What Our Favorite Actors From All the “Pride and Prejudice” Adaptations Are Doing Today

Sometimes a book is so good that producers want to turn them into movies or T.V. series. This was the case for Jane Austen’s novel, Pride and Prejudice. The English author wrote the popular novel back in 1813, and she probably couldn’t have imagined that in 2022 we’d still be obsessed with the charming Mr. Darcy.

There are approximately 17 adaptations of the book, and we at Bright Side wanted to show you how the cast of the 2005 film and the 1995 series adaptations are doing today.

1. Mr. Darcy, played by Colin Firth (series)

Colin Firth portrayed the beloved character of Mr. Darcy in the T.V. series adaptation of Pride and Prejudice in 1995. He was so good as Mr. Darcy that he got to play the same character again, but in a modernized version, called Bridget Jones’s Diary.

In 2010, the actor was praised for his surprising performance in the movie, The King’s Speech, which won him an Academy Award for Best Actor. Recently, his new series, The Staircase, has been well received among audiences, and we hope that the actor receives a well-deserved award nomination this year. Today, the 61-year-old has an envious acting career, with more movies and series coming his way.

2. Lady Catherine, played by Judi Dench (movie)

Judi Dench has had a very prolific acting career. She played the part of Lady Catherine de Bourgh in the 2005 movie adaptation of Pride and Prejudice. The actress’s performance was so good that we can’t help but have strong feelings against the character.

Last year, Dench was nominated for an Academy Award for Best Supporting Actress in the movie, Belfast. Now, at 87 years old, the actress still enjoys working so much that, according to her, she has no plans of retiring.

3. Mr. Darcy, played by Matthew Macfadyen (movie)

Matthew Macfadyen is an English actor that gained public recognition thanks to his performance as Mr. Darcy in the 2005 movie adaptation. After being part of Pride and Prejudice, up until recently, the actor had maintained a low profile.

Now, with his participation in a very popular T.V series, Succession, his popularity skyrocketed. This year, the series received 25 Emmy nominations, including Outstanding Supporting Actor in a Drama Series.

4. Mr. William Collins, played by Tom Hollander (movie)

Along with Lady Catherine, Mr. Collins is one of the most hated characters in the novel, and Tom Hollander knew exactly how to play the part. This skilled actor has been a part of many popular franchises, like Pirates of the Caribbean, Mission Impossible, and King’s Man. Now, at 54 years old, Hollander keeps delighting us with his acting skills.

5. George Wickham, played by Rupert Friend (movie)

Rupert Friend captivated Lizzy Bennet (and us) as Mr. Wickham with his shining blue eyes. After his participation in the 2005 adaptation of Pride and Prejudice, he and Keira Knightley dated for a while, but sadly, that relationship ended years later.

In 2013, Friend was nominated for various Emmy Awards, including Outstanding Guest Actor in a Drama Series for his performance on the T.V series, Homeland. Over all these years, he has been busy acting, producing, directing, and writing music. Recently, the 40-year-old actor was part of the Star Wars Universe, playing another memorable villain.

6. Lydia Bennet, played by Jena Malone (movie)

Jena Malone is a multifaceted star — she is an actress, musician, and photographer. She has been active as an actress since she was 11 years old and is an example of a child star that made it in the industry. Malone has been a part of indie films as well as big franchises, like The Hunger Games.

Recently, she’s been cast in a thriller, Love Lies Bleeding, from the production company, A24. The actress will be working with Dave Franco and Kristen Stewart.

7. Elizabeth Bennet, played by Keira Knightley (movie)

For Keira Knightley, her performance as Elizabeth Swann in the movie Pirates of the Caribbean was what helped launch her acting career. After that, she was able to choose her own roles. According to the actress, one of the roles she chose was Elizabeth Bennet in a movie called Pride and Prejudice.

Knightley has been nominated twice for an Academy Award — once for Pride and Prejudice, proving that she knows how to choose her roles, and the second was for a movie called The Imitation Game. She’s still active as an actress, and we hope to see more of her in the future.

8. Jane Bennet, played by Rosamund Pike (movie)

Before starring in Pride and Prejudice, actress Rosamund Pike and co-star Simon Woods, who plays Mr. Bingley, were a couple, and the actors were reunited to play lovers in the movie. During the filming of the movie, Pike and the director, Joe Wright, fell in love and started a relationship, but it ended quite abruptly.

Nevertheless, the actress has remained consistent in her acting career. Pike received praise for her performance in the movie, Gone Girl, where she plays a crazy housewife. The performance gave her a well-deserved Academy Award nomination for Best Performance by an Actress in a Leading Role.

9. Elizabeth Bennet, played by Jennifer Ehle (series)

Jennifer Ehle is an American actress that started her acting career in 1992. In 1995, she landed the role of Elizabeth Bennet in the series, Pride and Prejudice, and suddenly got more recognition. Thanks to her performance in that role, she won a BAFTA TV Award for Best Actress.

In recent years, the 52-year-old actress has been keeping a low profile, but she continues working on movies and T.V. series.

What’s your favorite Pride and Prejudice adaptation? Tell us in the comments which Mr. Darcy you like best and why.