The Baftas – a special issue - A celebration of British film (Feb 2006)

The Baftas – a special issue - A celebration of British film (Telegraph Magazine, 18 Feb 2006)

Matthew Macfadyen
Last year, after he was cast as Mr Darcy in the film adaptation of Pride & Prejudice, expectation hung heavy on Matthew Macfadyen. Best known until then for his television roles - in 1999's Warriors, Peter Kosminsky's devastating portrayal of UN soldiers in Bosnia, and the BBC spy drama Spooks (where he met his wife, Keeley Hawes) - Macfadyen proved a strickingly convincing choice. He received similar acclaim for his portrayal of a warzone photo-journalist in last year's independent film In My Father's Den. His next film is Middletown, in which he plays a minister returning to rescue his Irish hometown from a state of moral disrepair.

Inspiration No one person or film inspired to want to be an actor, I just loved being on stage in drama groups and then at school. Later, of course, I became fascinated by lots of actors - Brando, Pacino, De Niro, Daniel Day-Lewis, Antony Sher, Sean Penn, Michael Gambon, Laurence Olivier...

Favourite films Fanny and Alexander, Dog Day Afternoon, The Bourne Identity.

Trailer essentials My mobile phone. And usually some music on. And me, endlessly waiting to be called to set.

High point Meeting my scrumptious wife on Spooks.

*transcribed by Matthieu