Colin Firth’s character Mark Darcy is killed off in the latest Bridget Jones movie, and author Helen Fielding has opened up about the actor’s ‘savage’ response to the news
Bridget Jones author Helen Fielding has revealed how Colin Firth reacted when he found out his character Mark Darcy had been ‘killed off’ in the new Bridget Jones movie. The latest instalment, Bridget Jones: Mad About The Boy, hit cinemas without the beloved Mark Darcy, played by Colin Firth.
Renee Zellweger returns as Bridget Jones, who is now a widow following the unexpected death of Mark. It’s revealed that Mark, a human rights lawyer, met his untimely end off-screen. Fans were left heartbroken, especially after the couple tied the knot in 2016’s Bridget Jones’ Baby, seemingly giving Bridget the happy ending she deserved. Ahead of the film’s release, author Helen Fielding shared her conversation with Colin about the tragic twist.
Surprisingly, she never actually planned to kill off his character, she confessed to Variety. “Well the truth is, I didn’t ever intend to actually kill Colin,” she admitted.
“When the book came out, it was the second lead after Syria on BBC News: ‘Mark Darcy is dead!'” She continued, “I’d had to previously call Colin up and ask if he had someone with him and if he was sitting down, and I told him that I’d killed him,”
Recalling his ‘savage’ response, Helen remembers Colin telling her: “‘You’ve killed the wrong one.'” Following Mark’s tragic passing, our beloved single mum Bridget is back on the prowl as she hilariously navigates the tricky waters of the dating world.
As ever, Bridget’s romantic endeavours are a whirlwind. This time she’s caught between dashing Roxster (played by Leo Woodall) and the oh-so-charming Mr. Wallaker (Chiwetel Ejiofor), one of her children’s teachers.
28 year old heartthrob Leo Woodall, known for his roles in White Lotus and Netflix’s One Day, has come out in defence of the age-gap relationship depicted in the film between his character and Renee Zellweger’s 55 year old Bridget. He got real with Stellar Magazine about what he thinks, asking, “When two people find the connection, why shouldn’t they see where it goes without judgment?, reports the Mirror.
“Both dynamics should be equally normalised. It’s a good thing that we’re getting the reverse. ” Leo boldly declared that such relationships aren’t just a fantasy; they’re “not uncommon” off-screen though Hollywood often gives them a miss.
Meanwhile, fans who’ve already had a sneak peek at the film flocked to X (which everyone knows was Twitter in its past life) to air their thoughts – and there’s a collective heartbreak over Mark’s demise. One fan lamented while gearing up for the latest flick, “rewatching the bridget jones movies in preparation for the new one and i still can’t believe they dared to kill off mr darcy just like that he was a #real man oh i’m so upset…” Another couldn’t contain their excitement, declaring: “Bridget Jones Mad About The Boy is the film of the year.”