Rotten Tomatoes
Cancel Movies Tv shows FanStore News Showtimes

Raquel Cassidy

Highest Rated: 86% Downton Abbey: A New Era (2022)

Lowest Rated: 80% Festival (2005)

Birthday: Jan 22, 1968

Birthplace: Fleet, Hampshire, England, UK

Mix a cup of Melanie Lynskey earthiness with a dash of Mary-Louise Parker allure, and you start to get a mental image of English actress Raquel Cassidy. The youngest of three children born to a Spanish mother and an Irish-Mancunian journalist in Fleet, Hampshire, U.K., Cassidy learned the power of fantasy early on while pretending to be a princess while her two older brothers roughhoused. Fortunately for Cassidy, her teachers at Farnborough Hill Convent recognized this talent, encouraging her to see creative outlet on the stage. By that point there was no turning back, and later, while continuing her studies at Girton College in Cambridge, Cassidy's growing passion for the stage began to take precedence over her studies. That passion would pay off when the rising actress landed the role of Viola in a 1997 Royal Court Theater production of "Twelfth Night," and the following year Cassidy made the jump to television with a role as a cop in the Channel Four mini-series "Killer Net" (1998). The years that followed found Cassidy increasingly busy as she continued to alternate between the stage and the small screen. Then, in 2001, her memorable turn as hard-working, hard-drinking educator Susan Gately on "Teachers" (Channel 4, 2001-2004) nudged her to the head of the class among fans. By the time Cassidy retired from "Teachers" to appear in The Tron Theatre's 2002 production of John Mighton's "Possible Worlds," her penchant for disappearing into her characters was becoming her calling card. A smattering of appearances in such independent films as "Before You Go" (2002), "Festival" (2005), and "The Boat People" (2007) displayed a notable lean toward roles that valued substance over style. Following her turn as ambitious Labour minister Jo Porter in "Party Animals" (BBC, 2007- ), Cassidy once again turned heads as Mel in the BBC comedy "Lead Balloon" (BBC, 2006-2011). In 2013, Cassidy joined the cast of the BBC's immensely popular period drama "Downton Abbey" (2010-16) in the middle of the show's eventful fourth season. Cast as Lady Cora's maid Phyllis Baxter, whose position in the household was secured by scheming under-butler Thomas Barrow, Cassidy found her character navigating a complex plot marked by blackmail and clandestine affairs. The following year Cassidy made waves by hinting to the Daily Mirror that "Downton Abbey" may be headed to the big screen, and confessing that appearing opposite Maggie Smith on the series was as daunting a task as she'd ever faced as an actress.

Show Less Show More

Highest rated movies

86% 97% Downton Abbey: A New Era Watchlist 84% 94% Downton Abbey Watchlist
80% 54% Festival
Watchlist
Ferryman
Watchlist
To Leech
Watchlist
Thin Ice
Watchlist
18% Do I Love You?
Watchlist
The Boat People
Watchlist
67% Cliffs of Freedom Watchlist
Downton Abbey 3
Watchlist

Filmography

Movies

Credit
No Score Yet No Score Yet Downton Abbey 3 Miss Baxter (Character) - 2025
86% 97% Downton Abbey: A New Era Phyllis Baxter (Character) $43.3M 2022
No Score Yet No Score Yet Ferryman Mum (Character) - 2021
84% 94% Downton Abbey Miss Baxter (Character) $96.8M 2019
No Score Yet 67% Cliffs of Freedom Christina Vakrinos (Character) $71.6K 2019
No Score Yet No Score Yet The Twisted Death of a Lonely Madman Mystic-57 (Character) - 2016
No Score Yet No Score Yet To Leech Mary (Character) - 2013
No Score Yet No Score Yet Poirot: Mrs. McGinty's Dead Maureen Summerhayes (Character) - 2008
No Score Yet No Score Yet The Boat People Alice (Character) - 2007
80% 54% Festival Petra Loewenberg (Character) - 2005
No Score Yet 18% Do I Love You? Romy (Character) - 2003
No Score Yet No Score Yet Thin Ice DS Beckett (Character) - 2000

TV

Credit
No Score Yet No Score Yet The Good Karma Hospital Frankie Martin (Character) 2022
No Score Yet No Score Yet The Dengineers Self 2021
No Score Yet 81% The Worst Witch Miss Hardbroom (Character) 2017-2020
53% No Score Yet White Dragon Rachel Hargreaves (Character) 2018
No Score Yet 93% Uncle Teresa (Character) 2017
88% 93% Downton Abbey Baxter (Character) 2013-2015
No Score Yet No Score Yet Jonathan Creek Sharon (Character) 2014
No Score Yet No Score Yet Lead Balloon Unknown (Character) 2006-2008 2011
90% 64% Doctor Who Cleaves (Guest Star) 2011
No Score Yet No Score Yet Teachers Susan Gately (Character) 2001-2002
No Score Yet No Score Yet Hearts and Bones Mary Jones (Character) 2000