‘Pride & Prejudice’: Jack Lowden Explains Mr. Darcy Changes in Netflix Series
•November 2, 2026, 12:15 pm
What To Know
- Jack Lowden plays Mr. Darcy in Netflix’s upcoming Pride and Prejudice, opposite Emma Corrin as Elizabeth Bennet.
- Lowden portrays Darcy differently from other adaptations, according to the actor, Corrin, and showrunner Dolly Alderton.
- Lowden explained how he approached the role and why he initially hesitated to take it.
Netflix’s Pride and Prejudice promises to be familiar to fans of Jane Austen’s beloved book, but it’s also injecting some freshness into the Corrin‘s Elizabeth Bennet, won’t be a carbon copy of past iterations
In a new interview with GQ, Alderton, Corrin, and Lowden himself explained what makes this new Darcy stand apart from past adaptations, which include 1995’s Colin Firth-led miniseries and the 2005 film adaptation starring Matthew Macfadyen. “The amazing thing about Jack, and what I think makes our Lizzy and Darcy different, is his funny bones,” Corrin noted.
Lowden explained that physicality is the core of every good performance, and he approached Darcy with that mindset. Though the role of the Austen aristocrat isn’t stunt-heavy, he started to understand Darcy by figuring out and understanding his movements. “It took me years to realize that’s how I act – it’s not through feeling, it’s timing, the score and musicality of a scene,” the 36-year-old said. “I found him very shy. And I can relate to that.”
The Scottish actor pointed out that there are many instances of Darcy simply “standing in rooms” in the book and previous adaptations, which he loved. “He’s always a bit over there; he’d rather not be there,” Lowden added. “For me, it’s about him moving, from beginning to end, from not wanting to be in the room to wanting to be in the room.”
Alderton noted that Lowden infusing humor into Darcy’s awkwardness surprised her. “His confidence and his tenderness are in perfect balance,” she praised. “He can play both heroic and very human.”
Well before the casting process started, the Pride and Prejudiceboss had Lowden’s name at the top of her list for Darcy. Referring to herself and director Euros Lyn, Alderton said, “We always knew that Darcy is a difficult part to play — he is unknowable to the audience as well as Elizabeth for a large chunk of the story, and there are layers of vulnerability and complexity that he has to play underneath his cold and rude façade.”
They needed someone “handsome, romantic, masculine, [and] distinguished,” but above all, a “really, really accomplished actor.” They cast Corrin as Elizabeth first, who agreed on the spot that the Slow Horses star was the right man for the job. “Dolly and I hoped and prayed he would do it,” Corrin said.
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Lowden didn’t immediately jump at the chance to step into Darcy’s shoes, not seeing himself as an immediate fit for the role. “Honestly, the idea of it did make me stop and go, ‘Hold on,’” he explained. “It’s very precious to a lot of people, Jane Austen, so it made me think about it for a bit.”
He ultimately enjoyed the idea of being an unlikely Darcy. “When I take jobs, or I’m offered them, I look at what I can get away with — I don’t buy myself in 99 percent of the roles I do, but if other people do, I get a kick out of that,” he said. “I’m not everybody’s first choice for most of the roles I’ve played, and I quite enjoy that.”
Pride and Prejudice, December 3, 2026, Netflix
