Downton Abbey star shocks TV presenter by urging action on Gaza in impassioned plea

Downton Abbey star Hugh Bonneville surprised an ITV News presenter at the premiere of his new film by using an interview to urge the world to intervene against Israel's operations in Gaza.

Bonneville, 61, was appearing live on ITV News on Wednesday night to speak about Downton Abbey: The Grand Finale, the final instalment in the hugely popular franchise, which began as a television period drama.

Asked by the reporter to speak about the film, he looked into the camera and issued an unexpected plea for action on Gaza.

"Before I talk about the fluff and loveliness of our wonderful film, what’s about to happen in Gaza City is indefensible and the international community must do more to bring it to an end," Bonneville declared, to the reporter's visible surprise.

Without pausing, he then went on to say that "Downton Abbey is a lovely film and we are going to celebrate 15 glorious years of it tonight."

After Bonneville's remarks the broadcast cut to an apparently indignant presenter in the ITV News studio, who said: "Of course it's not about the politics, it's all about the film."

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For Bonneville, evidently, the politics and the human catastrophe happening in Gaza were too important not to address live on camera.

Bonneville plays the character of Lord Grantham, a peer who owns the grand old residence at the heart of the film. 

The Downton Abbey series, about the changing fortunes of a fictional aristocratic family in the early 20th century, is created and co-written by Julian Fellowes, a Conservative peer.

Bonneville's comments came on the same day The Voice of Hind Rajab, a film about a five-year-old Palestinian girl killed by Israeli soldiers in Gaza received a 23-minute standing ovation at the Venice Film Festival.

Last week, Hollywood stars Joaquin Phoenix and Brad Pitt joined a group of film industry figures putting their weight behind the movie.

More than 64,000 people have been killed by Israel in the Gaza Strip, according to the enclave's health ministry.

Over 10,000 more are missing and presumed dead. At least 18,000 of those killed were children.