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Matthew Macfadyen felt "miscast" as Mr Darcy in Pride & Prejudice: "I'm not dishy enough"
"There were moments I had a good time, but I wish I enjoyed it more."
Focus Features/YouTube
- Molly Moss
Published: Wednesday, 24 July 2024 at 12:13 pm
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Matthew Macfadyen has opened up about why he believes he was "miscast" as Mr Darcy in Pride & Prejudice.
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The Succession star portrayed Jane Austen's much-loved hero opposite Keira Knightley’s Elizabeth Bennet in the 2005 film adaptation of the novel.
But while Macfadyen amassed a legion of fans for his take on the character, in a new interview the actor has revealed he didn’t enjoy the on-set experience.
"I didn't really [enjoy it]," he told CBS Mornings. "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."
The actor went on to reveal that his anxiety stemmed from the fact that he felt that he had been the wrong choice to play the part.
"I felt a bit miscast, like, 'I’m not dishy enough.' But it worked out," he said.
Despite not feeling like he was fit for the role, the Deadpool & Wolverine actor added: "The most flattering thing that happens to me now is people say, 'Were you Mr Darcy?' It’s a good 20 years later. So I think, 'I can’t be ageing that badly.'"
Matthew Macfadyen as Mr Darcy in Pride & Prejudice. Focus Features/ YouTube.
Pride & Prejudice was a box office hit and garnered a whopping $121.6 million worldwide on a budget of $28 million.
Alongside Macfadyen and Knightley, Rosamund Pike, Donald Sutherland, Tom Hollander, Dame Judi Dench and Carey Mulligan also had roles in the movie.
The film adaptation came nine years after the 1995 miniseries of Pride and Prejudice, which starred Colin Firth and Jennifer Ehle in the leading roles as Mr Darcy and Elizabeth.
Macfadyen added that he and Firth, whose portrayal of the character is beloved by fans, "exhaustively" and "extensively" compared notes on their experiences.
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Authors
Molly MossTrends Writer
Molly Moss is a Trends Writer for Radio Times, covering the latest trends across TV, film and more. She has an MA in Newspaper Journalism and has previously written for publications including The Guardian, The Times and The Sun Online.
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