We have been crushing hard on him ever since he, as Fitzwilliam Darcy, “meditated on the very great pleasure a pair of fine eyes on the face of a pretty woman can bestow” way back in 1995. Whether it is Oscar-worthy dramas, spy thrillers or romantic comedies, Colin Firth has wowed us on screen again and again. But 25 years after most of us saw him on screen for the first time, on his 62nd birthday, we look back at five on-screen moments that still make us swoon.
Pride and Prejudice: “In vain I have struggled…”
It is very hard to choose one scene from the BBC mini-series that was swoon worthy — there is that awkward meeting with Elizabeth on the grounds of Pemberley, there is that moment where Elizabeth and Mr Darcy have conversation with their eye across the Pemberley entertainment room, and of course there Colin shirt and his wet white Firth… err we mean Colin Firth and his wet white shirt (sorry, we lose coherence just thinking about it).
But we’ll be contrary and choose his abysmal proposal to Elizabeth at Hunsford. It was the perfect embodiment of an arrogant man unable to control his feelings. And it was that loss of control that had us swooning, even if he was a total jackass to Elizabeth by saying he wanted to marry her despite his misgivings about her family and connections.
Bridget Jones’ Diary: “Just as you are…”
Mark Darcy cemented Firth as the only Darcy in our lives, whether he was swimming in a lake in Pemberley or fighting his competition in front of a restaurant. And while the kiss from Bridget Jones’ Diary is one of the most iconic screen kisses, it is that bumbling attempt at wooing Bridget saying “what I am trying to say, very inarticulately, perhaps, despite appearances that I like you, very much… just as you are”. That one line made us yearn for someone to awkwardly tell us that we were lovable, warts and all.
Love Actually: “Driving you…”
For most people it is probably Jamie’s proposal to Aurelia that is the most swoon-worthy moment from Love Actually, but we really like the sweetness and innocence of the interaction between the two after the impromptu lake dip when he tells her that driving her home is the best part of his day and without understanding a word she responds that it is the saddest part of her day because she has to leave. Sigh!
A Single Man: “I think I am taken…”
Tom Ford’s stunning and powerful film A Single Man is a must-watch for everyone, not just every Firth fan. As an English professor who plans to commit suicide the day after, Firth turns in one of his best, most nuanced performance, reliving moments from the past and grappling with crippling grief. There are so many moments that we love in this film, but one of the standout ones will always be the first meeting between George Falconer and his partner of 16 years, Jim, at a bar. The dialogue might have been Matthew Goode’s, but those eyes and that smile Firth gives when Goode tells a lady “I think I am taken”, makes us want to worship him. He was nominated for an Oscar for the role.
Kingmans: The Secret Service: “Manners maketh man…”
Anyone who has been in love with Firth will have, at some point, wanted to see him as a spy, James Bond style and all our dreams came true when he took on the role of Oxfords and bespoke suit-wearing Harry Hart. He sealed his place as swoon worthy with that bar scene, where he teaches some punks a stunning lesson going from utterly polite — “I would really appreciate it enormously if you could just leave us in peace until I finish this lovely pint of Guinness” — to taking out five thugs without breaking a sweat or getting a hair out of place.