It’s the 250th anniversary of Jane Austen’s birth. Obviously, we picked the 10 best actors who brought her characters to life on screen
Listicle: 10 Jane Austen characters we’ve loved on screen
Judi Dench in Pride & Prejudice (2005)
Dench’s Lady Catherine de Bourgh leaves every other actor who’s played Darcy’s aunt in the dust. She makes the dowager hard to please but easy to watch. “Do you play the pianoforte, Miss Bennet?” “Do you draw?” “Has your governess left you?” Each query is a barb, to remind Miss Bennet that she’s not worthy of her nephew. There are seven people in this dinner scene (not counting the staff). Dench outshines everyone before the soup is served.