Downton Abbey fans will have to wait until the Jan. 17 episode to see Tom Branson return from America and join the final season, but we’ve already put actor Allen Leech to work.

Related: ‘Downton Abbey’ Premiere Recap: The Birds and the Bees, and Blackmail



When he visited Yahoo TV, we asked him to share the backstories of nine of our favorite behind-the-scenes pics.

In Part 1 of the Downton photo diary above, the Irish actor explains why he and Hugh Bonneville (Lord Grantham) posed with a crew member hiding under a table; why he himself had to “have a lie down” on the ground (the same reason Laura Carmichael, who plays Lady Edith, sat on him); how the dog who portrayed Isis came to be wearing a top hat; what he did to earn the nickname “Magic Man” from the show’s child actors; and what moved him to dance with Elizabeth McGovern (Lady Grantham) between takes.

Related: 'Downton Abbey’ Final Season: Cast, Creator Tease Romance, Resolutions, and a 'Tragic Hero’



In Part 2 below, he talks about “The Notorious M.A.G.” (Maggie Smith, who plays the Dowager Countess) and her domination of the cast’s Wink Murder game; the danger of getting Rob James-Collier (Thomas Barrow) talking about basketball; what he looked like wearing the wig Michelle Dockery donned as Lady Mary; and how he felt shooting his final scene.



In case you missed it, here’s another look at Leech playing our trivia game “Branson or B.S.”



Downton Abbey airs Sundays at 9 p.m. on Masterpiece on PBS.

