Matthew Goode used to be "really shy" and "blush" all the time when he acted

Matthew - who studied at London's Webber Douglas Academy of Dramatic Art - told Best UK magazine: "My mum was into amateur dramatics, but acting wasn't something I ever thought of doing as a job until I went to university. I did drama at university and then a friend of mine, my flatmate actually, went to drama school, so I thought I would maybe just give it a go."

The Watchmen star admits he found it "so embarrassing" blushing, but he didn't let it stop him attaining the career he still feels "very lucky" to have.

Matthew added: "It wasn't easy because I was very shy when I first started acting. I would blush all the time, which was so embarrassing. But I stuck with it and with a lot of luck, it paid off. I still feel very lucky to do what I do."

Meanwhile, Matthew recently admitted he thinks it's a "good thing" his Downtown Abbey character will not appear in the forthcoming third film based on the series.

He plays Henry Talbot in the hit programme, but won't pop up in The Grand Finale movie, with Matthew saying the absence is down to his work schedule.

He told Radio Times ahead of the release of Netflix's Dept. Q: "I was unavailable for the second because I was doing 'The Offer'.

"Then (for the third 'Downtown' movie) I was shooting (Dept. Q.)

"But I also b******* my knee, and I had to have an operation.

"That takes weeks to get over, so I was never going to be able to do it.

"And let's face it, he was edging towards becoming a bit of a wet lettuce. So maybe it's a good thing."

Matthew originally joined the Downton Abbey TV series in seasons five and six, before reprising his role as Henry in the first feature film released in 2019.

His character married Lady Mary Crawley, played by Michelle Dockery, with their relationship becoming a beloved storyline.

But Matthew's absence in the sequels leaves fans to imagine the couple's happily-ever-after.

Currently, the actor is starring as Detective Chief Inspector Carl Morck in the new Scottish crime drama Dept. Q.

Based on the popular novels by Danish author Jussi Adler-Olsen, the series follows Morck, billed as "a brilliant cop but a terrible colleague", as he leads the newly created cold case unit, Department Q, often against the backdrop of an under-resourced police force.