The cast of the new BBC drama The Other Bennet Sister gathered in London for a special screening just days before the series debuts on Sunday, March 15. Lead actress Ella Bruccoleri shared a key insight into her character, revealing that Mary Bennet “completely sees herself through her mother’s eyes” for much of the story .
The 10-part series, based on Janice Hadlow’s novel, brings the often-overlooked middle Bennet sister from Jane Austen’s Pride and Prejudice into the spotlight. The screening at the Institute of Contemporary Arts on Monday night featured a Q&A with the cast, giving fans a first look at what to expect from the highly detailed period production .
Cast Discuss Mary’s Journey of Self-Discovery
Ella Bruccoleri, known for her roles in Call the Midwife and Bridgerton, takes on the titular role of Mary Bennet. During the Q&A, she explained how her character’s self-perception is shaped by her mother’s harsh judgment. “She also completely sees herself through her mother’s eyes for quite a lot of it,” Bruccoleri told the audience .
She elaborated on how Mrs. Bennet’s obsession with marrying off her daughters affects Mary. “And Mrs. Bennet, in her mind, their value is to their marriage-ability,” Bruccoleri said. The actress praised Mary’s eventual path toward independence, calling it a “maverick” choice for the era. “Deciding to be happy by yourself feels like a really maverick thing to do, right? And back then, completely insane, financially really difficult. You see her go on this journey where she makes this really difficult decision” .
The series follows Mary as she steps out from her sisters’ shadows, leaving the family home at Longbourn for the social scenes of Regency London and the Lake District. Her quest for identity and purpose leads her into an unexpected love story along the way .
Ruth Jones on Playing a More Nuanced Mrs. Bennet
Ruth Jones, the Gavin & Stacey star, takes on the iconic role of Mrs. Bennet, a character previously portrayed by Alison Steadman and Brenda Blethyn. Jones acknowledged the legacy of those performances but highlighted how this version shows a different side of the character. “We are seeing Mrs. Bennet with all her surface removed, and we’re seeing a different side to her,” Jones explained .
Jones defended Mrs. Bennet’s often-pushy behavior, noting the difficult realities for women in the Regency era. “Her intentions were good, right? She wanted the best for her daughters because she knew how tough it was for women, and that if they did not marry well, they would not survive,” she said .
In a lighthearted moment, Jones recalled a conversation with Bad Wolf CEO Jane Tranter about her character. “I said, ‘She’s like an 18th-century estate agent.’ Five properties to sell and one of them just will not shift, no matter how much she reduces the price!” Jones joked. “So that’s what we kind of saw in this quite monstrous mother, but she did have her reasons for behaving the way she did, and that’s what really appealed to me” .
When asked about hidden details fans might miss, Jones humorously pointed to Mrs. Bennet’s physical comedy. “I think Mrs. Bennet relies very heavily on a heaving bosom. It’s almost like her engine. I think she very rarely gets seen without it. That’s her secret weapon” .
Romantic Leads Tease Fresh Dynamics
Dónal Finn, who plays Mr. Hayward, and Laurie Davidson, who plays Mr. Ryder, also shared their thoughts on the series. Both actors portray potential suitors who help Mary discover different aspects of herself.
Finn praised writer Sarah Quintrell’s fresh approach to the characters. “There was a freshness in what Sarah had written. I thought it was kind of amazing that, in the same way that Mary Bennet was maybe the unlikely protagonist, I also felt in reading Hayward, he was an unlikely romantic lead,” Finn said. He described the connection between Mary and Hayward as a mutual foundation of confidence. “What’s lovely is they’re the foundation of each other’s confidence” .
Davidson added that Mary’s interactions with different people allow her personality to flourish in new ways. “We see different parts of Mary flourish with these different people — they bring out something different in her. I think that’s such a human thing, you know? We are so different with different people. And Mary gets to discover that” .
A Nod to the Past with Lucy Briers
Adding a special layer to the production, Lucy Briers, who played Mary Bennet in the beloved 1995 BBC adaptation of Pride and Prejudice, joins the cast as Mrs. Hill, the Bennet family maid and Mary’s confidante . In an exclusive interview with TV Insider, Briers described the experience as emotional.
“It was actually a really emotional experience, because time travels faster and faster the older one gets, and it was so lovely being able to give Mary the advice I wish someone had given her in Pride & Prejudice!” Briers said. “I’d always felt very protective of Mary Bennet when I was playing her, and proud that she was authentically herself even if it didn’t always serve her well” .
Briers praised Bruccoleri’s performance, noting that the new series gives Mary the space to grow that Austen fans have long wanted to see. “Ella Bruccoleri’s Mary Bennet is glorious, and I can’t wait to watch every episode!” she added .
Production Team and Broader Cast
The series is produced by Bad Wolf, known for His Dark Materials and Industry, and was filmed in Wales. Sarah Quintrell wrote nine of the ten half-hour episodes, with Maddie Dai writing one. Directing duties were shared by Jennifer Sheridan (Extraordinary) and Asim Abbasi (Cake) .
The ensemble cast includes Richard E. Grant as Mr. Bennet, Indira Varma and Richard Coyle as Mr. and Mrs. Gardiner, and the Bennet sisters played by Maddie Close (Jane), Poppy Gilbert (Lizzie), Molly Wright (Kitty), and Grace Hogg-Robinson (Lydia). Tanya Reynolds appears as Caroline Bingley, Ryan Sampson as Mr. Collins, and Varada Sethu as Ann Baxter.
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Release Details
The Other Bennet Sister debuts in the UK on Sunday, March 15. The first five episodes will be available on BBC iPlayer from 6 am, with a double bill airing weekly on BBC One at 8 pm. The remaining episodes will drop on BBC iPlayer on March 29 . For viewers in the United States and Canada, the series will premiere on BritBox at a later date, with TV Insider confirming a US premiere of Wednesday, May 6 .
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