Matthew Macfadyen is especially good at playing men who cannot relax in company. We value the awkward comedy, though his restraint can leave his fellow actors doing more than their share of the work.
Fi1m perspective
In Pride & Prejudice (2005), Matthew Macfadyen’s Darcy makes conversation look like an obligation he would rather avoid. Opposite Keira Knightley’s quick, engaged Elizabeth Bennet, he seems unable to settle into company. We laughed at their first meeting because her readiness to talk meets such determined reserve. Yet the hesitation sometimes goes on too long: in the early encounters, Knightley can seem to be supplying the scene’s interest on her own.
Joe Wright’s direction occasionally pushes the romance harder than the actors need, since their differences are already interesting. Paul Tothill’s brisk editing keeps the social encounters moving, while Dario Marianelli’s music supplies some of the warmth Macfadyen withholds. These collaborators matter to a performance that takes time to become persuasive. When the attraction convinces, it is because Darcy and Elizabeth seem able to unsettle one another, though we would have welcomed a little more conversational ease.
That withdrawn romantic lead brought international attention after his television breakthrough as Tom Quinn in Spooks (2002–2004). He prefers supporting parts for the scope they give him for comedy and villainy, which helps explain the appeal of his later work. Tom Wambsgans in Succession (2018–2023) combines vulnerability with menace, and the humour does not make him harmless. Macfadyen can be funny here without reassuring us that the man deserves our sympathy.
Deadpool & Wolverine (2024) puts that comic skill to work as Mr Paradox, whom Macfadyen plays like a middle manager who has promised his superiors something he cannot deliver. He stays funny even as the film’s studio jokes grow tiring, and we would not recommend the whole thing on the strength of his contribution. Start with Pride & Prejudice, and give Darcy a little time.
Biography
Matthew Macfadyen is an English actor. Born on 17 October 1974 in Great Yarmouth, Norfolk, he trained at the Royal Academy of Dramatic Art and began his professional career on stage with the Cheek by Jowl company.
He gained prominence for his portrayal of Mr Darcy in the 2005 film Pride & Prejudice. He played Tom Wambsgans in the HBO series Succession (2018–2023), receiving two Primetime Emmy Awards, two BAFTA Awards and a Screen Actors Guild Award for the role. In 2024 he appeared as Mr Paradox in the film Deadpool & Wolverine.
Other screen credits include Tom Quinn in the BBC series Spooks (2002–2004, 2011) and Inspector Edmund Reid in Ripper Street (2012–2016). He is married to actress Keeley Hawes.
