… and Colin Firth, and the 2005 movie featuring Keira Knightley and Matthew Macfadyen. The novel also served as a premise for a myriad of books at the turn of the 21st century, including the best seller Bridget Jones’s Diary (1996) by Helen Fielding (which was followed by a number of…

…high-spirited Elizabeth Bennet in an adaptation of Jane Austen’s Pride and Prejudice. For her role in the romantic film, Knightley received Academy Award and Golden Globe nominations for best actress. The movie was directed by Joe Wright, and the two reunited for Atonement (2007), which was based on Ian McEwan’s…

…Joe Wright’s big-screen adaptation of Pride and Prejudice. He worked regularly after that breakthrough, but he later told The New York Times that he has been partial to supporting roles rather than starring ones, saying “I feel sometimes you can get in a rut when you play leading men. It’s…

… (2003), The Italian Job (2003), Pride & Prejudice (2005; as the estimable Mr. Bennet), The Mechanic (2011), and The Eagle (2011).