (04:56):
You feel you know this this character, these some of
these stories are revered and loved and there's a you know,
there's a audience there that has followed these you know,
followed them through time and through different formats. Was there

(05:19):
any pressure there as you're, you know, doing a new
take on it, Did you feel any of that or
are you able to be like, this is our interpretation
and this is how we're going to do it, and
this is it.

Speaker 3 (05:33):
I would say this probably is a combination of both.
And I think you have to be very respectful and
grateful to Elizabeth George for writing these stories in the
first place, and then the previous iteration of Lindley twenty
years ago, and so we're definitely that they passed us
on the baton and we're very lucky to be able

(05:54):
to be running the next bit in the relay. But
I think to your point, I was able to slightly
sort of divorce myself from all that history because the
social world into which Lindley now lands our in our
series twenty first century Britain looks very different. So the

(06:16):
cut the cloth from which Natt Parkers Lindley was cut
is a very different one to that which my Lily
was cut by to extend that metaphor, so yeah, I
do think there's interesting differences, and I also think that
really validates rebooting it and putting these two really compelling
characters in a present day British environment.

Speaker 1 (06:40):
I could I agree.

Speaker 5 (06:41):
I'm sorry, Sophia, no, no, I thought I couldn't agree
with him more. I think that was exactly it.

Speaker 1 (06:46):
And I think it's also a testament to the characters,
to the power of that storytelling, that it can be
told in a different way twenty years later, you know,
and still be event and feel fresh and important, you know.

Speaker 6 (07:04):
M.

Speaker 3 (07:05):
Yeah, yeah. I think the Norfolk that the books were
set in has changed massively, and you see that in
our episodes. I mean, Sophia, you've got bits and I
think it's episode three talking about this overcrowding in prisons
and the you know, the police forces is creaking at
the scenes. And these are like very present topical issues

(07:28):
in the UK at the moment and are very different
to the kind of bucolic, constable country scenery that we
do also have, but it's it's more complex. This modern
East Anglia has gone drug gangs landing on beaches, grizzly
crimes in alleyways, as well as beautiful fields and pastures, right.

Speaker 1 (07:51):
Do you you know? I kind of feel like in
many ways we're in kind of crime, not a crime renaissance,
a crime drama renaissance. And you know, for me literally
stands out. Why do you feel it stands out? It's

(08:12):
fire out a loaded question at all?

Speaker 4 (08:14):
Right, No, I think that's I'm reflecting upon what you
said about us being in a crime renaissance. I had
never had that, and I still thinking that's really cool
and in a way, it's so cool to be a
part of that, Like, oh, wow, we're part of a
crime renaissance.

Speaker 5 (08:28):
I was really just taking that in.

Speaker 1 (08:30):
We're in the renaiss.

Speaker 4 (08:32):
Yeah, how does it feel to be part of that? Well,
first off the bat, my reaction would be super honored
and excited.

Speaker 5 (08:42):
And I'm a big crime fan.

Speaker 4 (08:43):
I'm a huge Sherlock Watson head, and you know, obviously
getting these through and seeing that Stephen was a writer
on Sharlock and wrote these as well, it's such an
like the fact that I even get to be a
part of the thread of what you're calling the greater
crime renaissance and the fact that I'm more part of
that is just so cool to the inner geek in me.
I'm like, oh my god, that's so cool. So that's

(09:06):
why I feel we're very honored about that.

Speaker 5 (09:08):
And then in terms of why Lilly and why Linear.

Speaker 4 (09:11):
Haves, I think it is because you know, like you said,
there's I guess all these different crime shows have a
different angle or a different in and the texture of
Linear and Haves is a very specific in. Like it's
quite I don't think you see that mix that British
oil and water in this way.

Speaker 3 (09:30):
And I think specifically British as well. Help book of class,
the working class, the aristocracy, I'll do them.

Speaker 4 (09:37):
Yeah, yeah, like the British class system or something that's
I mean, it's sort of strange and maybe outdated, but
it still lives in different ways. It's different from the
books and it is still existent now and I think
we've tried to expre own version of that. But that
in itself is such a unique thing in the world
that that's a cool thing to to access the crime
one through.

Speaker 3 (09:56):
I think, Kyle, I would actually challenge you. I'm not
sure it's a renaissance. I think we've always loved crime.
It's always kind of you know, it's a tried and tested,
timeless format that choice been compelling and always will be.
People allow the mystery and that pleasure you get of

(10:17):
figuring it out as the show runs, or the novel
or the play what have you.

Speaker 1 (10:22):
So yeah, I think people have always loved crime traumas.

Speaker 5 (10:25):
And you know, my mom is.

Speaker 4 (10:26):
The biggest crime as well. Like my mom loves My
mother knows every single murder she wrote. You could ask
her about every crime and everything. She's like the biggest
crime fans. Well, so yeah, she would agree with you.

Speaker 1 (10:37):
Well, and now both of you are a part of
that legacy. So I love that. Thank you, Leo, Thank
you Sophia. I really appreciate it. I can't wait for
everybody to watch Lindley so I can freaking talk about it,
you know what I mean. Thank you Leo Setter and
Sophia Barclay. Let me tell you there's charming offscreen as

(11:02):
they are on screen, which is great because otherwise I'd
have to pretend like I didn't love the series, and
I do so spoiler alert all right, Next up, Tim
Blake Nelson. If Hollywood had a mount Rushmore for character actors,
Tim Blake Nelson will be carved right into it. Probably twice.
You've seen him in A Brother, Where Art Thou? Watchmen,

(11:25):
The Ballad of Buster, scrugs. Basically, if you've ever watched
a movie, Tim Blake Nelson has been in it, and
his new project is Bang Bang, a gritty indie film
about family, morality, boxing, and redemption, which coincidentally are the
same themes I wrestle with every time I eat Taco

(11:45):
bell after midnight. Here he is Tim Blake Nelson, Tim
Blake Nelson. Seriously, I could listen to that man talk
about paint drying and I'd still be glued to my seat,
which is saying something because normally I am glued to
my seat for other reasons. All Right, We're going to

(12:07):
take a quick break to pay the bills and I'll
see you back here in sixty all right, we're back,
and now Stiffler himself, Seawan William Scott has been making
us laugh for decades literally, from American Pie to role models,

(12:29):
to Goon to the Righteous Gemstones, and now he's flipping
the script in his new psychological thriller Bad Man. It's dark,
it's intense, it's funny, and no, there are no baked
goods involved. I checked. Here he is Sean William Scott.

(12:51):
All Right, Sean, welcome, Thank you so much for speaking
with me. I really appreciate it. Yeah, thank you man,
of course. So I want to talk about your new film,
bad Man, but I want to go back for a moment,
if you will, uh and talk to you about your career.
You know, you have played some of the most iconic
characters in the last twenty five years. Do people do

(13:15):
especially with Stiffler, Do people still call you that? Do
you still get lines thrown at you? Not as much,
but sometimes, like you know, what's interesting is that I do.

Speaker 7 (13:28):
I mean, yeah, of course that's the character that you
know that or the character from Goon. If I love
it's funny, Yeah, me too. I really love it, and
I also love Stiffler's. But I think, you know, if
they're if I'm out, like I probably get more people
now come up to me for the Doug for Doug Lotte.

Speaker 4 (13:47):
Right.

Speaker 1 (13:47):
It's interesting.

Speaker 7 (13:48):
There's like a whole new like young generation now I
don't know what age, but I feel like I want
to say, like eighteen nineteen years old. And then I
think have just discovered American pie because it was funny,
I'd go I would be out for you know. I
think it was at a gym like like five years ago,
and there was like some nineteen twenty twenty one year
olds like didn't know me at all, And I'm like,

(14:10):
this is the wild because that character really represented that
age group at least for a period of time. Yeah,
although it's funny, I think that the eighteen nineteen year
old like kids for some reason the like caught onto this,
probably for them like super old movie and you know,
and now they.

Speaker 1 (14:28):
Come up to me like are you still sir? I'm like, yes,
I am. Do you if American Pie you know, was
made today, where do you think Stiffler would be doing
the same thing? I think it's Yeah, I just can't
imagine that guy changing at all.

Speaker 7 (14:48):
I think he's Yeah, I've said it a few times,
but I think I think he's that guy.

Speaker 1 (14:54):
And there's plenty of them out there that are like
really struggling with like it just think to the world today.

Speaker 7 (15:01):
Yeah, like just like doesn't know what to say, what
not to say, like like you know, I think it'd
be very funny to watch him like online dating and
just fuck everything up not knowing just you know, that
guy that means so well actually just like deep down
wants to be loved, but just always getting it wrong.

Speaker 1 (15:22):
I love that if they ever did, which I would
love to say now that we're talking about it, if
they ever did an American Pie, because I feel like,
you know, it went through a lot of life stages.
Would you be on board for one that's like kind
of like, you know, they have kids and you know,
the kind of next chapter in life. You know, what,

(15:42):
if the script was awesome, for sure, that character.

Speaker 7 (15:45):
I don't think there's a more fun character to play
in comedies, at least for me. Yes, well, yeah, if
it made sense, and you know, if it was awesome,
I don't think it'll ever happen, but you know, hypothetical
fun stuff like yeah, be back with everybody again, And
if the script was incredible and there was a chance
to do something special, for sure.

Speaker 1 (16:05):
I love that.

Speaker 7 (16:06):
Ego's not so like bigger. I'm like, you know, I've
already done that. I'm like, oh, yeah, I did four.
I did four American Pie movies. A woman, I can
do a fifth one, right.

Speaker 1 (16:16):
I love that. Uh, You've played so many awesome characters,
you know. I love doing mister Woodcock. You're now on
Shifting Gears. Uh, dude, where's my car? I mean, there's
been so many cool characters, and it's spanned you know,
the Ice age films, You've spanned a wide variety of
different you know, genres and subgenres. Has that been and

(16:37):
even bad Man for me, I believe, is you know,
more darker. It's still action, I mean, still comedy and action,
but it's a little I feel darker than some of
the work you've done before. Has that all been intentional
or has it kind of just come organically? I think,
you know, for the majority of my career, things that

(16:59):
I've done are.

Speaker 7 (17:00):
Like I've never and there been at a place in
my career where I'm like, let me just go through
these five offers like Gues's never happened, man, you know.

Speaker 1 (17:09):
I'm always like, usually the things that I've done.

Speaker 7 (17:12):
Or it was like the offer that i got around
that time that was like the best scenario, and a
lot of.

Speaker 1 (17:18):
Them were really great opportunities.

Speaker 7 (17:21):
But I've never been, you know, in a position where
I'm like, let me see, do I want to do
this serious drama or should I do this variation of
the same character that I've done ten times where if
you know, it's usually the things that were coming my
way were variations of stiffler and so I thought, Okay,
you can either like not work and just wait for
a great drama or just go and just try to

(17:41):
make people laugh. So that that was for the majority
of my career. Now they're not making comedies really that much,
especially like, you know, bigger studio ones, So it's been
kind of like recently it's been there's been movies like
Wrap of Becky and bad Man, a movie called Bloodline,

(18:02):
where you know, I think your filmmakers that I kind
of grew up watching me do some stupid shit, but
they were fans. They're like, hey, I want to see
this guy do something different than what we're used to,
and so I had this kind of nice opportunity to
do some different stuff. So kind of a mix of
being intentional but also just making the best of the

(18:24):
best situation.

Speaker 1 (18:26):
A Yeah, that's really awesome, and you know you've what
is one? Is there anything that a fan would be
surprised that you had turned down for one race or another?

Speaker 6 (18:38):
No.

Speaker 7 (18:40):
I was like, like, I've always I've had pretty good instincts,
So there's I would never turned down anything that was great.

Speaker 8 (18:49):
No.

Speaker 7 (18:51):
No, It's so funny because that's funny because I remember
thinking like usually you could ask an actor that right,
and then they'll surprise you.

Speaker 9 (18:58):
I think like David Tokom, he once told me I
could be wrong, but I thought he said that he
had been offered the Keanu's character in The Matrix.

Speaker 1 (19:09):
That's and I think he was like, dang, it's like
I'm not sure, but no, I haven't been offered something
awesome and been like wish I had made a different
decision on that one. Hey, I mean for me, you know,
as a fan of your work, I think your career

(19:29):
thus far has been awesome and wide ranging and uh
and I've I've loved the ride, you know, so so
obviously you've done something right, you know what I mean,
done a lot right? I really great.

Speaker 7 (19:42):
I love what I've had a chance to do. Some
of it's been you know, not stuff we'll talk about.

Speaker 1 (19:49):
He was hoping for a better.

Speaker 7 (19:50):
Outcome, but like, yeah, gosh, I feel like it won
a lotter even with just American Pie.

Speaker 1 (19:55):
If it had been just that movie, dude, that would
have felt like the luckiest kids. So yeah, so for you,
if you could give you know, young Sean advice when
he was just starting out with American Pie as an actor,
what would you say to him today? That's such a
great question. That's a deep, deep shit man.

Speaker 7 (20:18):
Sorry, no, no, no, gosh, you know what I've I said
to him. Well, there was other things maybe non career,
uh you know, related that I'd be like, don't do that,
don't do this.

Speaker 1 (20:36):
You know, lack more life stuff. You couldn be like.

Speaker 7 (20:39):
We all have those, and we could all we we
could all go back to our younger selves and.

Speaker 1 (20:43):
Just say we can make some be a little bit
more strategic about the decisions we're making. Yeah, No, I
don't know, you know what, that's a it's a fun thing.

Speaker 7 (20:51):
If I was able to go back, I think, you
know what, I'll tell you one good thing.

Speaker 1 (20:57):
You know.

Speaker 7 (20:57):
I feel like I've always had perspective. I've always known
how lucky I've been, you know, and always had tons
of gratitude. There were some moments early on that like
I feel like I could have done things differently where
I was. It wasn't that I was, you know, like
as for example, I maybe would improvise some some stuff

(21:19):
in a movie and then you know, I'd watch the
movie and it wouldn't make it in there, and I
would be a little bit frustrated and communicate that, and
I wish that I hadn't I understand, like like go
back and say shut your mouth or know what you're doing, Like, yeah,
it's better just stay quiet.

Speaker 1 (21:40):
You know, it's not your movie, you know.

Speaker 7 (21:43):
So there's a couple of those moments that I'm like,
I wish I could have punch myself in the face.

Speaker 1 (21:48):
I think we all have them. What when was the
moment as an actor that you realize like, shit, I
made it, you know, I tell you right.

Speaker 7 (22:00):
Now, Like I was just talking about this too. So
like a year and a half before American.

Speaker 1 (22:06):
Pie, let me see, wasn't a year and a half?
About here?

Speaker 7 (22:11):
About a year and a half, I was working at
Universal City Walk ins and it's, uh, there's a story
called Scientific Revolution selling Glow in the Dark stars and
I was wearing at like a fucking lab coat and
like it's just like telling people to you know, purchase
Bill Nye the science guy puzzles.

Speaker 2 (22:31):
Uh.

Speaker 7 (22:32):
And then a year and a half later, I'm at
Universal City Walk for the American Pie premiere.

Speaker 1 (22:39):
Wow.

Speaker 7 (22:40):
We were getting out of a car and these kids
were coming up to me that they had seen an
earlier screen of the movie and asking for my uh
my signature, and it's like and then we're walking to
the movie and I think like three different screenings at
the same time, and then it just obviously I remember
sitting in the theater being like, well no. On the

(23:01):
way to the theater, I walked by this store that
I was working at, and I think that was the
moment I was like, this is a dream.

Speaker 1 (23:09):
You know. I don't know.

Speaker 7 (23:10):
At point, it was like I don't know how you
could not feel at that moment that you know, yeah,
I don't even just made it. It was just like,
you know, dream them true.

Speaker 1 (23:19):
Yeah, And I had to be surreal. I know for me,
I you know, I've grown up probably much like you.
Movies have always been a shelter for me, you know,
and and TV and music and all. And now, you know,
I was thinking about this the other day. Now I'm
interviewing people that i've love, you know, I love or

(23:40):
have grown up watching or some combination, and I get
paid for it. Somehow. It's like surreal to think about
that this is what I dreamed of as a kid,
and now I'm doing, you know, And it's got to
be the same for you. Like when you're walking by
that store that you were just working in a year before,

(24:00):
and now you're on multiple movie screens at the you know,
the movie theater right there. Like you you had to
be like, what this is weird? This is like crazy? No,
it was. I was the whole thing.

Speaker 7 (24:13):
I remember it so well, and also because I was
able to improvise so much in the movie and as
the other actors did too.

Speaker 1 (24:18):
But to sit in the theater and hear.

Speaker 7 (24:21):
People go insane over something that you just came up with,
and I had no real acting training, And it was
only like a little over three years earlier before or
maybe at that point that I was in Minnesota with
my high school buddies, you know, playing baseball and football,
and not.

Speaker 1 (24:40):
For a second I worked at a movie theater, right.
You know.

Speaker 7 (24:43):
If there's ever a story that's like anything's possible, it's
this one.

Speaker 10 (24:47):
You know.

Speaker 7 (24:48):
Like, by the way, I was gonna ask you when
you interview I was thinking the bummer part of maybe
your experiences if you if you're interviewing.

Speaker 1 (24:56):
Somebody that you liked and you're like, God, what an asshole?

Speaker 7 (25:00):
Yeah, Like that must be such a that it must
be so disappointing if you're like, I'm so excited about
this and you come away from me, you're like, I
think my heart just broke.

Speaker 1 (25:09):
Yeah. Yeah, I've got to say everybody, genuinely, there was
one person who was, uh pop diva slash actor sometimes
that that was. She was very nice, but it was

(25:29):
interesting and lots of demands and that sort of thing,
which is cool, like I'm all I want to make
you comfortable and everything, but the reality ended up she
ended up being like forty five minutes late, and then
came her publicist came and was like, yeah, we only
have time for one question, and I'm like, okay, what
the whole thing was one question which wasn't supposed to

(25:52):
be It was supposed to be like twelve minutes or whatever.
And I'm like, but she was like so late that
then they were and I'm like, what that's really like,
It's exactly it's pointless at this point, you know. And
and that was very frustrating and kind of disappointing with
the whole thing. But in general, everybody has been awesome.

(26:14):
I have not like there's nobody that I've met or
you know, interviewed or whatever that I've been like, damn.
I wish I didn't interview them. So I've been lucky
so so far. You know, I've been doing it for
I guess five years now, and and so I yes,
I will say I've been very lucky. But but that
would break my heart if it happens, you know, would

(26:36):
really break my heart. Yeah, I've never had that.

Speaker 7 (26:39):
I mean, yeah, I'm trying to think if like I've
ever met maybe one time I worked with somebody or
then later I saw them and then like had kind
of a disappointing experience I walked away.

Speaker 1 (26:49):
It's like think I'm like cry.

Speaker 7 (26:51):
Yeah, yeah, but yeah, that's kind of it for bad Man.

Speaker 1 (26:57):
You know, it's I love that it's this mix of
action and and comedy. What drew you to this role?
It's this script.

Speaker 7 (27:09):
I mean it really It's funny because I just this
is a while ago. So I've been attached to this
movie for a while, I think since like like maybe
three years ago. Oh wow, it was just I just
finished the second season of this single camera show called
Welcome to Flatch, you know, comedy, and they also to

(27:33):
get this script him on a plane, and I read,
I'm like, holy.

Speaker 1 (27:37):
Shit, this script is awesome.

Speaker 7 (27:39):
The character is like amazing, and like I said, like
I'm reading things in there and thinking that like, oh,
you know, of course as an actor, I'm like, wow,
there's a lot in here that I haven't had a
chance to do, and you know what a great showcase
kind of role.

Speaker 1 (27:55):
But also the whole script.

Speaker 7 (27:57):
Was fun and so yeah, it was the entire thing.
I mean really was just the script and the character
and the story and you know, all of it. And
then when I got a chance to meet Mike, you know,
I was like, oh, this guy's really exciting.

Speaker 1 (28:10):
He's so smart, and yeah, so this is the whole thing. Really,
I love it. It's such a great watch and I
can't wait for everybody to watch it. Thank you Sean
for speaking with me. I really appreciate it. Yeah, same here.
Appreciate it and you too, and please come back on
for your next project. Well, you know what, we'll set
something up for the Timilon Show. I'll reach out to

(28:33):
my guys. Awesome. Cool. Thanks Sean soon, dude, it's all right, Seawan.
William Scott bad Man is out right now. Make sure
you check it out. It is really great. And Sean,
I promise next time I won't continuously talk to you
about Stiffler and American pie. Probably no promises.

Speaker 11 (29:01):
All right, my fellow lords and ladies, grab your tea,
grab your scones, and grab your tissues, because Downton Abbey
is back one last time for the grand finale.

Speaker 1 (29:14):
That was like a weird accent that like combined multiple
accents at different point in the sentence, So we'll ignore that.
But anyway, it's time for the show that gave us
over a decade of aristocratic drama and Maggie Smith delivering
savage one liners, and now it is taking its final bow.

(29:36):
So first up, I sat down with Joanne Fraggett, who's
played Anna Bates since day one, and Alan Leach, our
beloved Branson who went from chauffeur to Crawley insider. Honestly,
the man had the best career upgrade since Megan Markle.
Here they are Joanne Fraggett and Alan Leach.

Speaker 6 (29:58):
How you guys doing, Thank you, I'm doing well, Thank you.
Congratulations on the film. How are you guys feeling now
at this point, this is the grand finale, It's hitten.

Speaker 1 (30:11):
Home, you know, this is the end.

Speaker 10 (30:12):
We're coming to the end of the press tour now
and we always said even when we finished filming, you know,
just trying to delay the onslaught of heavy sobbing and
emotion that we've said, oh i'll see on the press tour.
Of course this isn't goodbye, And now it is, you know,
and I don't think I'm certainly not emotionally prepared for it.

Speaker 12 (30:30):
No, it's actually hitting me a bit today. I mean
when I first saw the when I first saw the film,
I you know, I sobbed. I sobbed at the end.
I didn't expect to be that emotional, but it was
such a beautiful ending, and it's sort of happy tears
of such a love letter actually to the last fifteen
years and to the fans. But today it does feel

(30:53):
like this is our last actual junket, and yesterday was
our last red carpet, our last premiere, and so it's
starting to sink in and it's going to I think
the very last thing in a couple of days after that,
when I get home is going to be like, oh wow,
it's really it's really over.

Speaker 10 (31:10):
It's like a very public breakup after a senior relationship.

Speaker 1 (31:15):
Yeah yeah, but a.

Speaker 5 (31:16):
Very nice breaker.

Speaker 10 (31:17):
Oh no, Yeah, we'll definitely stay in touch and I
will go parent with you.

Speaker 1 (31:22):
I'll co parent you.

Speaker 5 (31:22):
Bonneville, So absolutely, absolutely.

Speaker 1 (31:26):
So Anna and Tom. They both started out, you know,
kind of as outsiders in their own way, one downstairs
and one you know, brought in by marriage. How do
you feel that their journey is from the beginning until
the grand finale, do you feel that they've come full circle?

Speaker 5 (31:49):
Yes?

Speaker 12 (31:51):
I do, I really do.

Speaker 3 (31:52):
I know.

Speaker 12 (31:52):
It started out as a single young woman in service,
and she was quite quickly promoted to ladies maid, and
then she fell in love, and a myriad of things
happened in between, and now she and mister Bates are
sort of all grown up and have their family, and
she's pregnant with their second child, and it really is,

(32:13):
you know, sort of full circle moment. And I was
also I was pregnant during filming, which is why Anna
is pregnant. So it was a wonderful way to finish
Anna's story sort of personally and professionally.

Speaker 1 (32:27):
I love that. How about for you, Alan.

Speaker 10 (32:29):
I would describe it a bit not right full circle,
but a circle drawn by my three year old daughter.
So it's not quite perfect. It definitely takes some diversions,
but it does get there in the end. And I
kind of feel that about Tom. He's been on such
an incredible journey, and I do feel that what Julian's
done in this is bringing him back and put a

(32:49):
lovely full stop on his story, and he's certainly finally
found his place, which is lovely.

Speaker 1 (32:57):
I love that love. I love it for both of you.
So you know, people are going to be really happy
with this. You have to be careful. I feel like,
you know, for fifteen years with such like kind of
you know, people feel so passionate about it, and I
think that this does it perfectly. So congratulations to both
of you.

Speaker 5 (33:15):
Thank you very much, Thank you so much.

Speaker 1 (33:17):
Thank you every great day. Joanne Fraggett and Ellen Lee.
And of course you can't close out Downton without Lord
Grantham himself, so I chat with Hugh Bonaville, who's been
the rock of this series as Robert Crowley, and Kevin
Doyle who plays the very loyal Molesley. These guys have

(33:39):
been a part of the Downton DNA since day one,
so I had to close out our Downton Abbey the
grand finale segment with them. Here they are Hugh Bonaville,
and Kevin Doyle. Thank you both for joining me. I
really appreciate it. You're welcome.

Speaker 13 (33:57):
Nice to see you.

Speaker 1 (33:59):
Nice to see you. So, first of all, congratulations on
the film and the series. Your characters couldn't do it
be more different. Yet they've each given us some poignant
and hilarious moments you know throughout. How does the grand
finale kind of honor those contrasts?

Speaker 13 (34:21):
Well, I think we all have our moment in the sun,
so to speak. Junior Fellows has done a masterful job
of bringing beloved characters to a point at which the
audience is ready but not ready to say goodbye, or rather,
we are going to say goodbye whether they like it
or not. But there are moments, as with all the
episodes and films, I think one of the great allmarks

(34:44):
of the show is it can go from broad slapstick
comedy in one moment to sort of pin drop emotion
in the next. And this iteration is very true. There's
some glorious comedic stuff that I think we both enjoyed playing,
but shot through with with with a sense of looking
back on the past, as as the baton has passed

(35:06):
on to the next generation.

Speaker 1 (35:08):
Mm hmm.

Speaker 14 (35:09):
How about for you, Kevin, Well, it's it's been a
gift and it's uh, yeah, it's it's been lovely and
uh and I've loved that that mixture of of comedy
and uh and and drama, and Julian has has has
been able to do that astonishingly for fifteen years. So

(35:33):
it's been it's been lovely to have gone on that
journey with all of these wonderful actors.

Speaker 1 (35:39):
Did you you know, Hugh Robert has always kind of
been the anchor for for the family and and Kevin
mostly has been one of the shows, really kind of underdogs.
Did you both feel that your character's got a fitting ending?
For you know, having played them for so long.

Speaker 13 (36:02):
I certainly felt that Robert's ending was appropriate. It's a
strange concept to be born, to know from birth that
your destiny is to do one job, and that is
to conserve the furniture and the estate to the best
of your ability for the next generation. And then to
have to come to terms with handing that on, perhaps

(36:24):
even before one's time, is a big step. And I
enjoyed very much the way that Julian Fellows wrote the tussle,
the internal tussle, and the outbursts of inexplicable outbursts of
perhaps anger and frustration, which you begin to understand quite
quickly really to do with having to come to terms
with moving on. So it felt a very well drawn

(36:47):
end of an era for a character like Robert.

Speaker 4 (36:49):
Yeah.

Speaker 14 (36:50):
And as for Molesley, I think he deserved a happy
ending and he gets one. He's had a lot to
to go through in his life and it's been ups
and downs, and as I say, I think he deserved
a suitably good ending with the love of a good

(37:11):
woman as well.

Speaker 1 (37:12):
I love that. Thank you both so much. Congratulations and
all the success, and I know that the Grand Finale
will be just as successful. Thank you both, Thank you too,
all the best, have a great day. Du Bona Villa
and Kevin Doyle. I still can't believe they let me
into Downton without making me wash dishes, although you know,

(37:35):
with my drag record, I would have broken the good
china in about four seconds. Downton Abbey. The Grand Finale
is out right now, so bring tissues, lots of them,
or at least don't make the mistake I did and
watch it without tissues, because there's nothing like ugly crying
in a theater while all your neighbors pretend not to notice.

(37:55):
All right, that's a wrap for this episode of Pop
Culture Weekly, Huge Thing thanks to Leo Sutter, Sophia Barclay,
Tim Blake Nelson, Shawn William Scott, Joe Aanne Fraggett, Alan Leech,
Hugh Bonaville, and Kevin Doyle. Basically every cool person alive
came on this show, and you came too, So thank you.
I appreciate you. Don't forget to subscribe, leave a review,

(38:17):
and tell your friends that pop Culture Weekly is where
all the cool kids are at Until next time. I'm
Kyle McMahon, and yes, maybe I did actually shed a
tear over Downton, but in a very dignified British way.
All Right, see you next week. I love you, We.

Speaker 2 (38:36):
Thank you for listening to pop Culture Weekly. Here all
the latest at Popcultureweekly dot com.

Speaker 8 (38:48):
Downton Downtony, the place where we're upstairs. Downstairs. You could
be your servant, you could be rich. It doesn't matter,
because everyone's abide