Is another key character leaving 'Downton Abbey'?

 "Downton Abbey"

Credit: PBS

So, fast on the heels of Sybil and Matthew's exit, another character is leaving the hallowed halls of "Downton Abbey." Of course, don't click through unless you're prepared for yes, a spoiler. So, remember, here's your SPOILER ALERT!

Siobhan Finneran, who plays the manipulative, crafty O'Brien, has confirmed to the Huffington Post U.K. she won't be back for season 4. "I'm not doing it any more," she said. "O'Brien is a thoroughly despicable human being -- that was great to play." 

The good news? O'Brien, unlike Dan Stevens (Matthew) and Sybil (Jessica Brown Findlay) isn't likely to die, leaving the door open for her return (or at least a visit). Not that so many viewers will mind too much if she goes away permanently. "I've always carried around with me [the idea that] something has happened to her to make her be the nasty piece of work that she can be," she told HuffPost in Jan. 2012. "She's worked since she was probably 14 or 15 years old, and has basically sacrificed her entire life to somebody else, for the good of their life and their home -- it's no wonder that she would get frustrated or angry about things." 

There are also other changes afoot on the show, however. According to The Sun, the British drama will get its first black character in the fourth season. The British news site said the show is searching for a young, handsome black actor to portray Jack Ross, a 1920s-era jazz musician who sings “brilliantly” and oozes “charm and charisma.” 

What do you think about the changes coming for season 4?

Liane Bonin Starr
Sr. Editor

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Liane Bonin Starr is an author, screenwriter and former writer for EW.com. Her byline has appeared in the Los Angeles Times, Variety and a lot of other places. Her last book was called "a scandalously catty, guilty pleasure" by Jane magazine. Expect the same from Starr Raving.