You know the feeling when you're the only person at a party who isn't "on"? Everyone else is flirting, laughing, or making witty remarks, and you’re just there... existing. That’s basically the life of Mary Bennet. In the 2005 Joe Wright adaptation, Pride and Prejudice Talulah Riley took on this role, and honestly, she turned what could have been a background prop into one of the most painfully relatable characters in Austen cinema.
Most people skip over Mary. She’s the middle child. The one who isn't as pretty as Jane, as sharp as Lizzie, or as wild as the younger two. But Riley did something different. She didn't just play a "boring" girl. She played a girl who was trying so hard to be something that she ended up being everything the 18th-century social scene hated: awkward, pedantic, and desperately out of tune.
The Debut That No One Saw Coming
It’s wild to think this was her first real screen role. Riley was only about 18 or 19 when they filmed this. She was fresh out of drama classes and suddenly she’s on a set with Judi Dench and Donald Sutherland. Talk about pressure.
In the book, Mary is often described as "plain" and "conceited." She spends her time reading heavy books to make up for the fact that she doesn't have the "genius" or the "taste" her sisters supposedly possess. Riley leaned into that. Hard. You see it in the way she carries herself—shoulders slightly hunched, eyes darting toward her father for approval that rarely comes.
Why the 2005 Mary Bennet Was Different
Usually, Mary is played for laughs. She’s the punchline. Think about the 1995 BBC version with Lucy Briers—she was fantastic, but she was definitely there to be the "ugly duckling" who stayed an ugly duckling.
Pride and Prejudice Talulah Riley gave us a Mary who felt human. In the 2005 film, there’s this specific scene at the Netherfield Ball that still hurts to watch. You know the one. Mary sits down at the piano, convinced this is her moment to shine. She starts playing, and it’s... fine, but it’s not good. She starts singing, and the room goes dead silent.
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It’s the ultimate "cringe" moment before cringe was a thing.
When Mr. Bennet finally steps in to stop her—telling her she has "delighted" them long enough—the look on Riley’s face is a total gut-punch. It’s not just embarrassment. It’s the realization that her one "thing," her one way of contributing to the family, isn’t wanted.
Later in the movie, there’s a small, quiet moment where her father finds her crying and just holds her. That wasn't in the book. It was a choice by Joe Wright and the actors to show that even the "forgotten" sister matters. It's probably the most sympathetic Mary has ever been on screen.
Beyond the Bennet House: What Happened Next?
If you only know her from this movie, you've missed a lot. Riley didn't stay the "plain" sister for long. She went from 1800s England to some of the biggest sci-fi and blockbuster sets of the last two decades.
- St. Trinian's (2007): She played Annabelle Fritton, a far cry from the pious Mary.
- Inception (2010): Remember the blonde woman Tom Hardy’s character shifts into during the dream layers? That was her.
- Westworld: This is where most modern audiences recognize her. She played Angela, the host who greets guests.
- Thor: The Dark World: A small role as an Asgardian nurse, but hey, it's the MCU.
She’s also a novelist. She wrote Acts of Love and The Quickening. It's almost like she took Mary Bennet's love for books and actually turned it into a career.
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The Elon Musk Connection
You can't talk about Talulah Riley without the internet bringing up her personal life. It’s become a bit of a trivia staple. She married billionaire Elon Musk. Twice.
They met in a London club in 2008, got married in 2010, divorced in 2012, remarried in 2013, and finally split for good in 2016. She’s spoken about it with a lot of grace, actually. She even stepped back from acting for a while to help raise his children from his first marriage.
Most recently, she’s back in the news for marrying Thomas Brodie-Sangster (the kid from Love Actually). It’s funny how the "middle Bennet sister" ended up with one of the most high-profile personal lives in Hollywood.
Why Her Performance in Pride and Prejudice Still Holds Up
So, why does Pride and Prejudice Talulah Riley still rank so high for fans?
Because she represented the "emo" or "goth" energy of the Regency era. In a world of pastel dresses and giggling girls, she wore dark, plain clothes and had a perpetual pout. She was the original "not like other girls," but in a way that felt authentic to the struggle of being the third daughter.
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The 2005 movie was criticized by some purists for being too "gritty" or "muddy," but that realism is exactly what allowed Mary to thrive. She looked like a real person who had stayed up too late reading by candlelight and didn't know how to brush her hair.
Quick Facts: Talulah Riley in P&P
- Age at filming: 18
- Character: Mary Bennet
- Key Scene: The failed piano performance at the Netherfield Ball
- Director: Joe Wright
- Costars: Keira Knightley, Rosamund Pike, Carey Mulligan, Jena Malone
Actionable Takeaways for Fans
If you're a fan of the 2005 adaptation or Talulah Riley's work, here is how you can dive deeper into this specific era of her career:
- Rewatch with a "Mary Lens": Next time you put on the 2005 film, ignore Lizzie and Darcy for a second. Watch Mary in the background of the family scenes. She’s often doing something small—reading, looking annoyed at Kitty and Lydia, or seeking her father's attention. It adds a whole new layer to the family dynamic.
- Check out her novels: If you liked the "studious" vibe she brought to Mary, read Acts of Love. It’s a very different world, but you can see her intelligence shining through the prose.
- Compare the "Marys": Watch the 1995 version and then the 2005 version back-to-back. The difference in how Riley plays the character versus Lucy Briers is a masterclass in how a director's vision changes a character's soul.
Talulah Riley might have started as the "plain" sister, but her career and her performance proved she was anything but. She took a character designed to be ignored and made it impossible not to look at her.
Next Steps for You:
Check out the "Deleted Scenes" from the 2005 DVD (often found on YouTube). There are several extended cuts of the Bennet sisters interacting that give Mary even more screen time and context within the household.