I’m not sure why it took a while for James D’Arcy to grow on me, but it did. He’s got floppy hair! British accent! He’s 6’3″! What can I say, sometimes I’m slow on the uptake. Please to enjoy his frock flicks resume!
The Canterville Ghost (1997)
A TV adaptation of the Oscar Wilde comedic ghost story. D’Arcy plays “Lord Cheshire.”
The story was published in 1887; this looks potentially from that decade? Maybe 1890s-1900s?
A Dance to the Music of Time (1997)
Another TV adaptation — this time a book series by Anthony Powell that’s a comedic take on mid-20th century British manners. D’Arcy plays lead character Nicholas Jenkins.
Love those wide 1950s lapels!
The History of Tom Jones, a Foundling (1997)
A TV miniseries adaptation of the 1749 comedic novel by Henry Fielding. D’Arcy plays the nasty, rich Blifil, who the heroine is being forced to marry.
That coat looks too big, but I like the neckwear and the wig!
Wilde (1997)
A bit part as “Friend” (not even a name! The indignity!) in this Oscar Wilde biopic.
Aw, floppy hair!
The Trench (1999)
A TV film about British soldiers in the two days leading up to the Battle of the Somme (1916). D’Arcy plays Private Colin Daventry.
Rebel Heart (2001)
A TV miniseries about a fictional Irish nationalist (D’Arcy) from the 1916 Easter Rising through the end of the Irish Civil War (1923).
The Life and Adventures of Nicholas Nickleby (2001)
As the title character in this TV miniseries adaptation of the Charles Dickens novel.
This one has great costumes.
HE’S SENSITIVE.
Sherlock: Case of Evil (2002)
As the famed fictional detective Sherlock Holmes in a TV movie.
Classic!
Master and Commander: The Far Side of the World (2003)
As first lieutenant Thomas Pullings in this Napoleonic War-period story set on a British navy ship.
I do like a man in uniform!
SO many buttons to count!
Those hats = rrrrr.
P.O.W. (2003)
D’Arcy plays the lead in this story of English POW’s in Germany during World War II.
Poirot: The Mystery of the Blue Train (2005)
In one episode of the David Suchet mystery series.
Marple: The Moving Finger (2006)
And in one episode of the 1950s (right?) detective series.
The Battle for Rome (2006)
As ancient Roman politician Tiberius Gracchus in this docudrama; he was also in Ancient Rome: The Rise and Fall of an Empire the same year; I can’t tell if those are the same thing?
Oh dear.
Mansfield Park (2007)
The Billie Piper-led (ugh) adaptation of the Jane Austen novel. D’Arcy plays older, rakish brother Tom Bertram.
The costumes on everyone EXCEPT Billie were decent!
He does rock the floppy hair SO well.
Into the Storm (2009)
As a real-life British civil servant in this Winston Churchill biopic.
Age of Heroes (2011)
As the real-life author of the James Bond movies, Ian Fleming, during World War II.
W.E. (2011)
As King Edward VIII, who gave up the throne for divorcée Wallis Simpson, in this gorgeously costumed but otherwise weird split film about Edward & Wallis and a modern-day woman who is obsessed with him.
Visually a stunner.
Both D’Arcy and Andrea Riseborough really captured their characters.
It’s the modern portion of the movie that doesn’t work.
Hitchcock (2012)
Looking shockingly like the real-life actor Anthony Perkins in this movie about the filming of Psycho.
The Making of a Lady (2012)
A TV adaptation of Frances Hodgson Burnett’s 1901 novel.
Now this I want to see! Both because of the costume and am I seeing a BIPOC leading lady?
Agent Carter (2015-16)
As the comedic butler in this 1940s-set Marvel Comics TV adaptation.
Guernica (2016)
D’Arcy plays a journalist covering the bombing of Guernica during the Spanish Civil War.
Dunkirk (2017)
As a British colonel in this story of the Dunkirk evacuation during World War II.
Das Boot (2018)
The TV series sequel of the famed German WWII submarine movie.
Ditto.
Six Minutes to Midnight (2020)
The story of a Nazi boarding school — in England — just before World War II.
Leonardo (2021)
He’ll be playing Ludovico Sforza in the forthcoming Amazon series about Leonardo da Vinci (played by Aidan Turner).
I’m not a fan of this wig look, especially on men.
And I have several questions about the pants and her whole whatever-that-thing-is.
What’s your favorite of James D’Arcy’s frock flick roles?
I like him but too many WWII themes…for my taste.
Re: The Making of a Lady… He and his Indian wife are the villains of the movie. I remember enjoying watching the movie (the costumes are fabulous) but the story gets quite problematic and weird by the end.
“Making of a Lady” is based on the book by Frances Hodgson Burnett (yes, that one!) ; “Emily Fox-Seton”, which is MUCH better than the film Can be read here: https://www.gutenberg.org/ebooks/17226
I read that recently. I liked some of the story but the blatant, blatant racism was profoundly off-putting.
No worse than I’d expect given the era. And the real villain is a white man. Personally I am entirely on the side of the Ayah who killed him. Her attempt on Emily is not defensible really. But clearly she is motivated by a single minded desire to protect her nurseling and advance her interests. What is this stranger’s life compared to Hester’s happiness? It’s an attitude I can understand if not approve.
Is the actress in the Leonardo miniseries wearing wedges?
“Master and Commander” is one of those movies that stops the household if we run across it. It’s just so good.
I have been in love with him ever since I saw that movie. His character’s conclusion in that movie just stops my heart dead, every time.
My top too, Master and Commander. I volunteer to count all those buttons in person if Russel and Jams are still wearing their costumes (swoon).
For me it’s the tiiiiiiiiight pants. This man is six foot three and most of that is LEGS.
He was UNREASONABLY hot in Master and Commander. Considering that that movie was basically a parade of male pulchritude (the uniforms! Hmmmm) the fact that he stood out is pretty damn impressive.
I just watched Six Minutes to Midnight over the weekend and it was PHENOMENAL. I think it might have actually rekindled my long-dormant crush on the man.
“He was UNREASONABLY hot in Master and Commander”<./i>
This. So much this.
Master and Commander. He will always be “Tom” to me, silly bicorne hat and all. I’ll admit to appreciating the scar. Worked for Aidan Turner too.
I think he looks like Benedict Cumberbatch’s younger, goofier brother. I did a recent rewatch of Agent Carter and he is so good.
He brought such a depth even in the smallest roles and think that he did a great job in “Master and Commander”. I would have loved it seeing a second movie maybe with him fighting a mutiny on his new vessel.
The stock in “Tom Jones” is looking too large. But he was a perfect villain there and made Blifil somehow believable.
I didn’t like his Sherlock Holmes-film although it was not his fault. It was too much made up and too less Holmes-like.
Great acting in every role.
I first saw him in Tom Jones, too. I even faked sick just so that I could watch it all on A&E. (Remember those days?) When he smiles, I melt.
Yes, The Making of a Lady (The Making of a Duchess) was indeed…er….super-racist. But the couple didn’t act out of inchoate malevolence. The story was more about primogeniture, and also a little bit about what “marrying down” means vis a vis race.
He also has some vintage scenes in Cloud Atlas, no?
Yes! He’s probably the best part of Cloud Atlas as Sixsmith.
James D’Arcy IS good-looking, but I feel like it creeps up on me. In every 5th film I’m like, “Oh yeah, he’s a hottie.” Master and Commander is the best of the crop here. To me he gives off strong Robert Sean Leonard vibes….they should play brothers.
Humm Leonardo? I’m not sure but maybe I’ve already watched it? Of course it was in Italian if I’m correct prepared for some homoerotic action people it did happen!
It’s not period, but I have to give a shout out to his performance in the 2nd season of Broadchurch. Most of the roles I’ve seen him in have been nice characters, but he plays a manipulative predator to perfection. Even his walk is predator-like. He looks like he’s always about to pounce.