Dame Maggie Smith, famous at 80 as the Dowager Countess of Grantham in Downton Abbey says she plans to leave at the end of this year's upcoming season which will be the 6th series of the Carnival Films produced drama.
She also revealed she is not a fan of selfies.
In an interview with Britain's Sunday Times, Maggie Smith said the 6th season of Downton Abbey will be her last, irrespective of whether Downton Abbey - rumoured to end soon - continues beyond the next season.
Pressure is mounting on Downton Abbey creator and writer Julian Fellowes to end the show so that he can start writing his new American drama The Gilded Age for America's NBC TV network.
While the broadcast of the 5th season of Downton Abbey has concluded worldwide, South African viewers left far behind will finally see some new episodes again.
BBC Worldwide will start the 4th season of Downton Abbey on 12 April on BBC Entertainment (DStv 120), with no word on when the 5th season will be shown.
Maggie Smith, one of the most popular characters from the period drama who've won two Emmys and a Golden Globe for her role, told Britain's Sunday Times that "I can't see how it could go on," saying, "I mean, I certainly can't keep going ... To my knowledge I must be 110 by now. We're into the late 1920s."
Maggie Smith says she doesn't like selfies and posing for photos with fans - and doesn't like the global fame which came with the popular character.
"One isn't safe after doing Downton. What's sad is I've gone through my whole life without any of that. I could go round galleries and things on my own and I just can't do it now. If someone decides to get at you, you can't get away."
"What's awful is it used to be just autographs, but now everyone wants photographs."
"You begin to feel like all those people who believed photographs took the soul away. There's nothing like privacy, but nobody will have that soon. Nobody's private any more."
