Staff Writer
Mr. Darcy is getting ready to hit the BBC in a completely different way. Matthew Rhys star of The Americans is preparing to tackle one of literatures most iconic characters, Darcy from Jane Austen’s Pride and Prejudice, in a three part series called Death Comes to Pemberley. The new series is based on a novel by PD James, Death Comes to Pemberley, which is part Pride and Prejudice sequel, part murder mystery.
Matthew Rhys recently opened up about filling enormous shoes of Colin Firth, the last actor to have great success as Mr. Darcy. Rhys isn’t shy about letting the fans know that this is going to be a much different Darcy. Death Comes to Pemberley also stars, Anna Maxwell Martin, Matthew Goode and Doctor Who’s Jenna Coleman. Matthew Rhys answers some of the burning questions surrounding the new three part series.
While Matthew is quite excited to step into such an iconic role, he must admit that he is quite jealous of his co-star Matthew Goode. Rhys explains why he is slightly jealous of Goode, “He’s got it all – he’s got the rock star looks, the rock star attitude, hollow legs, vast knowledge. He’s like Stephen Fry – he knows something about everything… he actually knows a lot about everything. He’s got that voice. He gets the accent for free – I feel like a complete fake. He’s like Rik Mayall playing Flashheart.”
Colin Firth quite possibly the most recognizable Darcy and that is terrifying Matthew quite a bit, “It’s sort of terrifying – I didn’t realize the reaction would be so strong. The book and those characters mean such a great amount to so many people. They have this incredible connection and relationship with those characters, who they should be and how they should be played.”
Mr. Darcy is a quite familiar character; Matthew explains that the Death Comes to Pemberley Darcy is actually not as moody is the iconic original Darcy. “He is a lighter Darcy – everything in the garden is rosy at first and then everything happens. He’s incredibly complex. I love Darcy but he does have this problem whereby he takes the world on his shoulders… so that’s where the brooding comes from.”
While Darcy is from Pride and Prejudice Matthew would never take on such a different Darcy. Rhys is doing this mini-series for a different reason, “ I think [my reason for doing this] was the attraction of a different Darcy.”
The actual character of Darcy is not the only iconic object Rhys is tackling, he is also tackling the billowing shirt. He also admits that is has quite an effect on the ladies, “I swear to God… it has an effect. It does. They don’t look at your face or anything. They just look at the shirt!”
Probably one of the most pondered question is going to be do I have to like Pride and Prejudice to enjoy Death Comes to Pemberley. Have no fear, there is a happy medium for both fans, “It’s great really in that it works on both levels. Those who love Pride and Prejudice have that added enjoyment, but yeah, it absolutely works as a standalone.”
While Rhys has many difficulties, one of his greatest difficulties is being a Brit living in America, especially in the parking department. “I was in an argument about a parking space and this huge American in a Chevy just went, ‘Go home, you immigrant!’ – I was floored by it. It was like being shot by an arrow – it hurt!” Have no fear Matthew, not all Americans are like that!
Be sure to tune into Death Comes to Pemberley on Thursday, December 26 at 8.15pm on BBC One. This would be a great way to wade your way out of the Christmas haze.
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