Why Ba'lian From The Witcher Season 2 Looks So Familiar
"The Witcher" Season 2 brings fans back to the dangerous Continent, as Geralt of Rivia (Henry Cavill) continues to protect Princess Cirilla/Ciri (Freya Allan) in the aftermath of the Battle of Sodden Hill at the end of Season 1. The battle has a huge ripple effect throughout the country, as the divide between Nilfgaard and the Northern Kingdoms only grows larger. One of the races who are caught up in the chaos is the Elves, and they struggle to find a place in the world now that the scales of power have been tipped in a strange new direction.
Obviously, Geralt, Ciri, and Yennefer (Anya Chalotra) meet a variety of new characters and monsters in "The Witcher" Season 2, and these new additions definitely keep the story moving. One of those characters is Ba'lian, an elf who is forced to go into hiding when the Northern Kingdoms start rounding up Elves. Ba'lian is played by British star Kevin Doyle, and the elf is a completely original character; he doesn't show up in the books by Andrzej Sapkowski or "The Witcher" games by CD Projekt Red.
The Netflix series uses him as a way of looking at how frantic and desperate the elves are after the Battle of Sodden Hill, and although his role isn't huge throughout Season 2, he's surprisingly memorable. Here's why Ba'lian from "The Witcher" Season 2 looks so familiar.
Kevin Doyle is a rebel in The Tudors
Kevin Doyle's career first kicked off in the 1980s where he played roles in various TV shows like "Sharing Time," "Ties of Blood," and "Coronation Street." He's had a steady career since then, starring in a number of British dramas like "Holby City," "Holby Blue," "Casualty" and "Heartbeat." But Doyle also starred in the critically acclaimed historical drama "The Tudors" alongside the likes of Jonathan Rhys Meyers and "The Witcher" co-star Henry Cavill.
Doyle joined Season 3 as John Constable, an impulsive former soldier from Yorkshire — not far from Doyle's home county of Lincolnshire. He winds up becoming a captain in the Northern Rebellion against King Henry VIII (Jonathan Rhys Meyers) and works alongside Robert Aske (Gerard McSorley) in starting the Rebellion. However, he winds up disobeying his friend's orders, which forces the King to quell the uprising using extreme force. Unfortunately for John Constable, most of his men are killed and he's locked up by Edward Seymour (Max Brown) before being tortured and later beheaded. Oh, dear.
Kevin Doyle buries Jesus in A.D. The Bible Continues
Several years later, Kevin Doyle joined NBC's "A.D. The Bible Continues," which dramatizes the Bible and follows on from 2013's "The Bible." The 2015 miniseries also featured "Peaky Blinders" and "Krypton" star Emmett J. Scanlan as Saul of Tarsus, as well as "Chilling Adventures of Sabrina" actor Richard Coyle. Meanwhile, prolific British star Colin Salmon appeared as the Ethiopian Eunuch. Kevin Doyle played one of the supporting roles in the series, Joseph of Arimathea, the person who takes charge of Jesus' burial after the crucifixion.
The series starts with Jesus' persecution by Pontius Pilate (Vincent Regan) and it quickly moves onto his death after being crucified. This is where Doyle's Joseph of Arimathea offers his own tomb to give him a final resting place. The show was well-received by viewers, as it holds an 87% audience score on Rotten Tomatoes, although the reviews weren't as kind, as it has a critic rating of 58%.
Kevin Doyle is a loyal butler in Downton Abbey
Kevin Doyle is best known for his work on "Downton Abbey," where he played Joseph Molesley, who starts out as one of the butlers at Crawley House before joining Downton Abbey itself. He first looks after Matthew Crawley (Dan Stevens), although Molesley eventually moves over to Downton Abbey while Matthew is away fighting in World War I. But when Matthew dies in a devastating car accident in the 2012 Christmas Special, the butler is left without a job — and isn't able to find a new one for quite some time.
Molesley later picks up various odd jobs like delivering groceries from Bakewell's, and helping out with manual labor. Joseph later winds up becoming a teacher, something he always aspired to do if not for his family not having the money to fund his education. He also has a close relationship with Phyllis Baxter (Raquel Cassidy), although it's never clear if their friendship ever develops into something more.
Kevin Doyle is an unhinged detective in Happy Valley
One of Kevin Doyle's underappreciated roles came in BBC's "Happy Valley," which is anything but happy. The show follows Sergeant Catherine Cawood (Sarah Lancashire), who is still dealing with her daughter's suicide, it also dives into the murkier side of West Yorkshire. Doyle joins the second season as Detective Sergeant John Wadsworth, whose unhappy family life causes him to cheat on his wife with Vicky Fleming (Amelia Bullmore). Unfortunately, she starts to blackmail the detective after he tries to break up with her, and he snaps — killing her with an electrical cord.
Doyle's performance was praised by Radio Times' Sarah Doran, who called the star the "unsung hero" of "Happy Valley" — even suggesting that "he stole the spotlight from Sarah Lancashire" in Season 2's dramatic finale. The gritty drama series has been met with critical acclaim over the years and has a 98% critic rating against a 96% audience score on Rotten Tomatoes. Thankfully a third season will start filming in 2022, although Doyle won't be part of the cast since the weight of Wadsworth throws himself off of a bridge when his crimes catch up to him.