‘Pride & Prejudice’ director reveals Matthew Macfadyen improvised this iconic Mr. Darcy moment
The hand that almost never flexed.
“Pride & Prejudice” director Joe Wright revealed that the brief but powerful moment where Mr. Darcy’s (Matthew Macfadyen) hand trembles after helping Elizabeth Bennet (Keira Knightley) into her carriage was improvised by Macfadyen, 50.
“It wasn’t in the script, but that was an important moment in the book,” Wright, 52, told People in an interview published Wednesday ahead of the film’s 20th anniversary.
“This sudden realization, as they were parting, of what they meant to each other, or the kind of disturbance they caused in each other,” the British filmmaker explained.
The moment when Mr. Darcy’s hand flexes, which went viral on TikTok in 2021, was important for his and Elizabeth’s relationship and to “convey the intelligence of our bodies really over our minds,” Wright said.
“Our bodies are so much smarter than our minds often. Although their conscious minds are fighting against each other, their bodies are two magnets drawn to each other,” Wright told the outlet.
“As they touch, even that little hand lifting helping her, which is pure etiquette of the period, somehow creates this kind of electronic shock wave through them both, and he has to shake it away,” he added.
While the carriage scene between Macfadyen and Knightley’s characters is beloved today, Wright admitted that at the time he didn’t think it was that meaningful.
“It had been a gloomy day when we shot it,” he recalled. “I felt like I hadn’t conveyed what I wanted to, and it’s odd and gratifying to find that we told our story, and people have responded.”
“Because on the day, I thought, ‘Oh no, we didn’t get it. It was rubbish. It didn’t work.’ Now, people are still posting it. It’s odd and really nice.”
The adaptation of Jane Austen’s classic came out in November 2005 and also starred Donald Sutherland, Tom Hollander, Brenda Blethyn, Judi Dench and Rosamund Pike.
Last year, Macfadyen shocked fans by admitted that he “didn’t really” enjoy playing Mr. Darcy.
“I feel bad saying that,” he said on “CBS Mornings.”
“There were moments I had a good time, but I wish I’d enjoyed it more. I wish I was less worried about it.”
The “Succession” star explained that he “just felt a bit miscast” in the movie, adding, “I’m not dishy enough, or I’m not, you know.”
“But it worked out,” Macfadyen noted.
Last month, Macfadyen spoke to Letterboxd about how the romantic drama is still so popular with audiences.
“‘Pride & Prejudice’ has had legs, hasn’t it? I don’t know how things are going to continue and whether they’ll last or whether people will keep watching them, but people are still watching it,” he said.
Austen’s novel has also been adapted into a 1940 film starring Greer Garson and Laurence Olivier, based in part on the 1935 stage adaptation, and two BBC television shows, including the 1995 one starring Jennifer Ehle and Colin Firth.
A six-part “Pride & Prejudice” limited series is in the works at Netflix. Deadline recently reported that the cast includes Emma Corrin as Elizabeth, Jack Lowden as Mr. Darcy and Olivia Colman as Mrs. Bennet. Production will occur in the UK later this year.
