It was difficult for "Downton Abbey" star Michelle Dockery to say goodbye to the series; after all, she has played one of its lead stars Lady Mary for six years already.
In fact, the moment that the director said, "And that's a wrap" on their final episode, Dockery felt heartbroken.
"It was terribly emotional. After six years I felt sick leading up to the final take... It was such a mixture of emotion," she told the Mirror UK.
Still, Dockery feels grateful that she got to film the last scene with her favorite people and characters.
"My last scene was below stairs, which was really poignant for me. I was with Jim Carter (Mr. Carson), Phyllis Logan (Mrs. Hughes) and Hugh Bonneville (Earl of Grantham). It was such a lovely way to end it, particularly with Jim. I liked it that Mary and Carson had their final moment together," she said.
For all six seasons, "Downton Abbey" was filmed on the magnificent Highclere Castle, and the place has felt like home to the stars that they had a difficult time leaving even after the show wrapped up.
"Laura Carmichael, who plays Lady Edith, and I wandered around for the last time, we didn't want to go home. We sat on Matthew's bench and had a bit of a cry. We've grown up together, in a way," she shared.
Looking back on all the episodes they have done, Dockery cannot find a single scene that she prizes above all others. However, she cannot deny the magic of the scenes she filmed with Dan Stevens, who portrayed Lady Mary's late husband Matthew Crawley.
She said that being at the train station with Matthew in season two was particularly special for her, not to mention "the proposal at the end of that series."
"There are many scenes with Maggie Smith, Jim Carter and Laura Carmichael, too, I love them all," she said.
Even though her catty scenes with Lady Edith always made audiences cringe, Dockery said that they actually loved their on-screen sibling rivalry.
"We were elated when we read a page and it was a stand-off between Mary and Edith - it's more fun for us to play. We've always got a bit bored when they're nice to each other," she admitted.
There were also a couple of times Dockery considered quitting the show, especially since Stevens left the show as well. However, something always held her back.
"There was a time after series three where I thought that was my time to go. But I couldn't bear the idea of watching the show and not being a part of it, so that was my decision made for me," she said.
