Matthew Macfadyen on Playing Mr. Darcy in “Pride and Prejudice”

Do you remember Mr. Darcy from the Jane Austen-novel-based movie, “Pride and Prejudice?” The film was released in 2005. After all these years, Matthew Macfadyen, who played the role of Mr. Darcy, has opened up about the merits and demerits of acting in that movie.

While portraying Mr. Darcy opposite Elizabeth Bennet (Keira Knightley), Macfadyen felt he was not suitable for the role. In a recent interview, he spoke candidly about his role and stated that he didn’t actually enjoy doing the film. 

His exact words were, “I didn’t really enjoy it.” He added, “I feel bad saying that. There were moments I had a good time, but I wish I enjoyed it more. I wish I was less worried about it.” He also explained that he thought he was “miscast” for the role of Mr. Darcy. He felt he was not “dishy enough.” However, he was also happy that everything worked out well in the end.

Just like Macfadyen, Donald Sutherland (no more), who performed the character of Mr. Bennet, the father of five unmarried daughters, was also a bit reluctant to perform in the movie! 

Macfadyen also stated that he, and Colin Firth, who played Mr. Darcy in the 1995 miniseries of “Pride and Prejudice,” had compared notes on the character. According to Macfadyen, the actors researched extensively on the character.

Whatever thoughts and feelings Matthew Macfadyen has regarding his portrayal of Mr. Darcy, I think we would all agree that he did justice to his role. Just like me, hope all of you are happy that he was selected for the memorable role. In case he had rejected the offer, we would have missed out on a fascinating portrayal of Mr. Darcy!