Matthew Macfadyen felt 'miscast' as Mr. Darcy in 'Pride & Prejudice': 'I'm not dishy enough'

Matthew Macfadyen may be his own worst critic when it comes to one of his most iconic roles.

The "Succession" actor, 49, admitted in an interview on "CBS Mornings" that he "didn't really" enjoy playing Mr. Darcy in the 2005 film version of "Pride & Prejudice."

"I feel bad saying that," he shared. "There were moments I had a good time, but I wish I'd enjoyed it more. I wish I was less worried about it."

Macfadyen explained this anxiety stemmed from feeling he wasn't right for the part in the movie, which paired him with Keira Knightley as Elizabeth Bennet.

"I felt a bit miscast, or I'm not dishy enough," he said. "But it worked out."

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Macfadyen also joked it's "flattering" when fans still identify him as Mr. Darcy almost 20 years later, as it makes him feel he "can't be aging that badly."

Director Joe Wright's 2005 movie based on the Jane Austen novel is generally considered one of the best "Pride & Prejudice" adaptations, and Macfadyen's performance is well-regarded among fans. The film earned four Oscar nominations, including a best actress nod for Knightley.

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In a 2022 interview with Vanity Fair, Macfadyen recalled feeling the "pressure" that came with the role. "This is a big film, don't get it wrong," he remembered thinking, adding, "I didn't feel very Mr. Darcy–ish. I felt like a bit of a middle-aged dad."

But Colin Firth, who played Mr. Darcy in the 1995 version of "Pride and Prejudice," told Vanity Fair that Macfadyen made him finally understand the character and is "definitely my favorite Darcy."

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Macfadyen also told NPR in 2022 that his "confidence wasn't great" when he was playing Mr. Darcy, even though he has warm feelings toward the film as a whole.

"It was a brilliant adaptation," he told NPR. "And Joe (Wright) was great. Keira (Knightley) was great. It was a lovely thing to be a part of."

More than a decade after "Pride & Prejudice," Macfadyen starred as Tom Wambsgans on HBO's "Succession," a role that earned him a Golden Globe and two consecutive Emmy wins.

He's now joining the Marvel Cinematic Universe as Mr. Paradox, an agent of the Time Variance Authority, opposite Ryan Reynolds and Hugh Jackman in "Deadpool & Wolverine," which hits theaters Friday.