Matthew Macfadyen

Birthday: 17 October 1974, Great Yarmouth, Norfolk, England, UK

Birth Name: David Matthew Macfadyen

Height: 191 cm

David Matthew Macfadyen was born in Great Yarmouth, Norfolk, to Meinir (Owen), a drama teacher and actress, and Martin Macfadyen, an oil executive. He is of Scottish and Welsh descent. Because of his father's career, he spent at least part of his childhood in Indonesia, before finishing his education back in England and winning a place at RADA in 1992. He won critical acclaim in the UK with his work with the stage company Cheek By Jowl in the 1990s and was well established as a stage actor when he made his first TV appearance in Wuthering Heights (1998). A couple more TV roles followed but it was his role as Tom Quinn, head of Section D, in the hit BBC series Spooks (2002) that really made his name at home. And, indeed, established his home - he met his wife, Keeley Hawes, while working on the show. A steady stream of TV and film work followed, with his performance as Mr Darcy in Pride & Prejudice (2005) firmly establishing his name worldwide. Show less «

I sometimes wish I had an equivalent to "Sollocks" [the word Amanda and Elyot in "Private Lives" use...Show more »

I sometimes wish I had an equivalent to "Sollocks" [the word Amanda and Elyot in "Private Lives" use to call a halt to their wrangling]. It's quite touching all that, the idea that there's a catchword to stop the conversation and calm things down. So much of what happens to Amanda and Elyot, and to couples, certainly to me and my wife, is that, whenever you have a row, you say things you don't mean because you don't have time to think. Show less «

[on being likened to a Moonin] I like Moomins. I've got these fantastic Moomin mugs and bowls. My li...Show more »

[on being likened to a Moonin] I like Moomins. I've got these fantastic Moomin mugs and bowls. My little boy examines which bowl I've given him to eat his Weetabix out of. So that pleases me. Matthew MacMoomin. That's nice. Show less «

[When asked if modern viewers will view Mr. Darcy differently.] I think looking at it now, Darcy wou...Show more »

[When asked if modern viewers will view Mr. Darcy differently.] I think looking at it now, Darcy would seem much more snobbish in our understanding of the word than he would then. To somebody like Darcy, it would have been a big deal for him to get over this difference in their status, and to be able to say to Lizzie that he loved her. We would think it was incredibly snobbish and elitist, but it wasn't for him. It would have been a big admission, and he would have found it very vulgar. It's a bigger divide than it would have been then is what I'm saying. Show less «

[on approaching the character of Mr. Darcy for Pride and Prejudice:] I find Darcy very sympathetic, ...Show more »

[on approaching the character of Mr. Darcy for Pride and Prejudice:] I find Darcy very sympathetic, I find it heartbreaking that he's seen as very haughty and proud - and he is those things - but he's a young man who is still grieving for his parents. He's from an ancient family and has this huge responsibility, but it seemed to me that he's still trying to work out who he is and how to be in the world. I found that very interesting, and I found him very sympathetic. Show less «

[on his role as Elyot in Noel Coward's "Private Lives"] I think Coward was incredibly perceptive abo...Show more »

[on his role as Elyot in Noel Coward's "Private Lives"] I think Coward was incredibly perceptive about marriage and sex. That thing about sexual desire co-existing with the inability to get on happily is a universal experience. He shows how those petty frustrations can be overwhelming: you can lose sight of why you wanted to be together in the first place when you're busy bickering and fighting and screaming at each other. Show less «

The lovely thing about being an actor is being anonymous, it's never having to explain yourself. And...Show more »

The lovely thing about being an actor is being anonymous, it's never having to explain yourself. And that's what I find interesting about actors or painters I admire. I don't want to know about their lives. I don't really want to know what Anthony Hopkins has for breakfast. It's kind of bollocks, isn't it? Show less «

[on the steadily rising age of the acting parts he is offered] John, 40s, grey hair. Slightly jowly,...Show more »

[on the steadily rising age of the acting parts he is offered] John, 40s, grey hair. Slightly jowly, tired looking. Show less «

I don't watch enough television to feel guilty about it. Maybe it's because I have a very unstructur...Show more »

I don't watch enough television to feel guilty about it. Maybe it's because I have a very unstructured life: half the time I do nothing and then I'll work 13 hours a day. Or maybe it's the fact that if I gave into watching daytime telly, I'd never stop. Show less «

The other day, I was somewhere terribly glamorous -- Brent Cross, I think it was -- and a guy came u...Show more »

The other day, I was somewhere terribly glamorous -- Brent Cross, I think it was -- and a guy came up to me and said, "I've blown your cover." Show less «

[on his role in Ashes to Ashes (2008)] It's really hard when your other half is in it but I thought ...Show more »

[on his role in Ashes to Ashes (2008)] It's really hard when your other half is in it but I thought Ashes to Ashes was so clever and witty and creepy and funny and camp and silly. Show less «

I find "Desert Island Discs" very moving - something about the combination of music and people's sto...Show more »

I find "Desert Island Discs" very moving - something about the combination of music and people's stories, and imagining why they've chosen certain tracks. I've pondered what mine would be of course - doesn't everyone? - but it would be agony to have to actually choose. Show less «

I have felt some twinges recently, about parts I wanted to play that I may be getting too old and fa...Show more »

I have felt some twinges recently, about parts I wanted to play that I may be getting too old and fat to do. Hamlet, for example - maybe that's gone. I would love to play Richard II. Show less «

[on his role as Darcy] All the Bennets were having a great time; it was all very cosy. Then I'd come...Show more »

[on his role as Darcy] All the Bennets were having a great time; it was all very cosy. Then I'd come along and be a bit sullen for a couple of days and then f--- off again! It didn't help that my wife was pregnant at the time, but I wished I'd enjoyed it more. Show less «

I have a theory that watching things in another language allows you to filter out all your prejudice...Show more »

I have a theory that watching things in another language allows you to filter out all your prejudices and preconceptions and pay attention in a different way, so it's more rewarding. Plus you can't wander out to put the kettle on. Show less «

[on which TV programs make him cringe] Sub-reality TV shows, although they're almost beyond offendin...Show more »

[on which TV programs make him cringe] Sub-reality TV shows, although they're almost beyond offending now because they're so crap and worthless. Show less «

[on his voice-over work on "The Blair Years" documentary] It's all acting. It's all cobblers.

[on his role as Arthur Clennam in the BBC's Little Dorrit (2008)] Arthur would never imagine that Li...Show more »

[on his role as Arthur Clennam in the BBC's Little Dorrit (2008)] Arthur would never imagine that Little Dorrit would fall for him. She falls in love with him and he doesn't see it, and that's the love story that goes through the whole piece. It's a wonderful Dickens potboiler, apart from anything else. Show less «

Ever since Spooks, this perception of me as solemn, lantern-jawed and unsmiling has lingered, but th...Show more »

Ever since Spooks, this perception of me as solemn, lantern-jawed and unsmiling has lingered, but that buttoned-up Englishness is only one facet of what I can do. I'm always surprised when people say, "Crikey, we didn't know you could do comedy!" Show less «

I would hate not to do a play every couple of years. I think it's not me. I did four or five years i...Show more »

I would hate not to do a play every couple of years. I think it's not me. I did four or five years in telly, and by the end of it was drained. I was a bit sick of myself. I didn't feel like an actor anymore. That sounds silly, but when you're doing a play you're using different muscles, and it blew all the cobwebs away. Show less «

[on his favourite film] I think my favourite is a Swedish one called Fanny och Alexander (1982). It'...Show more »

[on his favourite film] I think my favourite is a Swedish one called Fanny och Alexander (1982). It's seen through the eyes of two children whose mother remarries, and it's funny, sad, scary and wonderful. Show less «

[on his rich and rolling timbre, which he attributes to having been a smoker] It does help. You thin...Show more »

[on his rich and rolling timbre, which he attributes to having been a smoker] It does help. You think of all those rich, fabulous, fruity voices - the Gambons and McKellens - and they are all from years of... I gave up about four years ago. I still miss it. Show less «

Matthew Macfadyen

Matthew Macfadyen's FILMOGRAPHY

Matthew Macfadyen'S roles

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