Co-Star Teases James Bond Front-Runner's Sensitive Mr Darcy in Game-Changing Pride and Prejudice Adaptation

Marisa Abela is juggling two big life chapters right now: training for a new film and planning her wedding to actor-writer Jamie Bogyo. In the middle of all that, she somehow found time to become Elizabeth Bennet for Audible’s new Pride and Prejudice. That full-circle energy you get when someone lands the part they grew up loving? Yeah, it is very much that.

The at-home setup (and the watchlist detour)

• Sofa view: the TV lives inside a bookshelf, legs go up on an ottoman, and there is a fireplace doing its cozy job.
• Current watch habits: not a ton, thanks to the film training and wedding spreadsheets. She did just finish Love Island and KPop Demon Hunters. Verdict on the latter: wild, but fun.
• Reality/cooking shows are her on-set comfort food. Otherwise, watching TV can feel too much like work.
• Remote diplomacy: probably none. She calls it within ten minutes. If it is not working, it is off. Self-described tyrant about her attention span, no notes.

Pride and Prejudice on Audible: Abela’s Lizzie, no gimmicks

Abela did not want to reinvent Elizabeth Bennet so much as breathe her in. The approach is deliberately clean: let the text be the text and let the audience do the visualizing. That is one of the perks of audio, and she leans into it.

"I am not telling you what Lizzie looks like or what she is doing with her face. I am bringing life to her choices and relationships, and the listener completes the picture."

She also had the nerd-out moment you hope for: Pride and Prejudice was the first book she could not put down, so this feels like the universe closing a loop. When she heard who else was in the cast, she could not believe her luck. And yes, the adaptation is out now if you want to dive in — Pride and Prejudice is available to purchase and listen to at www.audible.co.uk.

Harris Dickinson as Mr Darcy: classic, but cracked open

Harris Dickinson is not chasing a twisty Darcy; he is playing the guy straight down the middle. The difference is in the shading. Abela says the pride and ego come from somewhere, and in this version, you feel the wound earlier and more often — it does not just pop up when Elizabeth needs to see it. Translation: it is a sensitive, modern-feeling take that still gives you all the Darcy you want.

The Bafta bump and what is next for Industry

Since her Bafta leading actress win for Industry, the phone has been busy. She is pretty sure the job she is on now landed a couple of days after the win. It feels amazing and surreal in equal measure, and she is clear about what matters: it happened because of Industry, the show that gave her her first job. She booked it while still in drama school, filmed that first episode, then headed back to graduate. Nice origin story.

Season 4 is in the can. Expect new characters and the most grown-up version of Yasmin we have seen. Remember the intern ferrying salads in season 1? She is miles from that now, and Abela sounds genuinely into where the character has landed.

Playing Amy Winehouse, and who she would tackle next

After Back to Black, she is open to real-life roles again — just maybe not someone as high-profile as Amy next time. That level of scrutiny is its own job. She is drawn to history either way, fiction and non-fiction, and would rather play someone known for their work than for their celebrity. Names on her wish list: Sylvia Plath or Helen of Troy.