Meet the ‘Sense and Sensibility’ Cast and the Roles They Play (With Photos)
The new adaptation of Jane Austen’s novel opens in United States theaters on October 16, after reaching United Kingdom cinemas on September 25. Georgia Oakley directs from a screenplay by Diana Reid for Working Title Films and Focus Features.
The ‘Sense and Sensibility’ cast pairs two young leads with a deep bench of established performers. Daisy Edgar-Jones, Esmé Creed-Miles and Bodhi Rae Breathnach lead the ensemble, which also includes Caitríona Balfe, Fiona Shaw, Frank Dillane and George MacKay. Herbert Nordrum rounds out the group.
Daisy Edgar-Jones
Edgar-Jones plays Elinor Dashwood, the responsible eldest sister who often hides her own feelings to protect the people around her. She is best known for ‘Normal People’, ‘Where the Crawdads Sing’ and ‘Twisters’.
She has played a romantic lead several times before, but this is her first period drama. That makes the role a notable step for an actor so closely tied to contemporary love stories.
The production team has described Edgar-Jones as its anchor casting. She has also described sisterhood and self-discovery as the heart of the film.
Esmé Creed-Miles
Creed-Miles plays Marianne Dashwood, Elinor’s passionate and outspoken younger sister. She is best known for playing the title role in the 2019 Prime Video series ‘Hanna’.
She and Edgar-Jones worked together as teenagers on the 2018 film ‘Pond Life’. That shared history gives the central sibling pairing an existing connection before filming began.
In an exclusive interview, TV Insider reported that Creed-Miles expects viewers to assume the story is a love story, even though the sisters sit at its core. The same piece explains that Elinor learns to connect more with her sensibility while Marianne learns to connect more with her sense.
George MacKay
MacKay plays Edward Ferrars, who becomes Elinor’s love interest. The character is described as honorable but conflicted.
MacKay is a British actor best remembered for his lead role in the First World War film ‘1917’. W Magazine notes that this film marks his introduction as a leading man.
Interview comments suggest this Edward has a greater sense of humor than others might notice, and a wry wit that he shares with Elinor. MacKay joined the cast in July 2025 alongside Balfe, Shaw and Dillane.
Frank Dillane
Dillane plays the charming John Willoughby. His character sweeps Marianne into an intense romance.
Dillane is best known for playing Tom Riddle in ‘Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince’. He also won the Best Actor prize in the Un Certain Regard section at Cannes for his role in ‘Urchin’, and appeared in ‘Fear the Walking Dead’ and ‘Sense8’.
He is also a musician. One new element this adaptation offers is a look at the pistol duel between Willoughby and Colonel Brandon.
Herbert Nordrum
Nordrum appears as the loyal Colonel Brandon. The character is Marianne’s eventual admirer.
The Norwegian actor is known for ‘The Worst Person in the World’. Brandon’s quieter devotion offers a sharp contrast to Willoughby’s dramatic courtship.
The wider ensemble gives that contrast room to breathe. Balfe plays Mrs. Dashwood, Shaw plays the sociable, matchmaking Mrs. Jennings, and Breathnach plays the youngest sister, Margaret. Oakley deliberately cast Balfe as a mother who does not seem dramatically older than her daughters. With Brandon’s steadiness set against Willoughby’s charm and the sisters at the center, which pairing do you expect to leave the strongest impression on screen, Marianne with Colonel Brandon or Elinor with Edward?
