Colin Firth: 'I've Never Owned' Mr. Darcy Role

In 1994, Colin Firth worked for six months on a miniseries called "Pride and Prejudice," based on Jane Austen's novel, playing the iconic role of Mr. Darcy. Firth, not exactly a household name at that point, finished the project pleased with his experience but nothing more.

Twenty years later, most fans still associate Firth with Darcy. While the original role made him famous, he has since embedded himself in pop culture as a Darcy thanks to playing Mark Darcy, a modern-day Mr. Darcy, in the "Bridget Jones" movies (which themselves were modern-day interpretations of "Pride and Prejudice").

Firth, while relishing the roles, said in a HuffPost Live interview Tuesday that feels no ownership over the Darcy title.

"I've never owned it," Firth told host Ricky Camilleri. "It was a job that ran from May to September. I walked off the set and that's my only relationship with it."

Seven years after his first Darcy incarnation, "Bridget Jones' Diary" -- based on Helen Fielding's book of the same name -- was a smash hit, further entrenching Firth into Darcy lore. A sequel, "Bridget Jones' Diary: The Edge of Reason," debuted in 2004.

"It was Helen Fielding who decided to do something very smart and it was a kind of a popular cultural reference point and make use of it," Firth said. "I thought it would actually be quite a successful film and a way to have a bit of fun with something I'd already done. I'd never played out a bit of self-referential popular culture mischief before."

Watch the full HuffPost Live conversation here.

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