With the final season of drama series "Downton Abbey" airing in the United Kingdom, Golden Globe actress Joanne Froggatt recently revealed her views on one of the show's most controversial moments where her character Anna Bates is raped.
Having just completed filming on the final season of the British period drama Froggatt told The Telegraph she welcomes the busy schedule of rehearsals for her new ITV dram "Dark Angel" as it does not leave time to recall her "Downton" days. She added "There is an element of grieving, so it's good to start on something else because I don't have much time to think about it."
The "Still Life" actress' new venture is a two part drama where she plays the role of the United Kingdom's first known serial killer Mary Ann Cotton who is reported to have killed 21 people during the mid-1800s.
Having been in the acting business for more than two decades Froggatt has played a gamut of wide ranging character from a troubled teenager, to a sister of a serial killer in "See No Evil" to a single mother in "Coronation Street." However, the role that has put her on the map to stardom has been her portrayal of the kind soul of Anna Bates, lady's maid to Lady Mary Crawley at Downton.
During the interview, Froggatt said what she loved about playing Anna was that she felt the character was "most like me," she says adding that her on-screen marriage with Mr. Bates is a relationship that viewers really care about owing to the portrayal of the love that the two share to be genuine.
The actress added that it is this sentiment that caused outrage amongst viewers when her character is brutally raped in the show's most controversial episode. She said the atmosphere on set during the filming of the scenes was quiet adding that "I think everyone was quite affected by it. All the crew and everybody came up to me afterward and said, are you all right?"
While viewers slammed the show for its airing of "explicit sexual violence" writer of the show Julian Fellowes defended the scene. Froggatt said she knew it would be controversial but never expected the extent to which it would raise issues with the show.
Froggatt openly revealed during the interview that she did not get caught up in the hype over the scene because she felt it was not something to engage in saying she is an actor and has to play the scenes handed to her.
Meanwhile, the actress during an interview with E Online hinted at a bit of tragedy to take place in the show's final season. She said not many fans will be happy at the point at which certain characters will be left but Frogatt said she is "excited to see how it will go down."
The final season of "Downton Abbey" has begun airing on ITV1 in Britain while viewers in the United States will have to wait until Jan. 2016 to catch a glimpse of the show's grand finale.