Rumours that Mark Darcy is based on Labour leader Keir Starmer have been swirling for years, and they didn't go unnoticed when the Labour leader appeared on Piers Morgan's Life Stories in 2021. With a general election on the horizon AND a new Bridget Jones film coming out, it's time to revisit the rumour.
Piers made a point of comparing the potential future prime minister to Mark Darcy during the interview. 'You were quite a dashing human rights lawyer, prompting rumours that you were the inspiration for the character of Mark Darcy from the Bridget Jones novels,' Piers asked, later asking if he was 'brimming with manly passion?'
But for those wondering, Helen Fielding, the author of the Bridget Jones series, has previously said Mark Darcy's character isn't based on Keir. So, sorry Piers.
To be honest, we can see why people thought Bridget’s one true love Mark, aka Colin Firth in the films, was based on Keir - what with Darcy being a human rights lawyer and Keir being a barrister and former director of public prosecutions. Oh, and Fielding went to the same university as Keir.
But the writer has categorically denied that the character is based on Starmer - however, she did say she was reminded of Mark and his rival Daniel Cleaver whenever Keir went head to head with then-Prime Minister Boris Johnson. 'Keir is fantastic. But no, I’ve never met him,' Helen told Radio Times’ Christmas Issue in 2020. 'They are very similar, though. He’s so good, decent and intelligent but so buttoned up. I want to say, "Come on Keir, loosen your tie, ruffle up your hair".' She added, 'He doesn’t think of himself as sexy, but he’s really sexy. When he and Boris spar, it reminds me of Mark and Daniel.'
Previously speaking on Desert Island Discs, the author subtly debunked the claims, saying it's 'amazing' the amount of people who say love rivals Daniel and Mark were based on them. ‘I had several different boyfriends, all very gorgeous,’ she said. ‘It’s amazing the number of people that lay claim to be Daniel [Hugh Grant’s character] or Mark, including Keir Starmer.’
Keir hasn’t ever claimed to be Darcy, but in an interview with ITV News in 2020, he did address the famous character. ‘Everybody asks me this question when they should be asking her [Fielding] because she knows the answer and I don’t,' he said. 'It’s a rumour that’s been doing the rounds for years, but I honestly don’t know the answer… Of course I would (be flattered). But I honestly don’t know.’ Well, we guess he knows now.
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27 Things You Didn't Know About Bridget Jones
1 of 271. The fictional publishing house that Bridget works for is called Pemberley Press
Pemberley is the name of Darcy's family estate in Pride and Prejudice.
2 of 272. Renée Zellweger interned at a publishing house to prepare for the role...
The actress did work experience with Picador in London for just under a month, and went incognito as 'Bridget Cavendish,' the sister of Jonathan Cavendish, a friend of the company's chairman - and a producer on the film.
3 of 273. She kept a picture of Jim Carrey - her then boyfriend - on her desk
Her colleagues were bemused, but were too British to say anything about it.
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4 of 274. During filming, Renée smoked herbal cigarettes instead of tobacco ones
Because attempting Bridget's smoking habit IRL wouldn't have been the healthiest option...
5 of 275. Bridget's friends are based on author Helen Fielding's own friendship circle
'Jude' is journalist Tracey MacLeod, while 'Shazza' is based on Sharon Macguire, who ended up directing two out of the three Bridget films.
6 of 276. Fielding also persuaded author Salman Rushdie to cameo
An old friend of Rushdie, she asked if the author was willing to 'make a fool of himself.' He ended up appearing as a guest at the 'Kafka's Motorbike' launch party, where Bridget asks him for directions to the toilets.
7 of 277. The infamous fight scene between Mark Darcy and Daniel Cleaver was completely unchoreographed
Colin Firth told Buzzfeed, 'Hugh and I in rehearsals rebelled against the whole idea of a stuntman [...] So it was unchoreographed – that was just Hugh and I fighting like we actually would.'
8 of 278. However, they brought the stuntmen back to fly through the restaurant window
'They wouldn't let us do the window. Insurance gets involved with that sort of thing,' Firth added.
9 of 279. Jim Broadbent (Bridget's Dad), Gemma Jones (her mum) and Emma Thompson (her gynaecologist) have all played Hogwarts staff in the Harry Potter films...
Professor Slughorn, Madame Pomfrey and Professor Trelawney, respectively.
10 of 2710. Shirley Henderson, aka Bridget's pal Jude, plays Moaning Myrtle in Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets
Coincidentally, both characters spend much of their screen time crying in bathrooms.
11 of 2711. Renée Zellweger was nominated for an Best Actress Academy Award for her performance
She was beaten to it by Halle Berry, who won for Monster's Ball.
12 of 2712. The Bridget Jones series is the first film trilogy to have only female directors
Sharon Macguire took on directing duties for the first and third films, with Beeban Kidron filling in for the second.
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13 of 2713. Renée Zellweger worked with voice coach Barbara Berkery to help hone her British accent
Berkery also worked with Gwyneth Paltrow for Shakespeare In Love.
14 of 2714. Hugh Grant didn't hear her real (American) accent until after the film had wrapped
'Not once did she stop speaking with that accent, until the wrap party,' he told Cinema.com.
15 of 2715. Actress Toni Colette declined the lead role, while Kate Winslet was considered 'too young'
Colette was busy starring on Broadway at the time of filming, while Winslet was only 25.
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16 of 2716. Renée was 32 years old when the first film was made - the same age as Bridget in the books
Some things are just meant to be...
17 of 2717. Sally Phillips auditioned to play Bridget, but was turned down
She clearly made an impression on the producers, though, and was offered the role of Shazza.
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18 of 2718. When the third film was slated to begin production in 2012, Sally had to turn it down due to her real-life pregnancy
The delay in filming actually worked in her favour, allowing her to eventually reprise her role in Bridget Jones's Baby.
19 of 2719. Hugh Grant only signed up to the film once he knew that Richard Curtis was also on board
'I kept saying, "It's not working. Just get Richard Curtis to come in and help re-write it,"' he told Cinema.com. 'Eventually they did, and as soon as Richard came on board, I signed on the dotted line.'
20 of 2720. Wrotham Park in Hertfordshire was used as the Darcy family home in the first film
It's also been used as a filming location for Gosford Park, the BBC adaptation of Sense and Sensibility and Kingsman: The Secret Service (which also stars Colin Firth).
21 of 2721. Mark's colleague - and Bridget's love rival - Natasha is played by Embeth Davidtz, who plays Miss Honey in Matilda
Sweet, kind Miss Honey becomes ice queen Natasha. The power of acting.
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22 of 2722. The snowy scenes from the end of the first film were actually filmed during summer time
We don't know what to believe any more...
23 of 2723. Both Colin Firth and Hugh Grant are mentioned by name in the first novel
Colin appears in October 24th's entry, with Hugh referred to on August 16th.
24 of 2724. Colin also crops up as a fictional version of himself in The Edge Of Reason
The film-makers decided not to leave this scene in the screen-adaptation, for obvious reasons.
25 of 2725. The first film's screenplay was co-written by Andrew Davies - the man behind the infamous, Colin Firth-starring BBC adaptation of Pride and Prejudice
Bridget owns a video of the series in the novel - and Firth's casting as (Mark) Darcy was a very successful 'in-joke' on the producers' behalf.
26 of 2726. Bridget Jones is now the 21st century's first and only rom-com trilogy
It's the only three-part rom-com series in which all films have starred the same lead actress, and all have been released in cinemas.
27 of 2727. The Bridget Jones films were, bizarrely, blamed for a decline in the sales of Chardonnay
According to wine writer Oz Clarke, 'Before Bridget Jones, Chardonnay was really sexy. After, people said, "God, not in my bar"'. We're sure that Bridget would have some choice words for him...
READ MORE: Hugh Grant Says Renée Zellweger 'Is One Of The Few Actresses He Hasn't Fallen Out With'