Daniel Brookes' filming experience as an Extra in Pride & Prejudice 2005 movie (Part 1)

Later this year, in the Fall of 2015, Pride & Prejudice (2005) film will be celebrating its 10th year anniversary of its theatrical release (September in the UK and November in the US). One of the movie's extras, Daniel Brookes (who met most of the main cast on P&P movie set) has shared here his filming experience as one of the Militia men and his meeting Keira Knightley again in one of her movie premieres in London earlier last year. He was also an extra at another P&P related adaptation, the recently BBC and Masterpiece Mystery aired, Death Comes to Pemberley. He is sharing here his filming experience for that one as well, which will be posted here in a part 2 post very soon or sometime later this week.

For now, read Daniel's wonderful filming experience as an Extra in P&P movie with some on set and BTS photos and more below...

Hi, I'm Daniel and I was an extra on Pride and Prejudice Movie from 2005. I was in the Militia scenes, which were filmed in September 2004 in Stamford, which acted for the village of Meryton. It was a bit of a last minute thing as I am a re-enactor and had an event beforehand and then went straight to the filming. I didn't know who was starring in the film until we arrived at the location that morning. We had made camp when we arrived late and had to check in. I was a little nervous as this was the first filming I had ever done, but very excited. We had a lot of our own uniform and with a mixture of stuff from the costume department were dressed as militia from the 1790's. We also had wigs, which in between takes were messed around with by the make up girls to look the same for continuity purposes. 

There were around 200 redcoats plus a fife and drum band, which I was part of and a number of a crowd folk. We had to march up and down a hill and up and down a hill and up and down a hill. I had to go and change back at costume as the band were a drummer short. 

So, I went back and go changed into musicians stuff, where I saw none other than the gorgeous Keira Knightley :-) (I am a massive, massive fan of hers), just waiting to go down to set as she had just finished getting ready, I presume. When I arrived back at set Carey Mulligan, Jena Malone, Rosamund Pike, Brenda Blethyn, Rupert Friend, Matthew Macfadyen, Donald Sutherland, and Dame Judi Dench were all on set. It was a great couple of days everyone was so amazing. It's the greatest experience of my life to date to have such big names in the film world all in the same place and is an honour. To see them go about there work with such professionalism was a pleasure and they did have time for you. I almost marched into Keira at one point as she kept cutting in when we marched up and it got a little close. I went and apologized between takes. She was so nice saying, "no, I was a bit close, don't worry about it." We had a few laughs practicing drill maneuvers too, which at times didn't go down too well with Joe Wright, the Director.

The P&P movie's on set and behind the scenes pics below are ones that I found over the years as I didn't have a camera on me, which was really annoying. I did have some with me on personally, but these are the ones, which have been lost...

Pride & Prejudice - The Militia scenes

 

 I saw Rupert on set, but didn't get a chance to chat.

Pride & Prejudice Screen captures of 

Rupert Friend as Mr. Wickham with the Militia men

 Pride & Prejudice On set photo with 

Rupert Friend (Wickham) and Brenda Blethyn (Mrs. Bennet)

(source: Getty Images)

Director Joe Wright on Pride & Prejudice set

(source: Working Title Films | Focus Features)

Pride & Prejudice Promotional and Still photos
featuring Keira Knightley (Elizabeth Bennet) top photo;
below still photo: Keira Knightley (Elizabeth Bennet)

Talulah Riley (Mary Bennet) in the back, and

Claudie Blakley (Charlotte Lucas)

(source: Working Title Films | Focus Features)

Plus...

A decade later, Daniel met Keira Knightley again at Jack Ryan: Shadow Recruit London Premiere last year (January 2014).

See their photo below...

I told Keira that I was an extra on P&P. She remarked and did smile really lovely.

Thanks a lot Daniel for sharing your P&P filming experience (and for some of the P&P set/BTS photos and your KK photo you've included) here. Part 2 (Daniel's Death Comes To Pemberley filming experience) is coming up soon. Stay tune!

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NOTE: Were you lucky enough to have met Keira Knightley, Matthew Macfadyen, Rosamund Pike, Jena Malone and other /Cast and crew (ie. Joe Wright, Dario Marianelli) or got a letter reply (with a signed autograph photo) from any or one of them? Contact and email me your fan story to share here, so we can all be jealous of you! See more fan stories archived here: P&P Fan Encounters.