Downton star Phyllis Logan is threatening to take her family on a busman’s holiday on Christmas Day after warning a version of Cluedo inspired by the period drama might feature.
She said: “We’re doing a secret Santa with the family. Perhaps I’ll get them the Downton version of Cluedo. I’m a character in that!
“There’s no murderer in that version – there’s been a theft and you have to work out who the culprit is. It’s very Downton.”
The actress, who plays housekeeper Mrs Hughes in the ITV drama, has been busy enlisting her colleagues for a charity drive in aid of charity Hearts & Minds, the clown doctors raising spirits in hospitals and care homes – virtually during the pandemic – “one smile at a time”, as their slogan puts it.
And Downton Abbey’s cast are preparing to deliver a Christmas message to big-hearted Scots who donate to the appeal, with Hugh Bonneville, Jim Carter, Imelda Staunton, Elizabeth McGovern, Michelle Dockery, Laura Carmichael and Lesley Nicol all signed up. All those donating to the Edinburgh-based charity’s appeal will be entered into a raffle to for a chance to receive a message from the Downton stars. Phyllis thanked her castmates for answering her call for help.
“Hearts & Minds came to me and asked would I be happy to give a message to the winner of the draw and I said yes, of course. Then they said, perhaps you may know of somebody else who might get involved?
© Geoff Pugh/Shutterstock“There are a bunch of people with whom I’m still very much in touch – the Downton people. And so I just put a little bugle call, and they all came rallying.
“I was delighted, touched and moved by their great support and immediate yes to the whole thing.”
Phyllis singled out Hugh Bonneville, who plays Lord Grantham in Downton, for coming to her aid. Hugh’s been great, he’s been on Twitter and Instagram announcing it and promoting it,” she said. “He’s helped out Hearts & Minds with some things to help them promote it. He’s been marvellous. Hugh’s a very good man, he’s lovely.”
Hearts & Minds cheer up young and old patients and their Christmas appeal is specifically to help fund their Elderflowers, who work to bring laughter to dementia patients and carers. It’s a cause close to Phyllis’s heart after her mum and mother-in-law were affected by dementia.
“My mum hadn’t had a diagnosis of dementia or Alzheimer’s, but my mother-in-law did,” she explained. “She had quite severe Alzheimer’s and died in 2009. My mother was a wee bit ill and was showing signs of mental impairment. I’m sure had she lived beyond 90, when she died, she probably would have displayed more pronounced aspects of dementia.
© Focus Features/Kobal/Shutterstoc“She was certainly probably heading in that direction and I just thought it’s such a cruel way of losing a parent.
“My husband used to said that his mum was just the husk of the woman she was. She was housing herself in her body but it wasn’t his mum any more. It’s just a desperately and terribly sad way to see your parents diminish.”
Phyllis is currently working on the second series of BBC Scotland’s comedy thriller series Guilt, where she’s getting used to working on a socially-distanced set.
“I’ve just done my costumes. It all feels very safe. We get tested twice a week and we have to have our temperature checked before we go on set. When you’re not filming you have to wear a mask.
“I’m lucky as the crew have to wear masks all day, at least I get the chance to take mine off. It’s all going according to plan so far.”
Over the past few months Phyllis, 64, has been adapting to life during the pandemic, although the second lockdown, she admitted, had been a struggle.
“I remember everybody saying this would be awful if it had been happening in the winter, and here we are, back to square one again,” she said. “I’m just over it by now.”
Asked what she has been filling her time with during lockdown, she said: “I have been watching The Crown but I’m not a huge box-set person. I wish I was. I’ve been doing crosswords and reading books. I haven’t become a champion knitter or seamstress like some people.
“Apart from becoming a bit of a couch potato, not much! The first lockdown was OK in a sense because it was unusual. You just adapted to it and did jigsaws and played board games. And you were cooped up eating nice dinners and drinking cocktails, putting on weight.”
Movie industry insiders believe a sequel to last year’s Downton Abbey movie is imminent, although Phyllis is staying tight-lipped.
“There could possibly be,” she laughed. “With the pandemic we’ve had to think about whether it’s possible. But it’s not been discounted by any stretch of the imagination. So we can only keep our fingers crossed. I’m being very cagey, I’m not sure what one is allowed to say about these things. Let’s just say, ‘watch this space…’”
To support Hearts & Minds Elderflowers Christmas Appeal people should visit the Hearts & Minds Christmas Appeal page: tinyurl.com/yxcoct38
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