Maggie Smith has played the role of Violet Crawley since 2010 It seems that fans need not worry just yet, as it's certainly a possibility that Maggie will reprise her role for the second instalment. Julian Fellowes, the writer and creator behind the period drama, previously discussed whether the Dowager would return, and whether her last words were an implication of her death. The writer assured in an interview with Empire last year: "We should remember that at the end of the film, Maggie was by no means dead." However, Julian also hinted that the decision was yet to be made: "You imagine Violet is on her way out, but that decision hasn't been reached."