"I'm not dishy enough"— Matthew Macfadyen says he felt he was miscast as Darcy in Pride & Prejudice

Matthew Macfadyen dishes on playing Mr. Darcy in the 2005 classic Pride and Prejudice, saying that he "didn't really enjoy" playing the character and feels that it was a miscast.

The two-time Primetime Emmy-winning Succession actor told correspondent Anthony Mason on the Tuesday, July 23, episode of CBS Mornings that he didn't have a good time during the production of the movie adaptation with Keira Knightley. When Mason clarified the subject of him not enjoying playing Darcy, Macfadyen affirmed:

"I didn't really. I feel bad saying that."

After a probe from Mason, the actor explained:

"There were moments where I had a good time, but I wish I would have enjoyed it more. I wish I was less worried about it. Maybe I felt a bit miscast. I'm not dishy enough or I', not, you know. But it worked out."

At the time, the movie was a box-office hit, grossing around $121.6 million worldwide, and also secured Knightley a Best Actress nomination at the 78th Academy Awards.

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Matthew Macfadyen said he compared notes for his Mr. Darcy character with Colin Firth

Macfadyen and Knightley's movie adaptation of the Jane Austen novel came after the six-episode TV adaptation starring Colin Firth and Jennifer Ehle as Mr. Darcy and Elizabeth Bennet. When Mason asked whether he and Firth ever compared notes about playing Darcy, the Deadpool & Wolverine star said that they did, adding:

"Yes, yes, yes. Exhaustively, extensively."

The two would later work together in the 2021 British war drama film Operation Mincemeat, based on Ben Macintyre's novel of the same name. Mason also read Firth's high praise for his co-star for his portrayal of Tom Wambsgans in Succession.

In the comments, Firth noted that he "wasn't prepared for his [Macfayden] performance" and that he doesn't know if he has ever been surprised by an actor, to which Matthew Macfadyen said, "typically lovely."

Elsewhere in the interview, Matthew Macfadyen reflected on the legacy of the character of Mr. Darcy and his part in it. And while he admitted to having second thoughts about the character, some good parts came with it, like him not "aging that badly."

Talking about the exciting bit of playing Mr. Darcy, he said:

"I think the most exciting thing that happens to be now is people say, 'Are you Mr. Darcy?' And it's a good 20 years later, so I think I can't be aging that badly."

Matthew Macfadyen will return to the big screen in the upcoming superhero film Deadpool & Wolverine, in movie theaters on July 26, with Ryan Reynolds and Hugh Jackman as the titular characters. He enters the Marvel Universe as Mr. Paradox, who is an agent overseeing Deadpool, the superhero character played by Reynolds.