Killing Eve and Harry Potter icon reveals why new Sense and Sensibility film surprised her so much after reading book 4 times

Just like Ang Lee's 1995 adaptation of Sense and Sensibility, the brand new adaptation of Jane Austen's classic novel boasts an impressive cast – with Daisy Edgar-Jones, Esme Creed-Miles and George Mackay among those in key roles.

No one in the ensemble, however, steals more scenes that Harry Potter and Killing Eve star Fiona Shaw, who takes on the role of the cheerful and gossipy Mrs Jennings.

Shaw had first read all of Austen's novels in her teens, and re-read Sense and Sensibility another four times before shooting the film – which she found to be a very rewarding experience.

"It was lovely to revisit it," she told Radio Times in an exclusive interview. "It's a book that gains. I read it last week again, actually, a year later. I thought I better have another read of it, and it it still stands up each time you read it.

"You laugh again and see new lines that you hadn't remembered before. It's brilliantly written."

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Given she knows the book inside out, you might wonder what she thought of the changes made for this latest adaptation. And when that question was posed to Shaw, she revealed she was "quite surprised" by the film.

"I think Diana [Reid, screenwriter]'s version has a lot of character," she said. "But by the end of the edit, I think Georgia [Oakley, director] has really fallen in love with the landscape and the two sisters.

"There's much more of the characters in the original screenplay," she added. "I think they got narrowed down, and she's focused down on the on the girls and the two boys.

"I mean, that's fair enough. I think every film has to be a response to a book, but that's what she's gone with, and it's luscious and very sensuous – probably more sensuous than I remember the book.

"I think the book is a community book, but the film is very sensuous and luscious."

Shaw is no stranger to appearing in Austen adaptations. Back in 1995, she had a key role in the BBC film of Persuasion, while she will shortly be starring in Netflix's new take on Pride and Prejudice.

Asked about the fact that two such high-profile adaptations were being released so close together, she revealed she found the coincidence "breathtaking" but added the two were quite different propositions.

"One is television and one is film," she explained. "So it'll be very interesting to see how how Netflix fares with a longer form story, which is good for a novel. But there's a poetry to a film, I think!"

Sense and Sensibility is released in UK cinemas on Friday 25 September 2026.

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Authors

Patrick Cremona is the Senior Film Writer at Radio Times, and looks after all the latest film releases both in cinemas and on streaming. He has been with the website since October 2019, and in that time has interviewed a host of big name stars and reviewed a diverse range of movies.