She hints at a bit of admiration for his late wife, describing her as "unique" and "free from prejudice" and "narrow-thinking". At first he is worried that he will be made to leave without a reference, but is cheered by Sybil's address of the two of them as 'us'. Then she tried to finalize her social climb by insisting he marry her because she was pregnant. Mrs Hughes is somewhat of a mother figure to Tom. I FaceTimed home on the way to the Oscars and my dad was like, Just take a moment and remember the kid who wanted to be an actor at age 11 and youre headed to that awards ceremony now. Being a kid from Dublin you watch the Oscars you dont think youre going to be going to them., He pauses, considering the question again. While many of the beloved characters earned their happy endings, his character, Tom Branson . The turning point comes when Tom, after a bitter argument between Robert and the rest of the family over how the estate is to be run in the future, convinces Robert to join him and Matthew in their efforts to modernize the management of Downton. He tells her she'll despise him if he did. Tom returned to Downton from Boston after deciding that raising his daughter Sybbie away from her family was a bad idea. Eventually he did start wearing evening clothes, admitting in 1921 that he stopped wanting to talk about his clothing during every dinner. Elsewhere, movie star Guy Dexter (Dominic West) takes a shine to Downton butler Thomas Barrow (Robert James-Collier). Im very grateful to Julian for giving me the opportunity.. Cue lavish summer soires, speedboat rides, newcomer Laura Haddock strutting out of a car in a fur-trimmed cape, and footage of widower Tom Branson (Allen Leech) marrying maid Lucy Smith (Tuppence Middleton) in a joyous ceremony. He unlike her father, fully supports her in her decision to take on her new found role in helping to run the estate. Sybil and Tom married sometime between April and December 1919 They are mentioned by the family as being married and living in Ireland. And then for them to sit down in that scene, and her to say, don't forget who you are and where you've come from. Watch: The Downton Abbey movie trailer. Tom walked into a corner as Mary and Edith said their goodbyes to their youngest sister, and then left the room to let Tom say goodbye in private. He is also brother-in-law to Matthew Crawley, Mary Talbot, Edith Pelham, Henry Talbot, and Herbert Pelham; and through them he has two nephews, George Crawley and Peter Pelham, and two nieces, Marigold (last name could be Crawley/Gregson/Drewe) and Caroline Talbot. He defends Tom whenever the family are tough on him, saying that they are to be brothers-in-law and they should stick together because not only do they both have high minded Crawley wives, they both feel that they are outsiders in the aristocratic Crawley family, Matthew being an upper middle-class man and Tom being of working-class origins, and that they have to adjust to some extent while staying true to their beliefs and keeping their identity. When Leech originally auditioned, Downton Abbey creator Julian Fellowes had written the character as a chauffeur from Yorkshire named John Branson. Edith Violet Pelham, Marchioness of Hexham (ne Crawley; b. Even in early episodes, Violet would fret over the legacy she was leaving behind. He initially read for the part of Jim Hutton, a much smaller role, and producer Denis OSullivan suggested the filmmakers look at him for the villainous Prenter instead. He saw Rami Malek and Lucy Boynton the night before this interview, in fact, when they went for drinks at the London Edition. Manage all your favorite fandoms in one place! Write to Eliana Dockterman at eliana.dockterman@time.com. Lord Grantham, Tom and Matthew, do the best they can do for the family and the estate. However, towards the end of the film, Molesley finally feels he has a reliable enough income to ask Miss Baxter after he is hired as a screenwriter by Jack Barber. Later, after Sarah helps Daisy Mason with mathematical studies, Tom walks Sarah to the car. The new outing sees Violet Crawley, Dowager Countess of Grantham (Dame Maggie Smith) come into possession of a luxury villa in the South of France. Despite suspicions that Robert could be the lovechild of Violet and Montmirail - including from the current Marquis de Montmirail - it is revealed that Robert is not. Tom appears to be well-read and loves reading. Instead, he signed his first long contract with the show.I thought I was gone, the actor says. Still, Violet would like to keep the villa and gift it to Sybbie, the child of Tom Branson and the now-dead Sybil Crawley. Los Angeles, He put $40,000 on credit cards to make his first film. By 1921 they form a closer relationship when both stay behind when the rest of the Crawleys go to Duneagle, they have dinner together and talk about Tom's new role as manager of Downton. Bored of her life now that she is back in the same old routine that she was stuck in before the war. Tom later remarks to Mary that he was glad he took her advice, because he is feeling better. When a letter from Matthew is found stating that he wants Mary to be his sole heiress, Tom defends the letter and tries to make sure Matthew's last wishes are heard. The chauffeur-turned-estate-agent surrendered most of his agent duties to Mary, who had them well in hand, and opened up a car shop with his brother-in-law Henry Talbot. Matthew Crawley also agreed with Grey's father, and to show his solidarity with Tom, announced that he wanted Tom to be his best man at his wedding, much to the delight of Sybil, Mary, and Isobel, though it was a bit of a shock for Robert and Carson. Fortunately, Crawley family friend and Lady Edith'sthen love interest Anthony Strallan informed everyone that he saw Grey putting something in Tom's drink just before they went into the dining room. Robert and Tom begin to bond when Tom agrees to play in a cricket match, which he has never played, under Roberts captaincy. The nanny was caught by Cora being cruel to Sybbie because her father had been a chauffeur. His father-in-law thanked Tom for helping them, and the following day, he stood at Matthew's side in the church as best man. Branson refuses, and finally Robert gives Sybil his blessing to travel to Ireland and marry. Laughing, she says that that sounds more like something he would say. Starting off as a firmly principled member of the working class at the outset . Sybil finds Branson in order to tell him that Mary knows about them. I felt Tom Branson was the only one we hadnt really settled in the series, Fellowes explains. 1892) is the second daughter of Robert and Cora Crawley, sister of Lady Mary Talbot and the late Lady Sybil Branson, granddaughter of Violet Crawley, sister-in-law of Tom Branson, Henry Talbot, and the late Matthew Crawley, and the aunt to her nephew, George Crawley and her nieces, Sybbie Branson and Caroline Talbot. Subscribe now to get each issue delivered to your door, and for more from the biggest stars in TV, listen to the Radio Times podcast with Jane Garvey. That was one of the greatest and will be one of the greatest experiences I think Ill ever have as an actor.. Julian Fellowes, the creator of Downton Abbey, has clearly been preparing for Maggie Smiths departure from the series for quite some time. I felt that there was a lot left open for him, says Leech, sitting in a hotel suite in Londons Corinthia Hotel ahead of the premiere of the long-anticipated Downton Abbey film. Fellowes and the producers determined to keep him on, eventually marrying Branson and Sybil. Robert was then asked to intervene on Tom's behalf. But glaring gaps remain. Both men clashed over this matter butTom rhetorically got the better of Robert when he rejected Roberts offer of a bribe to leave Sybil and instead pointed outthat Sybil had chosen him instead of having been seduced by him as Robert had claimed. The following morning, Tom was with Mary in Sybil's room, where her body was laid out, when Edith informed them that the funeral directors had arrived to take away Sybil's body, to which Mary emphasized to Tom that they had to let them take her, even though it would be very hard for them to let Sybil go. Nevertheless, he does not consider himself one of the aristocracy. Towards the end of the film, Lucy reveals to Tom that she is pregnant with their child. Branson is very political, and once he discovered that Sybil is too, he sets out to increase her interest. The chauffeur-turned-estate-agent surrendered most of his agent duties to Mary, who had them well in hand, and opened up a car shop with his brother-in-law Henry Talbot. When Brown Findlay asked to leave the show at the end of Season 3, Leech was sure hed be done too. You can unsubscribe at any time. Matthew began to include Tom in his plans for Downton, in which Tom surprised him withsome knowledge about business and land. And I think thats an important thing as an actor. . It is clear that even years later, he never truly recovered from Sybil's death. Early in the film, Violet finds out that she inherited a villa in the South of France from an old paramour, but the mans widow is contesting the inheritance. He reveals that his grandfather was a tenant farmer in Galway, specializing in Blackface sheep. I really do not see the love or romance between Sybil Crawley and Tom Branson. Lady Edith (Laura Carmichael) decides that while she loves her home and family with the Earl of Wrexham (Harry Hadden-Paton), she decides to once again pursue her career in journalism, starting with an article on the celebrities visiting the French Riviera. I blame the war; before 1914 nobody thought of anything at all.Violet Crawley. However, Cora and Violet are very much concerned with how Sybbie will grow up away from Downton and to keep both Tom and Sybbie at Downtown, they convince Robert to make Tom the land agent. Sybil was not yet 21 so couldn't marry Tom in England. Who is the most popular character on Downton Abbey? Perhaps Fellowes was hedging his bets in case Smith did not agree to return for the sequel. Unfortunately, Mary doesn't want to hear what he has to say, so he turns to Mr. Carson to help talk some sense into her, which also fails. Leech credits Downton Abbey with helping to push him into the spotlight, although hes reluctant to call any of his success as an actor fame. He began getting recognized on the London Tube during Season 3, but not to a degree where hes ever stopped taking public transportation. After developing a connection with the gay actor Guy Dexter (Dominic West), Mr Barrow is offered the chance to live as the actor's live-in companion and assistant as he travels the world as a movie star but is based primarily in Hollywood. Every man or woman who marries into this house, every child born into it, has to put their gifts at the family's disposal.to Robert Crawley. Edna quickly leaves. For more, check out our dedicated Movies page or our full TV Guide. He tried to force her away, and got angry when shebrought up hismarriage to try to justify herself. Sarah encourages him to feel that he can be the same man again who encouraged Sybil to run for freedom. Sybbie and George grow up together in the same nursery and share a nanny. I wanted to do something with that., When I first read it I kept going back going, Am I actually doing all of that? Leech laughs. In the following month, Tom sends a letter to Lady Mary containing the following: "I dreamt last night that I was in the park at Downton walking with Sybbie under the great trees, listening to the pigeons cooing in the branches, and when I woke my eyes were filled with tears.". And I may not have long to live, she tells her granddaughter Lady Mary (Michelle Dockery) in the first film. He named her after his wife so he could remember her whenever he looked at Sybbie. 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