She may be the hardest working cook in the castle. But Sophie McShera, who plays Daisy, “Downton Abbey”’s scrappy kitchen maid turned assistant cook, says that in real life, she wouldn’t know a spatula from a serrated knife.
“I’m rubbish,” says McShera, who looks at least 10 years younger than her 29 years and 10 times as pretty as they allow her to be on the show.
But coming from a large Irish family, McShera has figured out a way to hold her own. Funny, forthright, college-educated and very girly, the West Yorkshire native sits in a special events room at LA’s Beverly Hilton Hotel to do publicity for the Emmy-winning show’s fourth season, reveling in the fact that — unlike Daisy, who is confined to lifeless dresses and stiff aprons — she can wear makeup and high heels.
McShera has been acting since the age of 12 on British soaps and drama series. This year, she’ll start shooting Disney’s feature film, “Cinderella,” playing one of the evil stepsisters.
But for now, it’s all about “Downton” and surviving the back-breaking labor required of the downstairs help. McShera is grateful that at least she can put the chore of cleaning the castle’s fireplaces behind her. “You think, ‘Oh my God, she did this from dusk till dawn,’ ” says McShera. “The hours are inconceivable. And I’m such a wimp. I’m not sure I’d cope.”
Are you not allowed to wear makeup on the show?
We don’t get much help on “Downton.” It’s more like a tiny bit of airbrush. It’s about making you look the same, instead of remotely attractive. I’ll always say: “Can I have a little eyeliner today?” [The answer is always] No!! You can’t wear blusher. It’s gotten better, actually, because I’m the assistant cook. So I’m not as dirty. As the scullery maid, I had all this dirt under my nails. But now that I’m a career woman, I keep myself a bit better.
Were you worried about losing Dan Stevens (who portrayed Matthew Crawley)?
Yeah. And it was shocking, wasn’t it? I was just talking to a friend about “Game of Thrones,” and they kill someone every week. It was really sad. But it’s brilliant in what it’s opened up — the tragedy for Lady Mary. That’s so interesting to watch.
How did you react to Lady Sybil’s death?
We all cried. Jim Carter said that, even being involved in the scene, he couldn’t watch it. I was watching it with my housemates and I live with Zoe Boyle, who played Lavinia, and even though we knew it was coming, it was really sad.
Were you afraid Matthew’s death would be the end of ‘Downton Abbey’?
It’s always different to come back and have someone missing. But less for me, because I never worked with them. I was downstairs. It would be more evident [to the] upstairs [cast]. And it’s not like he’s dead to me in real life. I still see him. Me and Rose [Leslie, who played Gwen season one] bumped into him in a cafe in Notting Hill, and he looked really different because for “Downton” he’d dyed his hair [blonde]. And then I saw those twinkling eyes and it was like, Dan!
Are you a good cook?
I’m really good at pretending. Lesley [Nicol] was rolling pastry once and she was doing it all wrong. And so they changed it. We do a lot of seasoning and tasting. And now I can boss people around, because I’m assistant cook. I got a bit carried away, because I do background. And I was being a bit bossy with a maid who had come in to collect something, and Alastair Bruce, the historical expert, said, “You’re not allowed to be bossy with her.”
What percentage of time do you work in Ealing Studios instead of Highclere Castle?
Ninety percent in the studio. We do all our work at Ealing. We’re very professional, but we are a bit rowdy. We’re like a big, stupid family.
What has been your favorite scene so far from “Downton Abbey”?
When Mrs. Patmore [Lesley Nicol] is trying to tell Daisy that Thomas [Rob James-Collier] is gay. That was my audition scene. And I just thought it was indicative of their relationship. It was like talking to a brick wall, and I thought it was really funny.
Do you have a crush on Rob James-Collier in real life?
No, and Rob tells us off in real life, because he’s like the funniest person on set. He’s hilarious. He’s always telling us, “You try being gay in Edwardian times!”