Daisy Edgar-Jones drew on childhood summers in Fermanagh for 'Sense and Sensibility' role
The actress found parallels between her youth in Northern Ireland and the character of Elinor Dashwood.
Daisy Edgar-Jones has spoken about how her childhood summers spent in the fields of County Fermanagh helped her prepare for her role as Elinor Dashwood in the new adaptation of Jane Austen's "Sense and Sensibility." Edgar-Jones, whose mother hails from County Down, spent her youth roaming the Northern Irish countryside.
"I remember big long summers when I was very young in Fermanagh in the fields which definitely helped with my Sense and Sensibility journey because I was doing a lot of the similar wandering around, with not much to do, under the big sky and I love being here," Edgar-Jones told BBC News NI. "I always feel so welcome and the people are incredible."
"Sense and Sensibility," published in 1811, tells the story of the Dashwood sisters, who are left penniless after their father's death and must navigate societal expectations and romance in search of security. The novel has been adapted numerous times, with the 1995 film adaptation starring Kate Winslet and Emma Thompson being one of the most well-known.
In the new film, Edgar-Jones stars alongside Esmé Creed-Miles as Marianne Dashwood. The cast also features Irish actors Caitriona Balfe as Mrs. Dashwood, Fiona Shaw as Mrs. Jennings, and Bodhi Rae Breathnach as the youngest sister, Margaret.
Balfe, who grew up in County Monaghan, noted that the film's depiction of sisterly bonds resonated with her own childhood experiences. "There was a lot of that sisterly dynamic that I recognised," Balfe said. "This is one of the beautiful things about this film is watching the richness of this family. One of the words that kept coming to me was the resilience of them – even though they were destitute financially, what you see when they go to Barton is actually this blossoming, because they have each other."
Balfe expressed pride in the current state of the arts in Ireland, stating, "I'm so proud to be Irish and it's such an amazing time in Ireland right now for all the incredible art that is being produced here and to be able to bring this film here is really special."
The film was produced by Focus Features and Working Title. "Sense and Sensibility" is set to be released in cinemas on September 25.