Judi Dench is an incredibly well-known and exceptionally talented actress. She has starred in many massively successful projects, through which, she has made a name for herself as the phenomenal actress that she is, having some of the most diverse, complex, and captivating characters. She has been awarded for these skills time and time again, including being nominated for a number of Academy Awards and winning the same once for her work in the 1998 film, Shakespeare In Love.
Another widely adored period piece that Dench was a part of was the 2005 film, Pride and Prejudice, based on a novel by Jane Austen by the same name. While the character the actress plays in the film is unlikable on many different levels, it makes one curious as to why she would take up a role like this. Joe Wright, the director of the film, revealed the process of his casting the actress, as well as one of the most beloved personalities in the film.
Joe Wright Wrote A Letter To Judi Dench
Judi Dench’s character in Pride and Prejudice, Lady Catherine de Bourgh, is as close as we get to getting a villain in the film, with her personality being only described as insufferable and her directly standing in between Mr. Darcy, played by Matthew Macfadyen and Elizebeth Bennet, played by Keira Knightley. Joe Wright, according to IMDb, talked about the process of casting her character, which was quite peculiar.
“I love it when you play a b*tch,” said the director in the letter
The acclaimed director revealed that he sent the Oscar-winning actress a letter to try to convince her to do his film. The letter in question was quite odd, considering the contents of it. Wright simply told Dench that he loved her performance when she played unlikable characters, which would make her perfect for this film and the character. Oddly enough, this worked and the actress was certainly memorable in this role.
Joe Wright Petitioned Donald Sutherland To Feature In The Film
Donald Sutherland is an incredibly talented actor, giving some of the most memorable and captivating performances ever, with the best example being his work in The Hunger Games franchise as President Snow. It is no surprise that, with how skilled the actor is, Joe Wright wanted him to be a part of Pride and Prejudice. The director then, according to IMDb, revealed the process of convincing Sutherland to play the role of Mr. Bennet.
“We ended up having a long e-mail correspondence about everything from eighteenth-century agriculture to my relationship with my father. I cast Donald a) because he’s a god, and b) because you needed someone of that strength to handle those six women.”
He revealed that the two got swept up in this process, having a very long e-mail correspondence where they would touch on a lot of different, unrelated topics. He then went on to explain why he thought that Sutherland was perfect for this role. He explained that, first, he thought that the actor was an exceptional actor, so there was no doubt for him there. Secondly, Wright explained that he thought that Sutherland would perfectly understand, because of this, how to handle six different women, which character has to.
Source: IMDb
