Actor Matthew Goode, who portrays Henry Talbot in Seasons 5 and 6 of the ITV/PBS series Downton Abbey and the 2019 sequel of the same name, has spoken about the reasons behind his absence from the upcoming Downton Abbey 3. Notably, he wasn’t part of the cast of 2022’s Downton Abbey: A New Era either.

Matthew Goode explains why he’s not in Downton Abbey 3

Goode confirmed that he was not part of the cast of Downton Abbey: The Grand Finale during an interview with the Radio Times magazine. He explained that his absence was due to his commitment to the production of Netflix’s Department Q, which premieres on May 29, 2025, and a knee surgery.

“I was unavailable for the second because I was doing The Offer [Paramount+ miniseries]. Then [for the third] I was shooting this [Department Q],” Goode explained. “But I also buggered my knee, and I had to have an operation.”

Goode noted that a surgery like that “takes weeks to get over, so I was never going to be able to do it.” He added that Talbot’s absence might ultimately be a “good thing” for the overall story. He said, “And let’s face it, he was edging towards becoming a bit of a wet lettuce. So maybe it’s a good thing.”

Downton Abbey premiered on September 26, 2010, and aired for six seasons before concluding on December 25, 2015. The first sequel premiered at the Odeon Luxe Leicester Square on September 9, 2019, before releasing in the UK on September 13, 2019, and in the US on September 20, 2019.

A New Era premiered at the same location as the first one, on April 25, 2022, and came out in the UK on April 29 and in the US on May 20. The Grand Finale is slated to release on September 12, 2025.

Goode’s character, Henry Talbot, is the husband of Lady Mary Talbot née Crawley, portrayed by Michelle Dockery in all entries in the franchise.