Dame Maggie Smith is reportedly leaving Downton Abbey after the hit PBS show's upcoming third season, according to The Daily Mail.

The Oscar winner, 77, has asked to leave the show and her character, fan favorite the Dowager Countess, will be written out. A source tells the newspaper that Smith is leaving because she wants to end on a high note and wants room to do theater and film projects. The source says that Smith will stay on for all of Season 3 and the subsequent Christmas special. Season 3 is filming now in England and is set to premiere in the fall.

Downton boss Julian Fellowes has not yet completed Dowager Countess' storyline, but the source says that her character will likely come down with a fatal illness. Executive producer Rebecca Eaton told the Orlando Sentinel earlier this month that someone "pretty key in the cast" will die in Season 3, which will also see the introduction of new cast member Shirley MacLaine.

A spokesman for the show refused to confirm The Daily Mail's report. "Carnival Films don't ever comment on future story lines."

滬江娛樂(lè)快訊：在《唐頓莊園》(Downton Abby) 中飾演Violet Cawley的瑪吉·史密斯 (Maggie Smith) 或于第三季后離開(kāi)該劇。報(bào)道稱她已向編劇要求將其角色在第三季做個(gè)收尾。這位奧斯卡影后主動(dòng)要求離開(kāi)該劇，而她的角色也即將從劇本中被寫(xiě)走。有消息稱Maggie選擇離開(kāi)是因?yàn)樗敫哒{(diào)退場(chǎng)，同時(shí)也是為了給其他戲劇或電影的參演留下空間。消息還透露說(shuō)她仍將出演第三季全季以及隨后的圣誕節(jié)特集。目前該劇第三季正在英格蘭開(kāi)拍，預(yù)計(jì)今秋首播。