Which actor plays Joseph Molesley in Downton Abbey?

Kevin Doyle plays Joseph Molesley in Downton Abbey.

Molesley begins as the butler at Crawley House and serves as Matthew Crawley’s valet. He is loyal and capable, but the series often places him in awkward situations, making him one of Downton’s most sympathetic comic characters.

During the First World War, Molesley helps keep Crawley House functioning while Matthew is away and assists with a soup kitchen. After Matthew’s death, he loses his position and struggles to find steady domestic work. He later becomes a second footman at Downton and eventually finds a more secure path as a schoolteacher.

Viewers sometimes confuse Doyle with other major members of the household staff. Jim Carter plays Mr Carson, the butler; Brendan Coyle plays Mr Bates, Lord Grantham’s valet; and Robert James-Collier plays Thomas Barrow. Doyle also reprises Molesley in the Downton Abbey films, where the character pursues writing and screenwriting.