Raquel Cassidy is an English actress. She played the role of
Phyllis Baxter in the television series ''
Downton Abbey
''Downton Abbey'' is a British historical drama television series set in the early 20th century, created and co-written by Julian Fellowes. The series first aired in the United Kingdom on ITV on 26 September 2010 and in the United States on P ...
'' (2013–2015), 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 sequel.
She has played leading roles in other television series including ''
Teachers
A teacher, also called a schoolteacher or formally an educator, is a person who helps students to acquire knowledge, competence, or virtue, via the practice of teaching.
''Informally'' the role of teacher may be taken on by anyone (e.g. wh ...
'', ''
Party Animals'', ''
Moving Wallpaper
''Moving Wallpaper'' is a British satirical comedy-drama television series set in a TV production unit. It ran on ITV for two series in 2008–09. The subject of the first series was the production of a soap called ''Echo Beach'', each episode ...
'', ''
Lead Balloon
''Lead Balloon'' is a British television series produced by Open Mike Productions for BBC Four. The series was created and is co-written by comedian Jack Dee and Pete Sinclair. It stars Dee as Rick Spleen, a cynical and misanthropic comedian ...
'', ''
The Worst Witch
''The Worst Witch'' is a series of children's books written and illustrated by Jill Murphy. The series are primarily about a girl who attends a witch school and fantasy stories, with eight books published. The first, ''The Worst Witch'', was ...
'' and ''
The Good Karma Hospital
''The Good Karma Hospital'' is a medical drama series produced by Tiger Aspect Productions for ITV about a disillusioned doctor, Ruby Walker, who travels to South India hoping to make a fresh start. It stars Amanda Redman, Amrita Acharia, Ja ...
''.
Early life and education
Born to a Spanish mother and an English father, she was the third child and only daughter born to the couple. Born and brought up in
Fleet, Hampshire
Fleet is a town and civil parish in the Hart District of Hampshire, England, centred 38.2 miles (61.5 km) WSW of London and 13 miles (21 km) east of Basingstoke. It is the major town of the Hart District, and has large technology business a ...
, she was educated at
Farnborough Hill Convent,
and then
Girton College, Cambridge
Girton College is one of the 31 constituent colleges of the University of Cambridge. The college was established in 1869 by Emily Davies and Barbara Bodichon as the first women's college in Cambridge. In 1948, it was granted full college status ...
, where she studied modern languages. She later pursued a PhD in biological anthropology, but abandoned it to pursue a career in acting.
Career
In an early role, Cassidy played Lola Chaves in an episode of ''
The Bill
''The Bill'' is a British police procedural television series, first broadcast on ITV from 16 August 1983 until 31 August 2010. The programme originated from a one-off drama, '' Woodentop'', broadcast in August 1983.
The programme focused on ...
'', speaking predominantly in Spanish. In 2001 she took the role of Susan Gately in ''
Teachers
A teacher, also called a schoolteacher or formally an educator, is a person who helps students to acquire knowledge, competence, or virtue, via the practice of teaching.
''Informally'' the role of teacher may be taken on by anyone (e.g. wh ...
'', returning for the second series in 2002.
She has also played the
Home Office Junior
Minister Jo Porter in ''
Party Animals'', Cassie Turner in ''
The Worst Week of My Life
''The Worst Week of My Life'' is a British television sitcom, first broadcast on BBC One between March and April 2004. A second series was aired between November and December 2005 and a three-part Christmas special, ''The Worst Christmas of My ...
'', Nancy Weeks in ''
Moving Wallpaper
''Moving Wallpaper'' is a British satirical comedy-drama television series set in a TV production unit. It ran on ITV for two series in 2008–09. The subject of the first series was the production of a soap called ''Echo Beach'', each episode ...
'' and Mel in ''
Lead Balloon
''Lead Balloon'' is a British television series produced by Open Mike Productions for BBC Four. The series was created and is co-written by comedian Jack Dee and Pete Sinclair. It stars Dee as Rick Spleen, a cynical and misanthropic comedian ...
''.
[
In 2013 Cassidy joined the cast of '']Downton Abbey
''Downton Abbey'' is a British historical drama television series set in the early 20th century, created and co-written by Julian Fellowes. The series first aired in the United Kingdom on ITV on 26 September 2010 and in the United States on P ...
'', playing the role of rehabilitated thief and ladies maid Phyllis Baxter for the show's final three series.[ In 2015 the cast won a . She reprised the role for the show's 2019 feature film, also called '']Downton Abbey
''Downton Abbey'' is a British historical drama television series set in the early 20th century, created and co-written by Julian Fellowes. The series first aired in the United Kingdom on ITV on 26 September 2010 and in the United States on P ...
'' and its 2022 sequel.[
She has subsequently played the role of ]Miss Hardbroom
''The Worst Witch'' is a series of children's books written and illustrated by Jill Murphy. They have been adapted into various films and television shows.
Mildred Hubble
:Series Duration: 1998–2001, 2005
Mildred Hubble is the titular charact ...
in four series of the 2017 television revival of ''The Worst Witch
''The Worst Witch'' is a series of children's books written and illustrated by Jill Murphy. The series are primarily about a girl who attends a witch school and fantasy stories, with eight books published. The first, ''The Worst Witch'', was ...
''. In 2022, she is appearing in series 4 of ''The Good Karma Hospital
''The Good Karma Hospital'' is a medical drama series produced by Tiger Aspect Productions for ITV about a disillusioned doctor, Ruby Walker, who travels to South India hoping to make a fresh start. It stars Amanda Redman, Amrita Acharia, Ja ...
'' as Frankie Martin.
Filmography
Film
Television
Selected radio
Theatre
References
External links
*
{{DEFAULTSORT:Cassidy, Raquel
Year of birth missing (living people)
Date of birth missing (living people)
20th-century English actresses
21st-century English actresses
Actresses from Hampshire
Alumni of Girton College, Cambridge
English Shakespearean actresses
English film actresses
English people of Irish descent
English people of Spanish descent
English radio actresses
English stage actresses
English television actresses
Living people
People educated at Farnborough Hill
People from Fleet, Hampshire