‘Downton Abbey’ Actor Kevin Doyle on the Show’s Exhibition & Potential Movie

Jessica Napoli May 18, 2018, 4:45 pm

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Downton Abbey star Kevin Doyle was completely blown away when he walked through “Downton Abbey: The Exhibition” in New York City.

The actor, who played butler-turned-footman Joseph Molesley on the British period drama, couldn’t believe the attention to detail and the spooky feeling he had walking through the reconstructed sets.

“It was like being back at Ealing Studios,” Doyle said to TV Insider. He also teased new details about the rumored Downton Abbey movie and if he’s watching the Royal Wedding on Saturday.

What did it feel like walking through the exhibit?

Kevin Doyle: The re-creation of the sets are remarkable. The production team that worked on the show also worked on the exhibition, so they were able to recreate the footprint of the downstairs area exactly like it was in the studio. So for all us it was a remarkable experience treading those hallways we got to know so well over six years.

Do you have a favorite piece from the set?

It was quite breathtaking, and the cast was quite moved by it. It felt like the ghosts of all those characters were coming back. It was really eerie. I expected there to be a camera crew around the corner.

In the servants hall, which is where we ate our meals I had a rocking chair by the fire, which isn’t in the exhibition. But it was always known as Molesley’s chair.

What do you miss most about filming the show?

The people; it’s always the people. It really makes the experience. The size of core cast was like 25, so it was always exciting when we got together for the script read-throughs at the beginning of the season. Not just the cast but also the crew. When we finished filming it was very moving because we were saying goodbye to family.

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Who gave the best wrap gift?

Hugh [Bonneville] gave us a box of photographs. He’s a great photographer. On the last day of filming he gave everyone a bound collection of his photographs that he’d taken of everyone over the six seasons. None of us were expecting that. It was a beautiful gift.

If you could play another character in the house, who would you play?

Laura Carmichael’s part, Lady Edith, because she was overlooked and taken for granted. One of the lovely storylines over the last couple of years was her emerging from the shadows of Lady Mary and the rest of the family. Being seen as a modern woman who could stand up herself.

What would your character be up to today if the series had continued?

I love the storyline of him ending up as a teacher, and I think he’d be something like that now. He was a quietly dedicated man, so he would be a teacher or perhaps a nurse, but it would be sort of caring for people in a way. I like the idea of him passing on what he’s learnt to other people. That was a very gratifying story line.

Any news details about the rumored Downton movie?

Everyone wants it to happen. I think everyone’s hopeful.

Will you be watching the Royal Wedding?

It’s exciting, but Saturday is also the day of the FA Cup Final. I’m glad at least the wedding is in the morning and the [football] game is in the afternoon. Who knows, maybe Meghan and Harry might even pop into Wembley Stadium afterwards!