Daisy Edgar-Jones: I Try to Bury My Emotion When It Comes to Love

Daisy Edgar-Jones, the talented young actress who brings Elinor Dashwood to life in the latest adaptation of Sense and Sensibility, has a refreshingly straightforward approach to her character. “I’m very much more Elinor in every sort of way,” she says – rational, calculating, and determined to keep her emotions in check.

Edgar-Jones’ sentiments resonate with many viewers who have watched the film and its predecessors. When asked about her own experiences with love, she notes that Austen’s tales capture the female experience with remarkable nuance. “She has an incredible way of articulating heartbreak and sisterly love,” Edgar-Jones says.

The fact that Sense and Sensibility is once again making its way onto our screens should come as no surprise. As we approach the 250th anniversary of Jane Austen’s birth, her novels continue to captivate audiences with their timeless themes of love, family dynamics, and social hierarchy. What’s more remarkable is how these stories remain relatable across generations – from the anguished emotions of first love to the complexities of modern relationships.

Austen’s insights into human nature are just as relevant today, according to Edgar-Jones. “We still have the same human heart as we did 200 years ago,” she says, highlighting the universality of emotions and experiences that Austen’s novels capture so beautifully. This sentiment is echoed by her co-star Esmé Creed-Miles, who notes that while Austen’s stories might not offer solutions to our modern problems, they can provide a sense of comfort and understanding.

The younger actress isn’t alone in her admiration for Austen – many fans have been drawn to recent adaptations such as Miss Austen and The Other Bennet Sister, which offer fresh perspectives on Austen’s life and work. However, some might argue that Austen’s stories are too rooted in their period setting, making them inaccessible or even irrelevant to modern audiences.

Edgar-Jones’ response is telling. “We still have the same human heart as we did 200 years ago,” she says. By playing up the contrasts between “sense” (Elinor) and “sensibility” (Marianne), Edgar-Jones and Creed-Miles tap into a fundamental human desire for balance and understanding – something that Austen’s stories capture with remarkable nuance.

In an era where social media platforms have created new language for describing modern relationships, it’s striking to see how Austen anticipated these very concerns. Her heroines navigate love, heartbreak, and family dynamics with a subtlety that remains both captivating and instructive. The contrast between Elinor’s rationality and Marianne’s passion is a powerful metaphor for the ongoing debate about emotional expression in relationships.

For Edgar-Jones, the theme of sisterhood in Sense and Sensibility has been especially resonant. As an only child herself, she notes how her own experiences of sisterly love are reflected in Austen’s portrayal of Elinor and Marianne. This is a testament to the enduring power of Austen’s stories – not just their timeless themes but also their ability to capture the human heart.

As we await the release of Sense and Sensibility in UK cinemas on 25 September, it’s worth considering what this new adaptation tells us about our own times. Are we still grappling with the same issues of love, family, and social status that Austen wrote about? Or have we moved beyond these concerns – or have they somehow become more pressing?

One thing is certain: Jane Austen’s stories will continue to captivate audiences for generations to come. They offer a unique window into our shared human experiences – the triumphs and tragedies, the loves and losses – and remind us that, despite all our advances, we’re still navigating the same fundamental questions of identity and belonging.