The Amateur Austenite’s season of Emma is drawing to a close. For our final episode Rachel and I debated our preferred casting for an adaptation of Emma, based off the adaptations we’d discussed. I won’t build tension by starting with the most insignificant character, here’s my list in descending order.
Emma
The title character was always going to be a challenge. There’s something to enjoy in (almost) every depiction of her. My first Emma, Kate Beckinsale, is perfect, but she wasn’t my choice.
I cast Alicia Silverstone from Clueless (1996) because, amongst the many blonde Emma’s, the excellent facials of Romola Garai and the more subtle ones of Ana Taylor-Joy, Alicia portrays an innocence in Cher’s character that makes you love her and believe any nastiness is unintentional.
Knightley
Who to cast for Emma’s love interest? Perhaps the ageless Paul Rudd to match Alicia Silverstone. When you think about it, the age difference doesn’t seem so bad when the guy never looks any older. On the other end of the spectrum John Carson (Emma 1972) with his grey hair was tempting too.
Instead I took another swing for a modern adaptation and chose Angela Wong Carbone, the lesbian Jordan Knightley, from the webseries The Emma Agenda. I’m a sucker for a masc lesbian, this one is soft masc but I’d love to see her in a suit. There’s something so caring in Knightley allowing Emma to realise her own sexuality, despite instructing her in other areas.
Harriet
It was essential to have a Harriet that’s prettier than Emma, it’s literally in the novel. My choice may be predicated that this Harriet was prettier than her Emma.
I cast Debbie Bowen from the 1972 Emma. She is appropriately beautiful and there’s a simplicity to her Harriet that, with another performer, could have easily tipped into stupidity.
Mr Woodhouse
Emma’s father is an important presence in the novel or any adaptation but I’m not sure whether who plays him makes much of a difference (feel free to argue with me). None of the actors stood out to me.
Again I went off script and chose the Mr Woodhouse from Murder at Donwell Abbey (novel by Vanessa Kelly), because he is engaged to Miss Bates. It makes up for the rude comment in the 1972 version, treated as a joke by everyone, asking if Miss Bates would be the next person to marry.
Miss Bates
And what of Mr Woodhouse’s bride to be you ask? Tamsin Greig portrayed a lovely sad Miss Bates which unfortunately is very different to her character in the novel, Miss Bates is invariably happy (which is why Boxhill is such a gut kick). I want her to do more Austen.
My choice for Miss Bates was always going to be Miranda Hart (Emma 2020). How could it not be?? How she manages to not steal every scene is a mystery to me. At the time of recording I’d recently finished her I Haven’t Been Entirely Honest With You and I think I might be a little obsessed. Rachel and I long ago decided we’d love to see Miranda Hart play almost any Austen character, or indeed every Austen character.
Jane Fairfax
The guiding principle for me in choosing the actress to portray Jane was elegance. It’s mentioned so often in Emma’s description of her, it cannot be avoided. The two actresses I was choosing between are not only beautiful, but have an innate elegance that speaks volumes while their character is silent.
It was the battle of the 1996 Jane’s; Polly Walker and Olivia Williams. Eventually I settled on Polly Walker because she’s almost unrecognisable as Lady Featherington in Bridgerton, a woman who confidently wields her power and wears flashy colours, someone for Jane Fairfax to aspire to. Jane is pushed by the tide of others opinions, not so Lady Featherington.
Frank Churchill
Jane deserves a better man than Frank Churchill for her husband, so I was careful not to select someone who gave manipulative vibes. My Frank just had to be hot and charming.
Prior to recording with Rachel I had whittled it down to two candidates; Rupert Evans (2009) and Raymond Coulthard (1996 ITV). During our conversation I settled on the latter, the scene where Emma imagines him stepping out of the painting cannot be beaten.
Mrs Weston
Franks stepmother and Emma’s friend / governess had to feel motherly.
I cast Samantha Bond (1996 ITV), probably because I struggle to picture the other actresses who played the role so obviously they didn’t leave a lasting impression. Samantha was also Maria Bertram / Rushworth in the 1983 Mansfield Park. What if Miss Taylor were Maria Bertram in disguise, hiding from her torrid past? She deserves a redemption and a man who will truly love her.
Mr Weston
Mr Weston exists like Mr Vernon in Lady Susan; he “lived only to do whatever he was desired.” He is there to give Mrs Weston a home and the love she deserves, to be Frank’s father and throw parties.
To me Mr Weston is an insignificant character, in Sam Brooks Em he never appears on stage and that is how I would have him in my adaptation also.
Mrs Elton
Perhaps Mrs Elton should go further up the list since I bothered to cast her but you could argue she’s not as essential to the story as other characters. There were so many excellent Mrs Elton’s; the looking down her nose-ness of Fiona Walker (1972) and Tanya Reynolds; the annoyance of Juliet Stevenson (1996) and Lucy Robinson (1996 ITV), even the strangely compelling hipster Allie Hawkins (Darcie DeLong) from The Emma Project.
I cast Christina Cole (2009) as my Mrs Elton. She’s Emma’s equal; doesn’t seem older like some of the others, just as attractive, plus the necessary haughty with a side of gaudy. I wonder why this actress was also chosen to play Miss Bingley (a lesbian one!), whether she enjoys portraying those type of characters or it’s something casting directors see in her because I’d also love to see her in Emma’s role.
Mr Elton
Last, and certainly least, we come to Mr Elton. This character can give a lot of ick for the way he behaves; his fawning over Emma, his refusal to hear her no, his dismissal of Harriet and how he parades his wife around. It’s easy to compare him to other slimy clergymen like Mr Collins but the essential fact of the character is that he’s hot. All the girls around Highbury are gagging for him and that’s why he thinks he’s got a shot with Emma. Another hot clergyman is Edmund Bertram from Mansfield Park, so hot that he has Mary Crawford questioning herself and considering marrying a mere clergyman.
I cast Blake Ritson as Mr Elton, it was a lovely coincidence that he stays with his wife from the 2009 Emma. He can sometimes give an ick but we’ve seen him hot as Edmund in the 2007 Mansfield Park (when they deal to his fringe). Let Mr Elton be hot! I amused myself imaging that he was in fact Edmund living under an assumed name. He and Mrs Weston (Maria from a different adaptation) are siblings who are forced to pretend to be strangers, just to add another layer to the story.
If you enjoyed this you might like listening to The Amateur Austenite or perhaps you’d like to debate the casting with me directly?