AceShowbiz -

Allen Leech may give "Downton Abbey" fans a scare about the show's possible end date with his recent comments. Met at BAFTA Los Angeles' Jaguar Britannia Awards, he told E! News that he thought the popular drama series should end after season 7.

"In my heart of hearts, I can't see it going more than two more," he said, before explaining, "I think the period of time we want to tell, we're coming to the end that us as actors we can keep playing these characters."

Leech, who portrays Tom Branson on the British period drama, recalled a conversation with co-star Maggie Smith on the set of the show, "Maggie Smith turned to me on one of our last days of filming this season and said, 'I must be 196 years old by now. What's in the water here?' I said, 'I don't know, Maggie,' and she goes, 'It's ridiculous. I should have been dead years ago.' "

Leech, who stars opposite Benedict Cumberbatch in "The Imitation Game", also supports the idea of having "Downton Abbey" air in the U.K. and the U.S. at the same time. "I, along with [series creator] Julian Fellowes, have been great champions of the idea of having the show out there at the same time," he said. "I don't know why it's not. I'm going to be shot for saying that and right now PBS probably probably has a sniper's rifle on me, but it doesn't make sense in this day and age."

"Downton Abbey" season 5 will air starting January 4, 2015 on PBS.