Film and television adaptations of Jane Austen’s novels have never been out of production, and it’s easy to see why. Guaranteed to entertain are her strong, forward-thinking female protagonists and well-considered characters, always paired with a tense and engaging meet-cute, as well as the dominating familial obligations and class expectations ever getting in the way. Persuasion, the most recent of Austen’s work to be given adapted is focused on a family with dwindling wealth, a lack of a sufficient long-term solution to their situation, and meddling family members whose behaviors come in between a wholesome young love.
In a similar vein to her other stories, Persuasion critiques societal expectations and sensibilities placed on men and women, particularly surrounding the notions of marriage, land, and a person’s worth. The lives that the characters in her books lead are so different from what ours are like today, but we still find ways to relate and cannot get enough of them. Read on for everyone you need to know in Netflix’s Persuasion.
Related:What Those Fourth-Wall Breaks Add to 'Persuasion' and the World of Jane Austen
Dakota Johnson as Anne Elliot
Anne (Dakota Johnson) is the middle child of an aristocratic family, whose wealth is dwindling as a result of irresponsible spending habits. Unlike her family, Anne has a calm and caring demeanor, as well as a lack of interest in the superficial interests her father and sister hold. She is said to be most like her late mother in character, making her a bit of an outsider in her own family. According to society in 1818, Anne’s age of 27, makes her well and truly headed towards becoming a spinster and way beyond her ‘prime’. Exemplifying her dutiful, family-oriented, and practical nature, Anne breaks her engagement with Frederick Wentworth, despite her love for him.
While Dakota Johnson has been involved in acting since she was young, her most well-known role was as the leading lady in the Fifty Shadesfilm series. More recently, she was seen playing the ambitious music producer/actually-an-assistant in Nisha Ganatra’s The High Note, as well as in the Apple TV+ original, Cha Cha Real Smooth.
Cosmo Jarvis as Frederick Wentworth
Frederick (Cosmo Jarvis) is a naval officer who at a young age was engaged to Anne. Unlike the prospects Anne was expected to marry, Frederick does not have an abundance of wealth to his name, and is therefore not considered a worthy or worthwhile match by her father nor her family friend, Lady Russell. To spite Anne’s decision and out of his hurt, Frederick is determined to prove his worth and make a name for himself in the Navy. While initially being overcome with betrayal for her decision, Frederick’s good-hearted nature is what helps him overcome these feelings and reach a sense of peace with his life.
Cosmo Jarvis is most known for his work in dramatic roles, including Lady Macbeth, Peaky Blinders, and most recently, the HBO Max original series, Raised by Wolves.
Henry Golding as Mr. William Elliot
Mr. William Elliot (Henry Golding), a cousin of Anne, is the heir to the Elliot fortune as the closest male descendent of Sir Walter (who only bore daughters). Though he outwardly appears charming and kind, Mr. Elliot is a money-hungry man of questionable character, who is discovered to have used his first wife for his personal gain. Setting his sights on the Elliot girls and the potential baronetcy that he can gain from Anne, he tries to win her affections and attention.
Henry Golding burst onto our screens in 2018, in the leading role in the romantic-comedy Crazy Rich Asians. Since then, he is most likely to have been seen in his role as Tom, in Last Christmas, as well as in The Gentlemen, and most recently Snake Eyes.
Nikki Amuka-Bird as Lady Russell
Lady Russell (Nikki Amuka-Bird) is Anne’s close friend and mentor, as well as a mother figure after her real mother passed away. Though Lady Russell has good intentions and means the best for Anne, being born into aristocracy herself, she is often guided by the rules of her society and disapproves of Frederick Wentworth because of his lower class.
Nikki Amula-Bird has a very long television presence, particularly in British shows. Out of these, she is most likely to be recognized for her performances in Luther, HBO’s Avenue 5, as well as in M. Night Shyamalan’s film Old.
Mia McKenna-Bruce as Mary Elliot
Mary Elliot (Mia McKenna-Bruce) is the youngest of the three sisters, as well as the first to be married. She, like her sister Elizabeth, is both vain, self-absorbed and generally out-of-touch with life beyond their privileged environments. Much to the audience’s amusement, Mary is the complainer and hypochondriac of the family, as well as a slightly aloof mother.
Mia McKenna-Bruce was first seen on screens in the show EastEnders. From there she has been seen in a recurring role in the family show The Tracy Beaker Survival Files, and its subsequent shows. McKenna-Bruce is most likely to be seen, however, in the Netflix series Get Even and The Witcher.
Richard E. Grant as Sir Walter Elliot
Sir Walter (Richard E. Grant) is a proud man who, as a baronet is used to a life of luxury and wealth. This expectation of luxury, pride, and overspending continues to the detriment of his and his daughter's lives. Out of his three daughters, both Elizabeth and Mary closely match his personality and desire for wealth, whereas Anne, who though practically minded, is less motivated by this.
Richard E. Grant has been seen in many films and television shows since the beginning of his long career in the industry. Most recently he is likely to be recognized for his role in The Hitman’s Bodyguard, starring Ryan Reynolds and Samual L. Jackson, as well as its sequel The Hitman’s Wife’s Bodyguard. He may also have been seen in Lena Dunham’s Girls, the Netflix adaptation of A Series of Unfortunate Events, or Downton Abbey.
