Pride and Prejudice Interviews

Matthew Macfadyen: An Improbably Romantic Hero (Oct 2011)

Luce found an interview in Spanish, where Matthew Macfadyen discusses being Mr Darcy, the movie The Three Musketeers, and his upcoming role in Joe Wright's version of Anna Karenina.

You can view the original interview in Spanish HERE.

The google translation is not very good, but I've attempted to clean it up and posted it below.

 

Matthew Macfadyen, the unlikely romantic hero

07:00 h | Fernando de Luis-Orueta

Briton Matthew Macfadyen, Athos, brings to life the umpteenth version of 'The Three Musketeers', which opened in theaters yesterday with an abundance of visual effects and 3D zeppelins. But first was the best Mr. Darcy of "Pride and Prejudice 'and Prior Philip of 'The Pillars of the Earth'.

It was hard to imagine that director Joe Wright chose such a guy to give life to Mr. Darcy, the romantic hero par excellence, who stars in Pride and Prejudice. But he did: Matthew Macfadyen (Great Yarmouth, England, 1974), with his sad eyes and good-natured behaviour, became one of the best leading men of the movies recently. And will be again soon, working with the same director and facing the same woman, Keira Knightley, in a new version of Anna Karenina.

Guardian Interview for TPATI/FROST (Jun 2007)

A huge thank you to Matthieu and bksreader for the amazing interview the Guardian conducted! It includes a bit about Death at a Funeral, The Pain and The Itch and Frost/Nixon. The hardcopy paper has different images which have been scanned in and added to the galleries.

Dirty Dames and Mr. Darcy for X-mas (2005)

Pride & Prejudice

Lisa Hope King

Issue date: 12/7/05 Section: Inside Beat

Dirty Dames and Mr. Darcy for X-mas
Thursday, December 8, 2005



Having a significant other meet the parents during the holidays is a benchmark for any couple. Take this: cut to class-conscious England near the close of the 18th century, and you've got Jane Austen's Mrs. Bennet and Mr. Darcy from her novel, Pride And Prejudice.

Mrs. Bennet, played by Brenda Bleythn (Secrets And Lies) is the eager parent of five daughters waiting to meet the eligible and rich bachelor Mr. Darcy, (Matthew MacFayden, MI-5).

Though the movie boasts an esteemed cast consisting of Donald Sutherland, an Officer of the Order of Canada, Dame Judi Dench, Keira Knightley, Hollywood Film Award for Best Breakthrough Actress in 2005 and Brenda Blyethn, two time Academy Award nominee and an Officer of the Order of Britain, inside beat picked up on some surprising facts from MacFayden and Blyethn about the actors - especially of the Dame.

Matthew MacFayden is no stranger to strong romantic roles. In 1998, he played Hareton Earnshaw in the UK television version of Wuthering Heights. Having never read Pride And Prejudice or seen the BBC movie version, MacFayden had a clean slate to work with in his role as Mr. Darcy.

"I think there's a little bit of Darcy in everyone," he admitted. "I find him very sympathetic and I find it kind of heartbreaking at times. Nobody's just arrogant and cold without reason. He was a young man who had to grow up to find out who he was."

MacFayden's Darcy had a love-hate relationship with Bleythn's on-screen daughter, Lizzie, played by Keira Knightley.

"It's terribly attractive when your pomposity is noticed and then punctured in public," he says. "It's infuriating and embarrassing and you hate that person [but Darcy] found it incredibly funny. It's one of those things where he goes home afterwards, locks all the doors and laughs hysterically into the pillows."

When asked if there were any women in his life who tortured him like Lizzie, he laughed and replied, "my wife."

A Risk Worth Taking: Kiera Knightley Talks About P & P

A Risk Worth Taking:
Keira Knightly Talks About Pride and Prejudice
By Cole Smithey

Keira Knightly is a vixen. Her spunky facial expressions flash with an unsentimental flair that leaves a lasting impression. She's effervescent to a fault. More significantly, Keira Knightly is an adept actress whose film roles, up until Pride and Prejudice, have only hinted at her range. In taking on the mantle of Elizabeth Bennet, one of English literature's most popular heroines, Keira Knightly captures the role as if it were a feral cat barely contained in a narrative cage that only she holds the key to. There's a visceral surprise in everything she does as Elizabeth. She harbors a sensual lyricism that plays on the big screen like something from French actresses Isabelle Adjani or Juliette Binoche.

Pride and Prejudice - The IndieIn

Pride & Prejudice

By Kate Tremills

 

Imagine stepping onto a stage right after the world’s greatest actor. The audience stares at you coldly, crossing their arms and setting their jaws. You can’t improve on their favorite performer.

Why would you even try? The latest version of Jane Austen’s Pride & Prejudice faced just such a reception.

Lucky for us, great challenges bring great contenders. Director Joe Wright (The Last King) brings to life the classic story of Elizabeth Bennet (Keira Knightley) and Mr. Darcy (Matthew MacFadyen). In a 19th century world of strict roles, Elizabeth stands out with her quick tongue and sharp opinions. Her refreshing candor catches the eye of the rigid Mr. Darcy. But when Darcy’s quick judgment ruins the marriage prospects of her beloved sister, Elizabeth’s heart is set against him. Only time and truth can lead Elizabeth to understand Darcy’s motives and win her to his side.

Syndicate content