The Other Bennet Sister’s Ella Bruccoleri on stepping into Austen’s world and stepping away from Call the Midwife

by

Ella Brucolleri, the actress playing Mary Bennet in the BBC’s new 10-part drama, ‘The Other Bennet Sister,’ enjoys taking on diverse roles. This part is particularly interesting because Mary Bennet, the middle sister from ‘Pride and Prejudice,’ is generally portrayed as quiet, studious, and very proper – someone who doesn’t easily embrace change.

It’s easy to see why people might assume Jennifer Brucolleri is naturally suited to playing religious characters. Though raised Catholic, she now identifies as agnostic. Many will recognize her as Sister Frances from Call the Midwife, while others might remember her brief appearance as Sister Rosita in Paddington in Peru. But she jokes that these roles don’t come from her background – she simply has a face that looks like a nun!

She admits that playing characters who are deeply religious might be harder than people think, possibly because she no longer practices Catholicism and still feels some guilt about that, as her family remains devout. She suggests it would be easier to portray a character who is skeptical of or disillusioned with organized religion.

It’s difficult to understand Mary Bennet’s faith, even though the BBC’s adaptation of Janice Hadlow’s novel gives her a more developed character than previous versions of Pride and Prejudice. While this expanded role offered a new challenge for actress Brucolleri, who was taking on her first leading part, it also allowed for a more nuanced portrayal of Mary.

She explains that filming took a heavy toll on her energy levels, as she was working almost daily for four months. She believes this intense experience, and the show Call the Midwife specifically, provided excellent preparation for future challenges.

Drama school didn’t fully prepare Brucolleri for acting in front of a camera, so she learned as she worked. The quick filming schedule of Call the Midwife – fifteen seasons in fifteen years – and playing the same character for four seasons allowed her to hone her skills. This experience highlighted how crucial preparation is on set, whether filming in East London for Call the Midwife or on location for The Other Bennet Sister, which filmed in various places like Longbourn, London, and the Lake District (using the Brecon Beacons as a stand-in).

The experience of playing Mary allowed Brucolleri to adapt to the changing atmosphere on set. When portraying Mary’s more serious side, both at Longbourn and Pemberley, she felt responsible for setting the mood. While filming at Longbourn, surrounded by her sisters in vibrant dresses, she sometimes found herself getting a little too into character, especially while wearing Mary’s drab grey clothing. She admits to occasionally feeling grumpy as a result.

When it was difficult to connect with Mary’s sadness, Brucolleri drew on personal experiences – both her own and what she’d seen in particularly sad documentaries. As ‘The Other Bennet Sister’ updates ‘Pride and Prejudice’ to explore modern family dynamics – both the families we’re born into and the ones we choose – Brucolleri looked to her own relationships to understand Mary’s complicated connection with her mother, Mrs. Bennet (Ruth Jones). She explains, “I have friends who are estranged from their families and have created new families based on trust, not blood. Thinking about their courage in walking away always moved me – it’s never an easy thing to do.”

Filming in London was a different experience. As Mary’s character developed with the help of the Gardiners (played by Richard Coyle and Indira Varma), the atmosphere on set became more relaxed and cheerful. Having children present helped create a lighter mood between scenes. Brucolleri notes that Indira and Richard are like playful kids themselves, despite being highly talented and respected actors – they’re incredibly fun and silly people.

She explained that one day, Richard unexpectedly found an orange in his hand and was completely surprised, saying he had no idea how it got there.

Varma and Coyle created this as part of a larger effort to ease the stress Brucolleri was feeling. Brucolleri describes how they encouraged her character, Ella, to be playfully carefree, reminding everyone not to take things too seriously. This supportive atmosphere extended throughout the entire series, starting with Richard E. Grant, who had long hoped to play Mr. Bennet, and Jones, and continuing with Varma and Coyle themselves.

She recalls feeling incredibly supported by her colleagues, not just the more seasoned actors, but also the crew. They were deeply committed to creating the world of the story, fostering an energetic atmosphere that contrasted sharply with the bleakness of her character’s life.

I’ve taken roles where I just did the work without feeling deeply connected to it, and I get that some people approach acting that way. But on this project, it was different. I was amazed by how much everyone cared about the story, their characters, and how much time and effort they put in behind the scenes. Everyone was truly invested.

With her latest project finished, Brucolleri is returning to the varied pace of her acting career. But she isn’t relaxing with a TV marathon. “I meant to keep up with shows like Call the Midwife,” she explains, “but I honestly haven’t watched TV in ages.” She describes having too many choices as overwhelming, making it hard to commit to a series—she prefers films. “I think I just generally avoid long-term commitments.”

She’s also hesitant to commit to another long-running show like Call the Midwife at the moment. However, she hasn’t dismissed the possibility of returning to the series when it comes back.

She mentioned she’d like to gently revisit that period of her life. However, she also feels she’s fully explored the character of Sister Frances and doesn’t like to revisit things she’s already finished with – it’s hard for her to go back once she’s moved on.

Mary briefly questioned her decision to leave when she first left, especially with no new work lined up. However, if Mary is uneasy about leaving roles, Brucolleri understands that’s just part of being an actor – change is inevitable, even if it sometimes comes with a little anxiety when a job ends.

You know, I’m a total sucker for actors who aren’t afraid to switch things up. I just love seeing someone take on wildly different roles. And this actress? She’s already built up a really interesting career – despite playing a lot of nuns, she’s consistently chosen parts that are unique and memorable. I’m really excited to see what she does next!

Despite her current success, her background still influences her choices. She explains, “I’m really drawn to independent, artistic films – that’s what I watched growing up. I love the work of directors like Shane Meadows and Ken Loach, and I’d like to do more projects set in the North of England.”

This leads Brucolleri, originally from North Yorkshire, to share a final observation about The Other Bennet Sister. Because the series updates classic period dramas with a modern perspective, she points out the strong presence of actors and, crucially, accents from the North of England. This contributes to a diverse cast that’s bringing fresh perspectives to a story traditionally told through a Southern lens.

She explains that she connected with the Brontë sisters more while growing up, feeling their work reflected her own background. She found Austen’s novels felt distant and overly refined.

Brucolleri discovered Austen later in life and hopes her new book, The Other Bennet Sister, can help make period dramas more accessible, much like the popular series Bridgerton (in which she also acted). She believes it’s time to break down outdated conventions, like casting Northern actors who then adopt standard English accents – something she found surprising – or even simply allowing actors to use their natural regional accents.

As a film and TV lover, I’m really hoping to see more regional accents represented on screen. It honestly feels like we don’t get enough of it. I think stories like Austen’s work beautifully with all sorts of accents, not just the traditionally ‘proper’ ones. And I’m particularly proud when shows embrace colorblind casting too – it just feels so right and modern.

I’ve noticed a lot of period dramas lately feel fresh and new. They still get the details right with costumes and sets, but they also explore ideas that feel more relevant to today. I think shows like ‘The Other Bennet Sister’ might actually get people interested in classic authors like Austen who might not have given them a chance before. Honestly, the creator said they’d be thrilled if their show got people to pick up an Austen novel – and I totally get why! It’s a great way to introduce a whole new audience to these amazing stories.

The Other Bennet Sister premieres on BBC One and iPlayer on Sunday 15th March 2026.

Authors

Geoffrey Bunting

Read More

2026-03-15 11:36