Editing Sense and Sensibility (film) (section)

=== Casting ===
{{See also|Sense and Sensibility#Main characters|l1=Main characters of Sense and Sensibility}}
[[File:Hugh Grant Cannes.jpg|right|thumb|170px|[[Hugh Grant]], who had worked with Thompson in several films, was her first choice to play Edward Ferrars.<ref name=EWinterview />]]

Thompson initially hoped that Doran would cast sisters [[Natasha Richardson|Natasha]] and [[Joely Richardson]] as Elinor and Marianne Dashwood. Lee and Columbia wanted Thompson herself, now a "big-deal movie star" after her critically successful role in the 1992 film ''[[Howards End (film)|Howards End]]'', to play Elinor.<ref name=HuffPostNannyMcPhee /><ref name=EWinterview /> The actress replied that at the age of thirty-five, she was too old for the nineteen-year-old character. Lee suggested Elinor's age be changed to twenty-seven, which would also have made the difficult reality of [[spinster]]hood easier for modern audiences to understand.<ref name=tcmfmiller>{{cite web|url=https://www.tcm.com/this-month/article/62625 |title=Sense and Sensibility |publisher=[[Turner Classic Movies]] |first=Frank |last=Miller |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130701174531/http://www.tcm.com/this-month/article/62625%7C0/Sense-and-Sensibility.html |archive-date=1 July 2013 |url-status=live |access-date=1 May 2017 }}</ref><ref name=telegraph1>{{cite news|url=https://www.telegraph.co.uk/culture/culturenews/8205611/British-actresses-who-made-their-name-starring-in-Jane-Austen-adaptations.html |title=British actresses who made their name starring in Jane Austen adaptations |first=Laura |last=Roberts |work=[[The Daily Telegraph]] |date=16 December 2010 |access-date=14 August 2011 |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110124034755/http://www.telegraph.co.uk/culture/culturenews/8205611/British-actresses-who-made-their-name-starring-in-Jane-Austen-adaptations.html |archive-date=24 January 2011 }}</ref> Thompson agreed, later stating that she was "desperate to get into a corset and act it and stop thinking about it as a script."<ref name=EWinterview />

The formal casting process began in February 1995,{{sfn|Thompson|1995|p=210}} though some of the actors met with Thompson the previous year to help her conceptualise the script.{{sfn|Thompson|Doran|1995|loc=9:45–9:53}} Lee eventually cast all but one of them: [[Hugh Grant]] (as Edward Ferrars), [[Robert Hardy]] (as Sir John Middleton), [[Harriet Walter]] (as Fanny Ferrars Dashwood), [[Imelda Staunton]] (as Charlotte Jennings Palmer), and [[Hugh Laurie]] (as Mr. Palmer).{{sfn|Thompson|1995|p=210}} [[Amanda Root]] had also worked with Thompson on the screenplay, but had already committed to star in the 1995 film ''[[Persuasion (1995 film)|Persuasion]]''.<ref name=EWinterview /> Commenting on the casting of Laurie, whom she had known for years,<ref>{{cite news|url=https://www.theguardian.com/theobserver/2000/may/07/features.magazine37 |title=Going straight |work=[[The Guardian]] |first=Nicci |last=Gerrard |date=6 May 2000 |access-date=2 September 2013 |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130921060442/http://www.theguardian.com/theobserver/2000/may/07/features.magazine37 |archive-date=21 September 2013 }}</ref> Thompson has said, "There is no one [else] on the planet who could capture Mr. Palmer's disenchantment and redemption so perfectly, and make it funny."{{sfn|Thompson|1995|pp=251–52}}

Thompson wrote the part of Edward Ferrars with Grant in mind,{{sfn|Thompson|Doran|1995|loc=9:15–9:30}} and he agreed to receive a lower salary in line with the film's budget.<ref name="tcmfmiller" /> Grant called her screenplay "genius", explaining "I've always been a [[philistinism|philistine]] about Jane Austen herself, and I think Emma's script is miles better than the book and much more amusing."<ref>{{cite news |url=http://www.highbeam.com/doc/1P2-8326853.html |title=Hugh Grant: The Englishman who went up the Hollywood mountain and came down a star |work=[[Boston Globe]] |first=Matthew |last=Gilbert |date=7 May 1995 |access-date=26 August 2012 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140611025913/http://www.highbeam.com/doc/1P2-8326853.html |archive-date=11 June 2014  }}</ref> Grant's casting was criticised by the Jane Austen Society of North America (JASNA), whose representatives said that he was too handsome for the part.<ref name="dailybeastlunch" /> Actress Kate Winslet initially intended to audition for the role of Marianne but Lee disliked her work in the 1994 drama film ''[[Heavenly Creatures]];'' she auditioned for the lesser part of Lucy Steele. Winslet pretended she had heard that the audition was still for Marianne, and won the part based on a single reading.<ref name=tcmfmiller /> Thompson later said that Winslet, only nineteen years old, approached the part "energised and open, realistic, intelligent, and tremendous fun."{{sfn|Thompson|1995|p=216}} The role helped Winslet become recognised as a significant actress.<ref name=tcmfmiller />

Also appearing in the film was [[Alan Rickman]], who portrayed Colonel Brandon. Thompson was pleased that Rickman could express the "extraordinary sweetness [of] his nature," as he had played "Machiavellian types so effectively" in other films.{{sfn|Thompson|1995|p=269}} [[Greg Wise]] was cast as Marianne's other romantic interest, John Willoughby, his most noted role thus far.<ref>{{cite news|url=https://www.theguardian.com/film/2008/sep/15/television.celebrity |title=Less is more |work=[[The Guardian]] |first=Jon |last=Henley |date=14 September 2008 |access-date=23 August 2013 |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140128101325/http://www.theguardian.com/film/2008/sep/15/television.celebrity |archive-date=28 January 2014 }}</ref><ref>{{cite news|url=https://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/features/3638019/Greg-Wise-talks-about-acting-and-life-with-Emma-Thompson.html |title=Greg Wise talks about acting and life with Emma Thompson |work=[[The Daily Telegraph]] |first=Neil |last=Tweedie |date=20 September 2008 |access-date=23 August 2013 |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140315215052/http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/features/3638019/Greg-Wise-talks-about-acting-and-life-with-Emma-Thompson.html |archive-date=15 March 2014 }}</ref> Twelve-year-old [[Emilie François]], appearing as Margaret Dashwood, was one of the last people cast in the production; she had no professional acting experience.{{sfn|Thompson|Doran|1995|loc=5:13–5:20}} Thompson praised the young actress in her production diaries, "Emilie has a natural quick intelligence that informs every movement – she creates spontaneity in all of us just by being there."{{sfn|Thompson|1995|pp=246–47}} Other cast members included [[Gemma Jones]] as Mrs. Dashwood, [[James Fleet]] as John Dashwood, [[Elizabeth Spriggs]] as Mrs. Jennings, [[Imogen Stubbs]] as Lucy Steele, [[Richard Lumsden]] as Robert Ferrars, [[Tom Wilkinson]] as Mr. Dashwood, and Lone Vidahl as Miss Grey.<ref>{{Cite web|url=http://ftvdb.bfi.org.uk/sift/title/512957?view=cast |title=Sense and Sensibility (1995) |publisher=[[British Film Institute]] |access-date=1 September 2012 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140128102818/http://ftvdb.bfi.org.uk/sift/title/512957?view=cast |archive-date=28 January 2014 }}</ref>