Marisa Abela Talks ‘Pride And Prejudice’ And Her Award-Winning Career

Marisa Abela as Elizabeth Bennet for the “Pride and Prejudice” Audible Original.

Audible

What happens when you attach one of Hollywood’s brightest new stars to one of the most beloved stories ever told? You get a charming retelling of Jane Austen’s Pride and Prejudice as an Audible Original, led by BAFTA-winning actress Marisa Abela voicing the iconic literary role of Elizabeth Bennet.

Abela, 28, is previously known for her outstanding performance on the hit HBO Max series, Industry, as well as for playing the late Amy Winehouse in the 2024 biopic, Back to Black. Now, she joins the likes of Harris Dickinson, Glenn Close, Bill Nighy and many more in this popular tale of love & defiance, which includes a sweeping music score from Grammy-nominated composer, Morgan Kibby.

I sat down with Abela to discuss her latest Pride and Prejudice project, while also diving into her ever-expanding professional journey, having made plenty of waves within her young yet already established career.

I first wondered if Abela was well-versed or a fan at all of Jane Austen’s work, before deciding to sign-on for this Audible Original.

Abela said, “I was. Yes, I’ve been a huge fan of a lot of Jane Austen’s work, but especially Pride and Prejudice for a very long time. I actually think that Pride and Prejudice was the book that got me into loving reading and Elizabeth Bennet is one of the iconic characters in literature that I would have always said I’d like to play. I was offered the role and it was like an immediate yes for me. I think that, like I said, I’ve always wanted to play Elizabeth, but I think specifically there’s something about doing it in the kind of Audible setting where it feels so close to the book and the experience of reading the book that I fell in love with all that time ago. Then, I heard about the cast and it was just kind of, you know – it’s insane. I think it’s just an absolutely incredible cast, not just because they’re all so talented and amazing in their own rights, but also in terms of exactly who they’re playing and the casting in this with each role. I think it’s just brilliant.”

Being quite seasoned with acting in front of the camera, I was curious what were some of the joys and freedoms that she felt, only having to vocally perform for this Pride and Prejudice project, and if there were any challenges she encountered in this different route of performing.

“Yeah, I mean, you’re sort of left with one instrument and it does require a lot more specificity. I think that you kind of have to say everything with your voice in a way, that you can rely on other tools when you’re on camera. I think that it was really important to a lot of what Elizabeth says, especially at the beginning of the book, is quite cutting. She’s very sharp and she’s very witty, and she kind of is playing cat & mouse with everyone with her words. So, I think the challenge was to get that wit across and the humor, but also the warmth of ‘Lizzie’ from the beginning, so that she doesn’t kind of scare everyone away.”

Being an actress that is no stranger to selecting bold female roles who go for what they want and stand up against male & societal pressures, including as Yasmin on Industry and as Clarissa in this year’s Black Bag film, I wondered what it is about these types of characters that she chooses to portray in her career thus far, that gives her the most thrill and enjoyment to take on.

Abela said, “It’s probably being inspired by characters like Elizabeth in Pride and Prejudice from a young age. I grew up and was kind of drawn to stories with strong female protagonists. I think that a lot of the strength from these women comes from their ability to be vulnerable and to love and to put themselves in situations where they can admit their flaws, and admit that they’re wrong and love anyway and be bold. I think that’s what I’m really drawn to, is the kind of straddling of two worlds – the strength that being a woman requires, but also the softness. It’s those two things that I’m sort of compelled by. Elizabeth, to me, even on the page in the book, is an incredibly modern woman and it’s kind of amazing to think about the fact that we’re coming up to the 250th anniversary of it being written. You read it and you just feel like she’s alive and well here now, you know?”

Looking beyond Pride and Prejudice, I was curious of the types of characters and stories that interest Abela most as she moves forward and if she has noticed her preferences and priorities changing or evolving in recent years.

“I guess I am drawn to stories with lots of complexity,” Abela said. “I guess just there’s always some kind of inner-turmoil. I guess that’s what all narrative is, really – all drama is really based on. It’s kind of conflict and resolution, but I think I try and look for projects where I can really throw myself into something completely, and I like to stretch myself and challenge myself. Even if that’s not on the page, I think intensity is something that maybe comes a bit too naturally to me. I sort of crave that in everything that I’m looking for, but that’s not necessarily singular to intense people, but maybe circumstance or writing or whatever it is. I think that there’s a depth that I’m also always craving, even if that’s in terms of how hard I have to throw myself into something. I’m training for an action movie right now [Highlander], so that requires a different level of dedication and commitment and intensity in a completely different way, but it’s really enjoyable.”

Having seen the shifts that have occurred in Hollywood and within the entertainment industry around the world, I wondered next what Abela is enjoying most about the ways and trends of the business lately, and if there areas that she is seeing that she hopes will soon move in a different direction.

“It’s always been about what sells, but there is so much sort of – I don’t want to say ‘content’ – I hate that word, but there is so much out there that I think it’s all about people trying to find the thing that’s going to cut above the noise. I think that the cream always rises to the top and that should be based on talent and writing, and that should be based on, in my opinion, like art history. I think that the kind of bottom dollar is always going to have to be important. I understand that, but I think that it’s maybe taken over a little bit too much in our industry right now. There’s that middle market of filmmaking – the kind of the movies that aren’t being made for nothing, but aren’t being made for hundreds and hundreds of millions, that are getting neglected. To me, that’s where the best stuff really lies. So, just finding people that are brave enough to keep making good movies.”

Circling back to her new Pride and Prejudice Audible Original and the all-star cast that also lend their voices to this project, I was curious if there actors out there that Abela has yet to work with and really itches to collaborate with, feeling they would work well together.

Abela said, “Oh, I mean, there are so many people. There are so many people that I would love to work with. I have to say, I think that this cast is – it doesn’t really get much better. If you had said to me, ‘You’re going to be playing Elizabeth Bennet alongside Harris Dickinson as Mr. Darcy, Marianne Jean-Baptiste as your mother, Will Poulter as Mr. Wickham, Glenn Close as Lady Catherine, Bill Nighy as Mr. Bennet, Jessie Buckley – I mean, it’s completely insane. It’s like the best cast ever. I feel incredibly lucky right now. Obviously, last year, I worked with Michael Fassbender and Cate Blanchett [in Black Bag]. Right now, I’m working with Henry Cavill and Russell Crowe [in Highlander]. So, I feel like I’m not trying to tempt fate. I’m just like – Let the universe bring my way, whatever the hell they want. I’ll just let the angels do their thing.”

As I concluded my conversation with Abela, I left her with my signature and original question – What would you, Marisa, say to Elizabeth Bennet if you could speak to this literary icon after all that she goes through in Pride and Prejudice? What do you feel she needs to hear, that you would love to tell her?

Abela said, “At the beginning of the novel, I would tell her to like – Get a massage. At the end, I would say – Congratulations and I wish you & your husband a very happy marriage.”