Photography credit: Faye Thomas
Raquel Cassidy is an British actress. She played the role of Phyllis Baxter in the television series Downton Abbey, winning a Screen Actors Guild Award for Outstanding Performance by an Ensemble in a Drama Series. She has reprised the role for both the 2019 feature film of the same name and its 2022 and 2025 sequels.
Raquel, you’ve portrayed Miss Baxter for over a decade now, and she’s undergone quite an evolution. How do you approach bringing such depth to a character that has grown so much over the years?
I don't. The character evolves along the way as challenges get thrown at her and the
downstairs/upstairs gang Phyllis Baxter’s journey has been one of quiet resilience and emotional depth.
What aspects of her character resonate most with you, and how has your connection to her evolved since first joining the cast in 2013?
My connection with her has become richer over the years as Baxter's secret life revealed itself to me. It's lovely to do a character over time because you grow with them and you grow without them; you have breaks and come back together. I do feel like she kind of led me, really, and sometimes that's the way with characters. I hold her in very high regard. In Downton Abbey: The Grand Finale, the Crawley family and their loyal staff face a new chapter in their lives.
Can you share any memorable moments from filming that gave you a sense of closure for your character?
The biggest change and risk in this film is the survival of the house. If everything collapses, then none of us will have jobs and many won't have homes to live in. Baxter is in a bit of an elevated position, having married Mr. Molesley, who has his own income; however, her independence is at stake, she wants to keep her job and is fiercely loyal to Lady Cora and the family. Closure comes for all of us on and off the screen. From the read-through to the final take: one big memorable moment.
Miss Baxter’s engagement to Molesley in A New Era was a significant turning point for both characters. How did you and Kevin Doyle approach those scenes, and what did it mean to you personally to see your characters’ relationship develop?
It meant the world to us. Kevin, Simon, Liz and I talked about it quite a bit before we came to filming the scene. It was important to us to try and get this right for all the fans who had been waiting for this so long. It was a stroke of genius from Julian to have Baxter and Molesley dressed to the nines (as supporting artists in The Gambler) and having everyone in the house hear the proposal through a hidden microphone. I usually take minutes in costume and makeup but, on this day, I had hours as Nosh, our makeup designer, wrestled me into a wig and Anna, our costume designer, and her team squeezed me into a corset, and the poshest frock Baxter has ever worn. It was a glorious team effort.
The final Downton Abbey film reunites the original cast. What was it like to step back into your character’s shoes alongside such a talented ensemble, many of whom you’ve worked with for years?
Julian inspired me from the first scene of the first series, which I remember watching. He inspired me with his story lines, with the cast and everything they went through, together. Julian with his words and Simon with the time he took to honor so many moments between and for us all. In particular, grateful that, between us, and in amongst everything else, we found a moment for Baxter and Lady Cora to honor all that they had shared.
The 1930s were such a transitional time, both for the world and for the characters of Downton Abbey. How do you think Miss Baxter navigates the changing social landscape of the period, and what does it mean for her future?I think Baxter navigates it really well. I think she's incredibly forward-thinking and understands that we have to move with the times, and sometimes and for some people that’s difficult. Baxter is a woman who wants to stay in service. She loves her job, and when she’s asked to leave by her new husband, you see her stand her ground. She is a character who wants to see
.
You’ve played a variety of roles across your career. How does the experience of working on a long-running series like Downton Abbey compare to other projects you’ve been a part of?
I have to say I like the longevity of it. I like coming back to characters and seeing how they evolve and change through the series. You grow, and the audience grows with you.
Outside of Downton Abbey, you’ve done both comedy and drama. Are there particular genres or types of roles you’re eager to explore in the future?
am not interested in anything to do with gore. I like dark comedy and I quite fancy a Western. I also like the idea of filming scenes in one take, on long lenses, actors mixed in with people who may not have acted before, long takes and improvising, not knowing what's going to happen... all in the hands of a brilliantly deft director, please.
As The Grand Finale marks the end of an era for Downton Abbey, what will you miss most about playing Phyllis Baxter and being part of such an iconic show?
There is so much I will miss about Phyllis Baxter; she’s a decent and noble human being, and it’s been a privilege being part of such an ensemble, cast and crew. It can be quite lonely being an actor at times, with guest spots here and there, so it's incredibly rewarding when you are part of a team. I will really miss that.
