Actor Dan Stevens reveals the real reason he left Downton Abbey

Dan Stevens left Downton Abbey after his character was dramatically killed off in a car crash in 2012, leaving fans heartbroken. 

And the 38-year-old actor has now revealed the real reason he left the British series, on which he starred as aristocrat Matthew Crawley.

He told The Australian newspaper on Thursday he quit because he wanted more ‘variety’ in his work and was worried about being ‘typecast’.

Downton Abbey’s Dan Stevens, 38, (pictured) has revealed the real reason he left the hit series in 2012 – after confessing he spent years apologising to fans for it afterwards; here 2020

Dan did clarify, however, that he was prepared to play another male romantic lead.   

‘I try not to be resistant to too many things,’ he said, while promoting his new German language film I’m Your Man. 

‘I think it’s more about when interesting roles come along, really. The challenges of this role as Tom [in I’m Your Man] were so many that I wasn’t really thinking about it as another romantic lead,’ he added.

Classic: ‘I think it’s more about when interesting roles come along, really. The challenges of this role as Tom were so many that I wasn’t really thinking about it as another romantic lead,’ he added. Pictured here in Downton Abbey

‘I’m Your Man was actually a really exciting and challenging project.’ 

Dan admitted in a 2017 interview that he was still apologising for his beloved character’s exit from Downton Abbey in 2012. 

Viewers were left distraught when the heart-throb was killed off in a shocking car crash – with many saying it ruined their Christmas.   

Starring role: ‘I’m Your Man was actually a really exciting and challenging project,’ Dan said; seen here in I’m Your Man

Dan told The Mirror: ‘I’m still apologising to people now. The way Matthew went was out of my hands – but it was rather shocking. 

‘There were some very upset people and I’ve had to apologise to a lot of ­people over the past four years.’   

He added: ‘I’ve done a lot since then though – so hopefully people are seeing what I have been up to and are beginning to understand why I wanted to move on.’ 

New: Armie Hammer was initially set to star alongside Julia Roberts and Sean Penn in the Watergate drama Gaslit, but sources told Deadline that executives dropped the actor in favor of Dan; seen in  2018

Since leaving the ITV period drama, Dan has taken on a wide range of roles, from family comedy Night at the Museum 3 to sci-fi drama series Legion. 

He is expected to replace Armie Hammer in political thriller Gaslit.  

Dan will portray former White House counsel John Dean in the Starz series which is based on the podcast Slow Burn.

Coming soon: Dan Stevens will next star in the German language film, I’m Your Man