Colin Firth's son Will in film debut: ‘He’s a classy Englishman... I’m a tall, gangly Canadian’

Rashid Razaq12 October 2015
The Weekender

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His father made a whole generation of women swoon as Mr Darcy in Pride And Prejudice and then as Bridget Jones’s love interest - now Will Firth is following in Colin’s footsteps with a film debut in a new romantic comedy.

The 25-year-old son of the Oscar- winner will star in British movie Love Type D, by first-time writer/director Sasha Collington.

With Firth senior set to reprise his role as the gallant Mark Darcy in a new Bridget Jones film, his son will play a more ungentlemanly character - who dumps a girl after a one-night stand.

Will said his father had helped him practise audition pieces for drama school, but their acting styles were very different.

Parents: Colin Firth with Will's mother Canadian-American actress and novelist Meg Tilly
The LIFE Picture Collection/Getty Images

“He’s a classy Englishman,” he said. “I’m more the tall, gangly Canadian. He’s more the romantic lead roles. I’m not sure what my type is yet.

“But I’m not the romantic lead in this film. I’ve had a few sinister roles because of the way I look. At drama school it was more comedic roles.”

Iconic role: Colin Firth as Mr Darcy in Pride and Prejudice 

Will’s mother is Firth’s former partner, Canadian-American actress and novelist Meg Tilly. He grew up in Vancouver and moved to London five years ago to attend East 15 drama school.

He said his father, 55, was initially “apprehensive” about his desire to enter the industry: “It’s a tough career. It can be emotionally draining, and he was worried for me. He wanted to make sure I knew what I was getting myself into, but he’s supported me all the way.

Dashing Darcy: Colin Firth reprises his role as Mr Mark Darcy
Anthony Devlin/PA

“He’s always told me to stay true to myself. I know I can always turn to him for advice.” Will, who has an actress girlfriend and lives in Waltham Forest, said London felt like his second home. He is close to his father’s wife Livia and half-brothers Luca, 14, and Matteo, 11.

Nicole Kidman and Colin Firth at Before I Go To Sleep premiere

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Shoreditch-based film-maker Collington has launched a Kickstarter campaign to raise the final £16,000 needed for the post-production of Love Type D.

Backers will be given a chance to feature in the movie in a photograph — or the unusual perk of getting a character to dump a partner for you in real life.

Australian Maeve Dermody plays the lead role of office worker Frankie, with Firth as John the intern and Asif Khan as a colleague. It is due to be released next year.

Collington said: “It’s a different spin on the normal rom-com. It’s not girl meets boy. It’s girl discovers she has a gene, which means her romantic future is doomed.”

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