Matthew Macfadyen says he felt ‘miscast’ as Mr Darcy in Pride and Prejudice

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Kelly Rissman

US News Reporter

Matthew Macfadyen has explained why he believes he was “miscast”  as Mr Darcy in Pride & Prejudice.

The Succession star portrayed the much-loved character opposite Keira Knightley’s Elizabeth Bennett in Joe Wright’s acclaimed 2005 adaptation of the Jane Austen novel.

In a new interview, Macfadyen, 49, opened up about why he didn’t “really enjoy” working on the film.

“I didn’t really [enjoy it],” he told CBS Mornings on Tuesday (23 July). “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 explain why 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,” said the actor, who stars in the recently released Marvel film Deadpool & Wolverine.

Macfadyen said that he and Colin Firth, who previously played Mr Darcy in the 1995 miniseries of Pride and Prejudice, “exhaustively” and “extensively” compared notes on their experiences.

The film, which also starred Carey Mulligan and Rosamund Pike, went on to earn four Oscar nominations, including Best Actress for Knightley, who was 20 at the time.

The late Donald Sutherland, who died earlier this year, offered a scene-stealing turn  as Mr Bennet, the daughter of five unmarried daughters, including Knightley’s Elizabeth.

Like Macfadyen, before his death in June, Sutherland had also recalled how he had been reluctant to take on his role in the film.

“I kept trying to quit that damn job,” Sutherland said of the role in a 2018 interview with Rolling Stone. “Joe [Wright, the director] wouldn’t let me! ‘Joe, goddammit, I’m not right for this, why the f*** did you hire me for this?’ ‘You’re fine, you can do it.’

“It’s one of my favourite things out of all the movies I’ve done,” Sutherland said.

Elsewhere in the CBS interview, Macfadyen reflected on the end of Succession, the HBO hit series for which he won two Emmys for his role as Tom Wambsgans.

“There’s a sort of grief and relief at finishing a long show ‘cause you can’t keep playing the same part forever. But I miss the people. I miss the company,” said Macfadyen.

Speaking about his character, the actor said: “He’s so far away from me. It’s very liberating. I found it very liberating playing Tom and great therapy as well.”

Succession came to an end in May last year after four critically acclaimed seasons.