Who played Elizabeth Bennet in the 1995 BBC adaptation of 'Pride and Prejudice'?

Jennifer Ehle played Elizabeth Bennet in the 1995 BBC adaptation of Pride and Prejudice. The six-episode serial was adapted by Andrew Davies from Jane Austen’s 1813 novel and directed by Simon Langton, with Colin Firth playing Fitzwilliam Darcy.

Ehle was selected from six serious candidates after producers sought performers who could combine period-appropriate presence with wit and charisma. She was in her mid-20s during production and had read Pride and Prejudice at age 12. Her performance portrayed Elizabeth as intelligent, observant, quick-witted, and capable of revising her own judgments.

The series originally aired on BBC1 from 24 September to 29 October 1995. It became a major popular and critical success, and Ehle won the BAFTA Television Award for Best Actress. Firth’s performance also helped make the production one of the best-known Austen adaptations.

Keira Knightley is a frequent source of confusion because she played Elizabeth in the 2005 feature film. Kate Winslet and Emma Thompson were not Elizabeth Bennet in the 1995 BBC serial.