Mr Darcy. First name Fitzwilliam, but we don’t talk about that. The brooding, tall, dark and handsome silhouette has had many faces since he was first portrayed by Laurence Olivier in Pride and Prejudice back in 1940. While the fan-favourite incarnation depends on who you ask, with some adoring Colin Firth in the 1995 BBC miniseries, while others swear by Matthew Macfadyen in the 2005 movie, one thing is true for everyone with a fondness for period dramas: that Mr Darcy is the epitome of the romantic, Georgian-era hero.
I wanted to take a walk down memory lane to look at the many faces of Mr Darcy before Jack Lowden joins their ranks. You know, for science.
Even before the famous 1995 BBC version of Jane Austen’s timeless novel, Pride and Prejudice was adapted over ten times for TV and film – but after Colin emerged from the lake in a wet white shirt, the adaptations starring Darcy became more and more creative, most notably with Helen Fielding’s modern retelling of the tale in Bridget Jones‘s Diary, with Colin reprising his role in a way, this time as a straitlaced lawyer named Mark Darcy.
What followed was an onslaught of spin-offs: Lost in Austen – a silly bit of fun about a Jane Austen obsessive who finds herself in the world of Pride and Prejudice, with Elliot Cowan as the brooding Mr Darcy; Bride and Prejudice, a Bollywood-style romcom starring Martin Henderson as a grumpy American visiting India; Death Comes to Pemberley starring Matthew Rhys, a personal favourite sequel where a murder takes place on Lizzy and Darcy’s estate; and of course, the sumptuous 2005 adaptation starring Keira Knightley alongside an eye-fluttering, hand-flexing Matthew Macfadyen.
Matthew Macfadyen in Pride and Prejudice (2005)Alamy Stock Photo
If one thing can be said of all of these adaptations, it is that we don’t grow bored of reiterations of this story; if anything, they only add to this rich bounty of getting our Darcy fix – and everyone has a different favourite.
HELLO!’s Deputy Online Editor Sharnaz Shahid is all about Colin. She said: “Colin Firth’s Mr Darcy is probably the one I find the most comforting – I love how much of a slow burn the BBC adaptation is. You really get to watch the relationship between Darcy and Elizabeth gradually change, and there’s something so satisfying and ultimately happy about it.”
Deputy Features Editor Sophie Hamilton agrees, saying: “Colin Firth emerging from his lake dip in his white shirt will forever be Mr Darcy for me – the one and only!”
Lizzie Dunford (Director, Jane Austen’s House) shows the infamous white shirt worn by Colin Firth in the BBC’s 1995 adaptation of Pride and Prejudice to Queen CamillaGetty Images
Indeed, emerging from the lake does seem to be something of a theme with fans, with HELLO!’s Deputy TV Editor Nicky Morris adding: “It HAS to be the BBC’s 1995 version with Colin Firth. In my opinion, he is the best Mr Darcy, perfectly capturing his transition from a cold, proud snob to a vulnerable romantic hero. The lake scene alone is worth tuning in for – who doesn’t want to see Colin Firth emerge from a lake in a soaking wet, see-through shirt?”
Actor Colin Firth in character as Mr. Darcy on the set of period drama Pride And PrejudiceTV Times/Future Publishing via G
For our social media coordinator Isabel Duggan, the joy is in the detail of Matthew’s portrayal. She said: “I think Matthew does a great job of portraying Darcy, and I particularly love how his journey is reflected in his costume. We physically see him change from being proud and aloof – signified by high collars and buttoned-up coats – to being softer and kinder as we see him walk across the field in his billowing white shirt (iconic). It’s my favourite detail!”
Our Los Angeles correspondent also highlighted the key differences between the two most famous versions, saying: “Matthew’s Mr Darcy will always be special to me because the iconic hand flex scene (you know the one) was one of the first times I can recall seeing yearning from a man on the screen – and it was unscripted.
Matthew’s iconic hand flex in Pride and Prejudice
“Another actor may have made more of the gesture – looked down at his hand, or touched his hands together – but Matthew’s performance instead reveals a deep understanding of the character of Mr Darcy; the flex confirms the impact of holding Elizabeth’s hand, while the decision to keep it contained to just one movement reminds the audience not only of Mr Darcy’s inherent awareness of his own status and reputation in society, but also how it is instinctual to Mr Darcy to keep emotions small and controlled.”
And now, over 20 years after our last straight adaptation of Jane’s novel, Jack Lowden is stepping into Darcy’s knee-high boots – and his perception of the role? Speaking on Sunday with Laura Kuenssberg, he said: “I quite like the idea of being a ginger Darcy. I think that that’s really breaking down barriers. One of the last great barriers to be broken down.”
Jack Lowden is set to star as the brooding Mr DarcyNetflix
He added: “I quite like the idea of sort of me coming along and doing something else with it. Or just copying one of them. Because some of the guys that have played it are amongst some of the best. I mean, Matthew Macfadyen, to me, is one of the best actors on the planet. So, if I just try and copy him… maybe that’s alright, as well?”
Joking aside, it feels like Jack is already setting a precedent for a new version of Darcy, and perhaps one that errs on the side of light-heartedness, which would be a change from Colin and Matthew’s stony-faced iterations.
The actor is perhaps best known for his role as River Cartwright in Slow Horses, where he plays a wryly humorous spy demoted to working among the dregs of MI5. Although a romantic hero is a very different role, River and Darcy actually have several elements in common that I think Jack could bring to Darcy as well.
Gary Oldman and Jack Lowden in Slow HorsesApple TV
For one, it is their lovable arrogance. We know that River also has a fondness for being a hero and bulldozes into situations only for things often not to go his way – sort of like Darcy’s proposal being rejected. Their attempts to do the right thing often go awry despite best intentions – Darcy’s attempts to keep Mr Bingley away from Jane come to mind – but they are still the hero that you root for, regardless of their flaws.
Whatever creative choices Jack makes for the role, I think we can expect him to join the ranks of Colin and Matthew as a beloved iteration of the classic hero – and let’s be honest, every generation deserves a Mr Darcy.
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