Biography for
Matthew Macfadyen More at IMDbPro »

Date of Birth

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

Birth Name

David Matthew Macfadyen

Height

6' 3" (1.91 m)

Mini Biography

Matthew Macfadyen may have been born in Norfolk, but as the son of an oil worker 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) (TV). A couple more TV roles followed but it was his role as Tom Quinn, head of Section D, in the hit BBC series _"Spooks" (2004)_ 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.

IMDb Mini Biography By: Anonymous

Spouse

Keeley Hawes

(8 October 2004 - present) 2 children

Trivia

His mother was an actress and trained drama teacher.

Self-confessed John le Carré-style spy buff.

Has a younger brother called Jamie.

Graduated from RADA in 1995.

Attended Oakham School in Rutland, Leicestershire; drama scholar from 1990 to 1992.

Became an Associate Member of RADA.

His first child, a daughter Maggie, was born 2004 with his wife, Keeley Hawes.

Stepfather of Miles, son of his wife Keeley Hawes from her previous marriage.

His wife, Keeley Hawes, gave birth to a baby boy, Ralph, in September 2006.

Hadn't read Jane Austen's "Pride and Prejudice" before shooting the film adaptation. Instead, he based the character of Mr. Darcy on the script.

According to Audio Commentary of MI-5/Spooks Series 2 Episode 1, Matthew Macfadyen is allergic to cats.

Personal Quotes

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.

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.

[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.

[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.

Where Are They Now

(January 2004) starts filming new series of "MI-5" (2002).

(June 2004) Is to play the role of "Mr Darcy" in the upcoming film adaptation of Jane Austen's Pride & Prejudice (2005), opposite Keira Knightley.

(May 2005) From May to August 2005, played Prince Hal in a National Theatre production of Henry IV.

(May 2006) His wife, Keeley Hawes, is expecting their second child, due in September, 2006.

(September 2006) His wife, Keeley Hawes, gave birth to son Ralph.

(April 2010) Currently playing Elyot in Noel Coward's "Private Lives" at the Vaudeville Theatre in London.