BBC's Pride and Prejudice Spin-Off: Ella Bruccoleri on Bringing Mary Bennet to Life
In a bold new adaptation, BBC One premieres The Other Bennet Sister, a fresh take on Jane Austen's beloved 1813 novel Pride and Prejudice. Starring Ella Bruccoleri as the often-overlooked Mary Bennet, this series aims to give depth to a character traditionally relegated to the sidelines of period drama.
From Supporting Role to Leading Lady
Ella Bruccoleri, known for her role in Call the Midwife, embraces the challenge of portraying Mary Bennet, the middle sister who lacks the wit of Lizzie, the beauty of Jane, the exuberance of Lydia, or the charm of Kitty. "Mary must find her own place in the world away from the shadow of her sisters," Bruccoleri explains, highlighting the show's focus on self-discovery rather than cookie-cutter romance.
The actress acknowledges the built-in fanbase of Pride and Prejudice, adapted countless times, but notes the real test is keeping viewers engaged. "Bringing people in is maybe the slightly easier part than convincing them to stay," she tells Metro. "It shifts so much tonally along the way that I'd be really sad if people stopped watching early on." With episodes running 30 minutes each, she urges audiences to stick through to Episode 10, which she describes as "a banger of an episode."
A Late Discovery of Jane Austen
Unlike many who grew up with Austen's work, Bruccoleri came to it later in life. "I came to it really late, which is a nice treat for me now, because everyone knows these books and I'm like: 'I've just discovered Jane Austen,'" she shares. Even after filming wrapped, she continues to read Austen's novels, aiming to work her way through them all.
In The Other Bennet Sister, Mary starts as a timid character, stifled by her mother Mrs. Bennet's iron fist and societal expectations. Transforming this underdeveloped literary figure into a well-rounded lead was no small feat. Bruccoleri points out that past portrayals, such as Lucy Briers' 1995 BBC version, often depicted Mary as a comically sanctimonious figure. "Mary is a comically sanctimonious figure, who's a bit preachy and a bit pious, and that's what you see. You don't see why she's like that," she reflects. "So it was difficult for me because I just wanted to start from a place that isn't an archetype; this is a human being."
Overcoming Self-Esteem and Family Dynamics
The series delves into Mary's crippling self-esteem issues, exacerbated by her overbearing mother, played by Ruth Jones. Bruccoleri describes filming these intense scenes as a mix of challenge and hilarity. "Ruth was apologising to me between every take, every scene, bless her. Those scenes, some of them are really difficult to play, because I would just be very tempted to corpse," she says.
The Other Bennet Sister balances laugh-out-loud moments with serious emotional depth as Mary navigates family chaos, societal pressures, and multiple suitors. Bruccoleri addresses concerns from fans about the show's tone: "Yeah, it's got loads of moments of levity and hilarity in it, but then it's got loads of really dark emotional stuff in it as well. It plays with them both quite skillfully."
A Modern Twist on a Classic Tale
Bruccoleri describes the series as an Austen tale like never before, "disguised a little bit as a romance." At its core, it's about Mary's journey of self-love. "Ultimately, she doesn't quite know it's happening, but she's going on this journey of just realising that – it's so cheesy – the love for herself is more important than anything else," Bruccoleri concludes. "Only when she can find that would she potentially be in a place to find love with somebody else. And I just love that that's what it is about, rather than… will someone accept her?"
The Other Bennet Sister premieres with a double bill on BBC One, offering a fresh perspective on a timeless story and inviting viewers to give Mary Bennet the chance she deserves.
