Colin Firth: The Thinking Ladies' Leading Man
Bridget Jones's Diary
If women weren't swooning over Firth before it, they sure were after this movie arrived in theaters in 2001. Based on the novel of the same name and the 1995 BBC adaptation of Pride and Prejudice, this romantic comedy turned on the protagonist's relationship with the stuffy Mark Darcy. The columnist Helen Fielding had Firth specifically in mind when she created the character of Darcy, a turn of events that sealed the deal for the actor. Described in the movie as "a prematurely middle-aged old prick with a cruel-raced ex-wife," Darcy sets his pride and prejudice aside and confesses to Bridget, the heroine, that despite appearances, he likes her just as she is, and another happy ending is assured. Before accepting the role, Firth had "had enough of playing Pride and Prejudice Darcy. The public identified me only with that person, and I had no more privacy. By playing Bridget Jones's Mark Darcy, a character inspired by the other Darcy, I hoped to ridicule and liberate myself once and for all from the character." Fat chance.