'Pride & Prejudice' cast: Where are they now?

By Topher Gauk-Roger 5:30am PST, Nov 10, 2020

Jane Austen's most celebrated work found a new legion of fans with the hit 2005 adaptation of "Pride & Prejudice." The romance starring Keira Knightley and Matthew Macfadyen as literary icons Elizabeth Bennet and Mr. Darcy grabbed the attention of critics and audiences alike, receiving four Academy Award nominations (including best lead actress for Keira) and grossing more than $120 million worldwide. To celebrate the film's 15th anniversary on Nov. 11, 2020, join Wonderwall.com as we take a look at what its stars are up to now…

Keira Knightley leads the cast as Elizabeth Bennet, one of the most beloved female characters in literary history. Elizabeth is one of five daughters whose family is determined to secure their financial futures through suitable marriages. But unlike her sisters, Elizabeth is determined to marry for love and willing to reject the advances of the well-off Mr. Darcy — until she actually develops feelings for him.

Keira Knightley was already one of Hollywood's most in-demand young actresses when she signed onto "Pride & Prejudice," having found breakout success with hits like 2002's "Bend It Like Beckham" and 2003's "Pirates of the Caribbean: The Curse of the Black Pearl" and "Love Actually." The period drama proved the Brit had the talent to back up her huge box office performance, earning her both Oscar and Golden Globe nominations for her work. Keira immediately followed it with the two "Pirates of the Caribbean" sequels in 2006 and 2007, which raked in a collective $2 billion in ticket sales. Also in 2007, the actress starred in the acclaimed drama "Atonement," which nabbed her another Golden Globe nomination, as well as another $100 million hit for her resume. The star continued her run of period dramas with 2008's "The Edge of Love" and "The Duchess," 2010's "Never Let Me Go," 2011's "A Dangerous Method" and 2012's "Anna Karenina." She also moved from screen to stage with performances in West End productions of "The Misanthrope" in 2009 and "The Children's Hour" in 2011. Keira then branched out into modern comedies like "Seeking a Friend for the End of the World" in 2012, "Begin Again" in 2013 and "Laggies" in 2014 to prove she didn't need a dramatic costume to show off her acting skills. Also in 2014, the actress starred in the historic drama "The Imitation Game," which garnered her a second Oscar nomination. She balanced it with action-packed fare like 2014's "Jack Ryan: Shadow Recruit" and 2015's "Everest." 2015 also saw the star make her Broadway debut in a production of "Thérèse Raquin." More recently, she has appeared in dramas like 2016's "Collateral Beauty," 2018's "Colette" and 2019's "The Aftermath." Keira also reprised her role in the 2017 "Pirates of the Caribbean" sequel "Dead Men Tell No Tales" and starred in the 2018 big-budget spectacle "The Nutcracker and the Four Realms." In 2020, she took part in the beauty queen drama "Misbehaviour." Keira, who had a five-year romance with "Pride & Prejudice co-star Rupert Friend, went on to marry Klaxons rocker James Righton in 2013. The couple have two daughters: Edie, born in 2015, and Delilah, born in 2019.

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Literature's premiere heartthrob, Mr. Darcy, was played by Matthew Macfadyen. Darcy is full of the titular "pride," a cold but noble gentleman who the Bennets feels would make a worthy suitor for their daughters because of his wealth. Despite some initial friction, Darcy eventually falls for Elizabeth and has to jump through numerous hoops to win her over.

Ahead of "Pride & Prejudice," Matthew Macfadyen had made a name for himself as a British theater actor. The Royal Academy of Dramatic Arts alum starred in numerous stage productions before making his TV debut in a 1998 adaptation of "Wuthering Heights." He continued working in British TV with parts in "Warriors" in 1999, "The Way We Live Now" and "Perfect Strangers" in 2001 and "The Project" and "Spooks" in 2002, all for the BBC. After the 2005 romance, he had parts in the 2007 hits "Death at a Funeral" and "Grindhouse and in the 2008 critical favorite "Frost/Nixon." Those were followed by more period pieces like "Robin Hood" in 2010, "The Three Musketeers" in 2011 and "Anna Karenina" in 2012. Matthew also continued his extensive TV work with parts in British dramas like "Little Dorrit" in 2008, "Criminal Justice" in 2009 and "Ripper Street" from 2012 to 2016. In 2018, he reunited with Keira Knightley for "The Nutcracker and the Four Realms." That same year saw the premiere of his current hit series, "Succession." Matthew received an Emmy nomination in 2020 for his work on the HBO drama. The actor married his "Spooks" co-star Keeley Hawes in 2004. The pair have two children.

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Donald Sutherland portrayed the patriarch of the Bennet clan, Mr. Bennet. The distinguished gentleman looks out for his five daughters as they grow up and begin to settle into lives of their own. He only wants the best for his girls and is quick to question any suitor presented before him. Ultimately, it is he who must approve of Elizabeth and Mr. Darcy's budding romance.

Veteran actor Donald Sutherland had a prolific career long before taking part in "Pride & Prejudice." He rose to fame more than five decades ago with prominent roles in films like 1967's "The Dirty Dozen," 1970's "M*A*S*H," 1973's "Don't Look Now," 1976's "Fellini's Casanova," 1978's "Animal House" and "Invasion of the Body Snatchers," 1980's "Ordinary People," 1981's "Eye of the Beholder," 1989's "A Dry White Season," 1991's "JFK," 1995's "Outbreak," 1996's "A Time to Kill," and 2003's "The Italian Job" and "Cold Mountain." Since taking on the Jane Austen adaptation, the Canadian star had a lead part on the ABC soap series "Dirty Sexy Money" from 2007 to 2009 and a role in the 2008 romantic comedy "Fool's Gold." Donald then took a villainous turn as President Snow in the "Hunger Games" film franchise from 2012 to 2015. Also from 2013 to 2015, he starred on the TV drama "Crossing Lines." More recently, he was featured in the TV miniseries "Trust" in 2018 and the big screen space epic "Ad Astra" in 2019. In 2020, Donald starred on the HBO miniseries "The Undoing" opposite Nicole Kidman. Despite winning two Golden Globes and an Emmy Award, he has never been nominated for an Oscar. However, the star did receive an Academy Honorary Award in 2017 for his contributions to film. Donald has been married three times: to Lois Hardwick from 1959 to 1966, to actress and activist Shirley Douglas from 1966 to 1970, and to actress Francine Racette since 1972 after meeting on the set of pioneer drama "Alien Thunder." He and Shirley share two children, including son Kiefer Sutherland, and he has three sons with Francine.

The role of the Bennet family matriarch, Mrs. Bennet, was played by Brenda Blethyn. Mrs. Bennet is eager to find appropriate mates for her five daughters to secure their future. She takes every opportunity to set her girls up with eligible bachelors and becomes increasingly concerned as she discovers Elizabeth doesn't share the same priorities and worries she could end up alone.

Brenda Blethyn was also an established actress long before joining the Bennet family. After a run of stage roles in the late 1970s, the British actress made her TV debut in the 1980 BBC movie "Grown-Ups." She followed it with roles on 1980s British sitcoms "Chance in a Million" and "The Labours of Erica" and TV Shakespearean adaptations of "King Lear" and "Henry VI, Part 1." Brenda made her first big screen appearance in 1990's "The Witches." The actress followed it with 1992's "A River Runs Through It" and 1996's "Secret & Lies." Her performance in the acclaimed drama earned Brenda both a Golden Globe Award and an Oscar nomination. Soon after, she starred in 1998's "Little Voice," which garnered the star another Oscar nomination, and 2000's "Saving Grace," which nabbed her a Golden Globe nom. Following the success of "Pride & Prejudice," Brenda had roles in the 2007 indie "Clubland" and reunited with Keira Knightley in the acclaimed drama "Atonement." She made guest appearances on TV hits like "The New Adventures of Old Christine" and "Law & Order: Special Victims Unit," the latter of which earned her an Emmy nomination. Since then, Brenda has stuck to indie fare like 2009's "London River" and "The Calling," 2011's "My Angel" and 2014's "Two Men in Town." Since 2011, she has starred on the British series "Vera," which is expected to air its 11th season in 2021, and more recently appeared on the British sitcom "Kate & Koji" in 2020 to rave reviews. Brenda was married to graphic designer Alan James Blethyn from 1964 to 1973 and wed her longtime partner, art director Michael Mayhew, in 2010.

The eldest of the Bennet sisters, Jane, was portrayed by Rosamund Pike. When we first meet Jane, she is introduced to wealthy bachelor Charles Bingley and is convinced he is the man she is destined to marry. However, there is concern the two aren't meant to be together because of Jane's less affluent family. Elizabeth soon takes matters into her own hands to ensure her older sister gets the happy ending she desires.

Rosamund Pike started out on British television with appearances on programs like 1998's "A Rather English Marriage," 1999's "Wives and Daughters" and 2001's "Love in a Cold Climate." The London-born star made her big screen debut in the 2002 James Bond film "Die Another Day" as femme fatale Miranda Frost. Shortly after, she starred opposite Johnny Depp in 2004's "The Libertine" and alongside Dwayne Johnson in 2005's "Doom." Rosamund followed "Pride & Prejudice" with parts in the 2007 dramas "Fracture" and "Fugitive Pieces" before taking the stage in West End productions of "Summer and Smoke" in 2006 and "Madame De Sade" in 2009. Branching out from period dramas, the actress then took on the comedy "Johnny English Reborn" in 2011 and both the epic "Wrath of the Titans" and the action-packed "Jack Reacher" in 2012. Rosamund got her first leading role in the 2014 drama "Gone Girl" as Amy Dunne, a suburban housewife who fakes her own disappearance. Her performance received universal acclaim, earning her Oscar and Golden Globe nominations for her work. Since then, Rosamund has stuck to acclaimed indie dramas like 2016's "A United Kingdom," 2017's "Hostiles," 2018's "Beirut" and "A Private War" and 2019's "Radioactive." She also returned to TV with the 2019 British comedy series "State of the Union," which earned the actress an Emmy Award. Rosamund next stars in the Netflix film "I Care a Lot," which received major award buzz after premiering at the 2020 Toronto Film Festival. She was engaged to her "Pride & Prejudice" director Joe Wright until they broke up in 2008 and has been in a relationship with businessman and mathematical researcher Robie Uniacke since 2009. The pair have two sons.

Carey Mulligan made her film debut as Catherine "Kitty" Bennet, one of Elizabeth's younger sisters. Kitty as attached at the hip to her youngest sister, Lydia, and doesn't seem all that interested in searching for a suitor. That is, until she starts feeling the pain of her favorite sister drifting away to start her new life as a wife.

Prior to "Pride & Prejudice," Carey Mulligan's only credit was a British stage production of "Forty Winks" in 2004. Immediately following the hit film, the London-born actress starred on British television series like "Bleak House" in 2005 and "The Amazing Mrs. Pritchard" in 2006. After a series of British TV and stage productions, Carey had a breakthrough year in 2009 with a series of acclaimed films: "The Greatest," "Brothers," "Public Enemies" and "An Education." The latter film became a breakout success, earning the star an Academy Award nomination. Her run of celebrated dramas continued with 2010's "Never Let Me Go" and "Wall Street: Money Never Sleeps" and 2011's "Drive" and "Shame." In 2013, Carey made a splash in the big-budget spectacle of "The Great Gatsby" opposite Leonardo DiCaprio as well as in the dark comedy "Inside Llewyn Davis." Her winning streak of period pieces remained strong with 2015's "Far From the Maddening Crowd" and "Suffragette," 2017's "Mudbound" and 2018's "Wildlife." Carey also continued her stage work, including an acclaimed run in the 2014 revival of "Skylight" on both Broadway and London's West End. Her performance earned a Tony Award nomination and pushed her to do the one-woman show "Girls and Boys" in 2018. Carey returned to British television in 2018 with a lead role on the BBC limited series "Collateral." She'll next be seen starring in the drama "Promising Young Woman," which she also produced. The star married Mumford & Sons lead singer Marcus Mumford in 2012 — they were childhood pen pals who reconnected. The couple have two children.

The youngest of the Bennet sisters, Lydia, was played by Jena Malone. Lydia stirs up controversy when she runs off with the womanizing George Wickham without the approval of her family. With her parents worried about her reputation, the impulsive teen sends some relief when she reveals she's actually married the soldier.

Jena Malone had built a solid resume as a child actress before joining the Jane Austen adaptation. She made her screen debut at 12 in the 1996 TV movie "Bas**** Out of Carolina." The Nevada native's breakout performance earned her a SAG Award nomination, and she quickly followed it with a Golden Globe-nominated turn in the 1997 TV movie "Hope." Jena then made the jump to the big screen with parts in hits like 1997's "Contact" and 1998's "Stepmom." In 2000, the actress was granted legal emancipation after accusing her mother of mismanaging her earnings. She then had acclaimed roles in indies like 2001's "Donnie Darko" and "Life as a House" and 2002's "The Dangerous Lives of Altar Boys" and "American Girl" (which she also produced). She struck cinematic gold with a supporting performance in the critical darling "Cold Mountain" in 2003 and a starring turn in the teen classic "Saved!" in 2004. Shortly after "Pride & Prejudice," Jena made her Broadway debut in a production of "Doubt" and starred in indies like 2006's "Lying" and 2007's "The Go-Getter" and "Into the Wild." Also in 2007, the star began releasing experimental electronica music. She moved into more mainstream fare with the 2008 horror film "The Ruins" and the 2011 CGI-filled action flick "Sucker Punch." Jena returned to TV with a role in the 2012 miniseries "Hatfields and McCoys" and followed that with more indie flicks before taking on the "Hunger Games" franchise from 2013 to 2015. The actress then starred in darker dramas like 2016's "The Neon Demon" and "Nocturnal Animals" and the Amazon Prime series "Too Old to Die Young" and "Goliath." In 2020, Jena appeared in the horror flick "Antebellum" and will next appear in the David Bowie biopic "Stardust." Not one to be boxed in, she has also made a name for herself as a photographer, having shown her work in a few exhibits throughout her career. Jen was engaged to photographer Ethan DeLorenzo from 2016 to 2019. The exes share a son.

Tom Hollander starred as Mr. William Collins, a pompous clergyman whom the Bennets are hoping to set up with one of their daughters. While his sights are initially set on eldest sister Jane, the Bennets push him to consider Elizabeth instead. Once he proposes, Elizabeth defies her family by declining because she is not in love with Mr. Collins.

Ahead of "Pride & Prejudice," Tom Hollander was best known for turns in a number of British film and TV projects such as "Absolutely Fabulous," "Martha," "Meet Frank," "Daniel and Laurence," "Wives and Daughter," "Harry," "Cambridge Spies" and the acclaimed drama "Gosford Park." Shortly after the 2005 romance, Tom reunited with Keira Knightley in the "Pirates of the Caribbean" sequels "Dead Man's Chest" in 2006 and "At World's End" in 2007. Then came the period dramas "Elizabeth: The Golden Age" in 2007 and "Valkyrie" in 2008 as well as acclaimed modern tales like "The Soloist" and "In the Loop" in 2009. The English actor is recognizable for his parts in the 2011 action flick "Hanna," the 2013 romantic drama "About Time," the 2014 comedy sequel "Muppets Most Wanted" and the 2015 box office smash "Mission: Impossible – Rogue Nation." More recently, Tom's eclectic resume has included period dramas like "The Promise" in 2016 and "Tulip Fever" in 2017 as well as the musical biopic "Bohemian Rhapsody" and the Netflix thriller "Bid Box" in 2018. The actor, who also delivered strong performances in projects including "The Night Manager," "Taboo" and "Doctor Thorne" in recent years, next be seen in the spy comedy "The King's Man" in 2021. The actor has also done a significant amount of voice work with recurring parts in "Family Guy," "American Dad" and "Harley Quinn."

Judi Dench had a small but memorable role as Lady Catherine de Bourgh, Mr. Darcy's wealthy, classist aunt. Lady Catherine is very concerned about Mr. Darcy's future and who he chooses as a wife. She believes Elizabeth is too low-born for Darcy and pays her a visit to put a stop to their union. Despite her efforts, Elizabeth remains strong in her convictions and develops even more feelings for Mr. Darcy after Lady Catherine tells her to back off.

Judi Dench — one of the most acclaimed actresses of her generation — has a storied career that has lasted nearly seven decades so far. She spent years establishing herself as one of Britain's most prominent theatre performers, tackling everything from "Hamlet" to "Cabaret." The English star also made waves with her acclaimed work on British TV shows like "A Fine Romance" from 1981 to 1984 and "As Time Goes By" from 1992 to 2005. Judi's extensive filmography includes celebrated turns in 1985's "A Room with a View," 1995's "GoldenEye," 1996's "Hamlet," 1997's "Tomorrow Never Dies," 2000's "Chocolat," 2001's "Iris" and 2002's "Die Another Day." In 1999, she won an Academy Award for her work in 1998's "Shakespeare in Love." After "Pride & Prejudice," she made Oscar-nominated appearances in 2005's "Mrs. Henderson Presents," 2006's "Notes on a Scandal" and 2013's "Philomena." She returned to her James Bond role as M in the Daniel Craig-starring "Casino Royale" in 2006, "Quantum of Solace" in 2008, "Skyfall" in 2012 and "Spectre" in 2015. The star also appeared in well-received dramas like 2009's "Nine," 2011's "My Week with Marilyn," 2012's "The Best Exotic Marigold Hotel," and 2017's "Victoria & Abdul" and "Murder on the Orient Express." More recently, Judi was seen in 2019's much-discussed musical "Cats" and the 2020 Disney+ film "Artemis Fowl." Outside of her seven Oscar nominations, she has also snagged six BAFTA Awards, two SAG Awards, two Golden Globes and a Tony Award. The star was even appointed Dame Commander of the Order of the British Empire in 1988. Judi married actor Michael Williams in 1971 and they stayed together until his death in 2001. They have one daughter. The actress has been in a relationship with conservationist David Mills since 2010.

Talulah Riley rounded out the Bennet family as middle sister Mary. The most solemn of the Bennet women, Mary has a tendency to keep to herself and is focused more on reading and playing music than worrying about marriage. Of all the siblings, Mary is the daughter the Bennets are least concerned about marrying off, thinking of her as a bit of a lost cause.

"Pride & Prejudice" marked the film debut of Talulah Riley, who only had a single television credit to her name when signing onto the project. Also in 2005, the English actress made her first stage appearance in a London production of "The Philadelphia Story," which she followed with a role in "Summer and Smoke" the next year. Since then, she has made appearances on British TV shows like "Nearly Famous" in 2007 and "Doctor Who" in 2008. Talulah's film roles include 2007's "St. Trinian's," 2009's "The Boat That Rocked," 2010's "Inception," 2011's "The Dilemma," 2013's "Thor: The Dark World," 2016's "Submerged" and 2018's "The Last Witness." More recently, the star had a major role on the first two seasons of the HBO hit "Westworld" and appeared opposite Vin Diesel in the action film "Bloodshot" in 2020. Talulah married billionaire entrepreneur Elon Musk in 2010, but the couple's roller coaster relationship included a 2012 divorce, a 2013 remarriage, another divorce filing in 2014 that was eventually withdrawn, and a final divorce in 2016.

Manipulative militia officer George Wickham was portrayed by Rupert Friend. After initially charming Elizabeth with their mutual distaste for Mr. Darcy, she eventually learns that he was not at all truthful about Darcy or his intentions with the Bennet sisters. Unfortunately, Elizabeth figures this out after her sister Lydia runs off with Wickham and marries him without her family's blessing.

Rupert Friend had only appeared in the Johnny Depp-starring "The Libertine" before winning his part in "Pride & Prejudice." That same year, he also had his first leading role in the comedy "Mrs. Palfrey at the Claremont." The English actor then created his own production company and spearheaded a series of short films. He followed those with appearances in period dramas like 2008's "The Boy in the Striped Pyjamas," 2009's "Chéri" and 2010's "Young Victoria." Also in 2010, Rubert made the transition to theater, performing in a London production of "The Little Dog Laughed." Then came a series of indie films, such as 2012's "To Write Love on Her Arms," 2013's "The Zero Theorem" and 2014's "Starred Up." In 2015, Rupert had the lead role in the action sequel "Hitman: Agent 47." Around the same time, he joined the hit Showtime drama "Homeland" in the show's second season and became a very important character before leaving the series in 2018 — he even earned an Emmy nomination for his work. Since then, he's appeared in 2018's "A Simple Favor" and on the CBS All Access series "Strange Angel" for two seasons. Rupert dated his "Pride & Prejudice" co-star Keira Knightley for five years after meeting her on set. He married athlete and actress Aimee Mullins in 2016.