Interviews

Exclusive: Kevin Doyle sees Downton Abbey: A New Era as a joyous Crawley family reunion

Downton Abbey cast
Hugh Bonneville, Elizabeth McGovern, and Laura Carmichael in Downton Abbey: A New Era. Pic Credit: Ben Blackall /Focus Features

Before Kevin Doyle stepped into the shoes of Downton Abbey’s Mr. Molesley, he was enjoying work on the stage and screen. But this memorable role of a footman//butler/valet in the iconic historical drama completely transformed his personal and professional life.

In fact, Doyle, who has returned to his role for the second epic film, Downton Abbey: A New Era, readily admits that anytime he is back together with the close-knit cast and crew, it is like one big happy family reunion.

Downton Abbey: A New Era, much like the series, allows its audience to connect with the human condition. All of this also makes for superb storytelling.

In addition to Downton Abbey, the series, and the two subsequent films, Doyle is known for his roles in Coronation Street and The Crimson Field. He is also the winner of two Screen Actors’ Guild awards and a Royal Television Society award for Best Actor for Happy Valley.

The much-anticipated return of the Downton Abbey families (upstairs and downstairs) takes part of the cast on a grand journey to the South of France to uncover the mystery of the Dowager Countess’ (Maggie Smith) newly inherited villa.

While Lady Mary (Michelle Dockery) remains at home managing the house, a film producer calls, asking if he can use the estate as a location. Mary takes over running the house when the film crew moves in and makes sure that all of the behind-the-scenes run smoothly while her parents are in France.

Of course, making the movie in the movie causes great disruption to the running of the house upstairs and below the stairs. As he has in the past, Molesley, now a school teacher who is fascinated with the movie business, is there to lend a hand. While Molesley could sometimes be a bit of a goof, especially when he had too much to drink, through all of his insecurity and clowning around, his good-heartedness shone through. In fact, in the new movie, he literally has the ability to save the day.

“We are kind of a family of actors now, and lifelong friendships have developed, so we’re never out of touch,” Doyle exclusively tells Monsters and Critics. “It’s always a joy to come back together.”

He added that saying goodbye at the end of the TV series after six seasons was extremely difficult because the cast thought it was over. “There were a lot of emotional goodbyes and a lot of tears on the set as characters sort of said goodbye. Then this idea of making movies sort of came along. I don’t think we say goodbye anymore; we just sort of bid one another a fond adieu.”

Read on for Kevin Doyle’s look at the genius behind Downton Abbey, how his character of Molesley has evolved, and why he is always keenly aware of proper manners and etiquette when he dines out.

What was it like to come back to Downton Abbey and Molesley after being away for a couple of years between the two films?

Kevin Doyle:  It was lovely to come back to these characters. Those sort of gaps in filming is kind of really useful because they feed our enthusiasm to come back, apart from anything else.

What’s your overall view of this beautiful movie?

I’m always amazed that [writer-creator] Julian [Fellowes] is able to come up with a story to bring us all back together again. He has a particular genius, I think. I don’t know how you do it. I can understand how writers can satisfy 25-character storylines over a TV series because they’re episodes where characters can dip in and out, others can come to the front and others can recede into the background. Actors can be satisfied over a TV season. But to do that over two hours in a movie is really quite a gift. 

When we finished the TV show, I thought it was a really good way to end it. I have been really happy with that, everybody’s in a good place and let’s say goodbye. But Julian had this plan to write a movie, they didn’t know what the story was going to be. I didn’t know how they would come up with an idea to bring everybody back together, but he came up with this lovely idea about the royal visit. (The first film was released in the fall of 2019). I thought he’s outdone himself; you can’t get any better than that.  And, again, I assumed that that was it, that was the end.  But once again he’s come up with a brilliant idea to bring everybody back together again. It splits, it divides, and some people go off to the South of France. But, yes, both of the movies have two wonderful storylines.

Molesley had some showstopping scenes in the first movie and he has a pivotal role in the second movie. Can you talk about that overall experience?

Well, yes. First of all, I was just glad to be in it.  Having nice scenes was a bonus. I was surprised and delighted that he had such an enthusiasm for movie making. How lovely for a film crew to arrive and to be able to just sort of watch. And then to my own surprise, I didn’t realize he had such gifts. But he’s able to sort of help out at the end, when trouble brews, he’s able to use his untapped skills and help out with the movie.

Talk about Molesley’s journey through the history of Downton Abbey. It has been quite an evolution.

He has had a hell of a journey and I’m not sure there is another character in Downton who has had a similarly eventful journey. He started the series as the butler to Matthew and Isobel Crawley, introducing them to the world of having servants which Matthew was not comfortable with. Then he became Matthew’s valet, and when Matthew married Lady Mary, he moved to Downton Abbey with him. When Matthew died, he found himself out of work and with no prospects at Downton. There was no social care or unemployment benefits at that time so he found himself on hard times being helped out by his friends, the servants, and in fact the Dowager, too. He eventually ended up back at Downton as a footman, then helped Daisy educate herself, before securing the job of a schoolteacher. That’s where we find him now and he’s very happy teaching, but now he’s got to sort out his personal life.

He’s been called kind of an everyman hero, and fans really relate to him.  I’ve read some of the fan pages over the years for the movies and the show.  He can be described as loveable and vulnerable, and I think overall, people just adore Molesley.

He’s interesting. I think early on I think some people were very suspicious of him. Because I think early on – well, his character evolved and I think Julian sort of responded to what I was bringing to the character to an extent. I think the colors of the character sort of changed a little bit and it became more of a comedic outlet, to an extent. His vulnerabilities were then able to be seen. I think he’s got an enormous heart and I think that began to be appreciated, as well, by audiences. I think some people were – as I said, some people were very suspicious of him and they thought of him as a bit of a loser. 

I remember I made the terrible mistake of going online and following social media for a while and seeing what people had to say about him because I was curious. There was a fair amount of people who were, as I said, suspicious or didn’t particularly take to him.  It’s been interesting seeing how that’s changed for some people. He’s won over many of them.

Downton Abbey cast
Kevin Doyle and Michelle Dockery. Pic Credit: Ben Blackall/Focus Features.

Why do you think that everyone loves the Crawley family and the fascination with the downstairs group, including Molesley, Mr. Carter, the maids, and the footman who are a little bit more of interest at some times?

Well, I think Julian has always emphasized that the downstairs aspect of the show is as important as the upstairs. It’s maybe not as glamorous. The costumes aren’t as nice to look at. But the stories that those downstairs characters have to tell I think are just as important. 

What Julian has wanted to do throughout the TV series, I think, is to explore changes in society over that period. We start off in 1912 and I think we ended the TV show in 1926.  Over that 14-year period, there were dramatic changes. Partly as a result of the war, but people, especially those who work downstairs, realized that there was perhaps more to life than what they regarded as a pre-determined life for them.

It was expected that a character like Daisy, for instance, would work in the kitchens and would probably remain in the kitchens for all her life. And for Mr. Molesley it would be the same. So even though some of these characters were perhaps naturally quite intelligent or gifted in some ways they were never able to let those gifts come to the forefront. They were never able to flourish.

That goes for upstairs characters, as well, to some extent. If you think about Lady Edith her life expectations were somewhat similar. She was expected to get married, and have a family and that was going to be it.  But she wanted more. I think people were fascinated by the challenges that those characters faced and how they began to overcome them. I think you see a lot of societal change, as I said, over that period. Obviously, it continues.

What do you think, personally and professionally, this series did for you?

Kevin:  Oh, gosh, it’s life-changing. I think you’d get the same answer from everybody, actually. Even Maggie Smith said prior to Downton Abbey she could happily walk to the supermarket and get her groceries and she wouldn’t be bothered. But Downton Abbey comes out and all of our lives change. It’s certainly the case for the younger members of the company. For Laura Carmichael, who plays Lady Edith Crawley, for instance, Downton Abbey was her first job.  As I said, absolutely life-changing, and career-changing. For many of us, it meant that doors became opened to so many other possibilities. 

Downton Abbey cast
Pic Credit. Ben Blackall /Focus Features.

Do you stay in touch with the other actors after you wrap?

Yes, absolutely, yeah. There are a lot of lifelong friendships that have been formed over this period.  Really sort of very great friendships. I think about the girls, the sisters upstairs, they’ve got lifelong friendships now. There have been marriages and births as a result of this company of actors coming together. But, yeah, people who we’ll always stay in touch with regardless of whether we carry on with Downton Abbey or not.

After this series and the two movies do you feel you are aware of etiquette and minding your manners more than you would have before Downton Abbey?

I don’t know. But as a polite customer whenever I go into places, I hope that I always acknowledge the service that’s afforded to me. I suppose I’m certainly more aware now of how hard it is for people who serve in restaurants, and in those great houses. It’s a hard life, so I’m glad that I am an actor and not in service.

Is comedy more difficult for you than drama?

I get more anxious about comedy than drama, because – yeah, I think it is more difficult. I’m really lucky in as much as I get to play parts other than Mr. Molesley. I get to step into the shoes of characters who are perhaps much darker, and I’ve done that a few times in my career.  It’s lovely to be able to flip from one to the other, actually. 

Why, overall, do you want my readers to see the new movie?

Kevin: Well, apart from the selfish point of view I really want them to feel comfortable going back into movie theaters again. After the last couple of years that we’ve had, I want them to feel confident about mixing with other people again, going into restaurants and theaters. They’ve had a really tough time with those institutions over the last few years. So, it’s important that people feel confident to get back into them again, I think. Apart from obviously the selfish thing, I hope they enjoy the movie, and I want them to get out there again and enjoy a renewed social life.

Downton Abbey cast
Pic Credit: Ben Blackall /Focus Features

From Focus Features, Downton Abbey: A New Era premieres in theaters on Friday, May 20.

Seasons 1-7 of Downtown Abbey, the series, are streaming on Netflix.

For more film drama, check out Jude Law discovers the magic in ‘Fantastic Beasts: The Secrets of Dumbledore’

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