Yes! Ms. Jennifer Ehle! I first became aware of her when I was touring in Fame the Musical. PBS was on as background noise as I was preparing to leave the hotel for my day off. I was just about to turn the TV off, when the credits starting rolling for Pride and Prejudice, which is one of my all time favorite books and films...my mom and I used to watch the old black and white version starring Laurence Olivier and Greer Garson whenever it was on TV.
I was hooked immediately...down went my bag, and I spent my day off watching the first 5 episodes of the brilliant miniseries that also starred Colin Firth. There's something about her...you can see it in her photo as Elizabeth Bennet...that substance and realness behind her eyes...and she brings that to everything she does.
She was born in North Carolina to British actress Rosemary Harris, and American author John Ehle. She grew up in both the US and the UK...making the English accent she needed for P&P very accessible to say the least!
I love her career--theatre, television and film. She's won 2 Tony Awards, and a SAG award. I love how easy she makes fully inhabiting a moment look. There's a lot of homework and prep going on there to make it look so effortless. I've never seen one second of her performances when she is not plugged in...I've taken to watching her in the background of scenes and she is always just brilliant.
Check out this scene where she lets Mr Darcy have it when he backhandedly asks for her hand in marriage:
Brilliant!
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