The Actor Who Fell Apart in Front of Robert de Niro
Matthew Macfadyen’s rise in Hollywood has been steady and impressive, but it wasn’t without moments that tested his confidence early on. Before becoming widely known for his Emmy-winning performance as Tom Wambsgans in Succession, he went through a difficult audition experience involving Robert De Niro.
According to Macfadyen, the meeting happened when he was being considered for the 2006 CIA drama The Good Shepherd. At that point in his career, he was still building international recognition after gaining attention for playing Mr. Darcy in Pride & Prejudice. The opportunity to audition for De Niro, who was also directing the project, was a major moment for him.
Macfadyen explained in an interview that the first part of the audition went well, but things changed quickly later the same day. He said, “I auditioned for Robert De Niro. It’s not really a horror story, but I auditioned for him in London… The first time around was really good, and I got called back the same day, and it was really bad.”
He described the second session as a sharp drop in confidence, where everything felt harder and less natural than in the earlier meeting. Even though the experience stayed with him, it did not harm his long-term career.
The role in The Good Shepherd eventually went to another actor, and the film featured a large ensemble cast including Matt Damon and Angelina Jolie. Macfadyen moved on from the setback and continued to build a strong career across film and television.
After that period, he appeared in respected projects such as Frost/Nixon and Anna Karenina, slowly strengthening his reputation as a serious and versatile actor. His biggest breakthrough came later with Succession, where his performance brought him global recognition and major awards.
More recently, Macfadyen has continued working across high-profile television projects. He stars in the sci-fi dramedy The Miniature Wife, which premiered on April 9 on Peacock. In the series, he plays a husband dealing with an unusual situation after a scientific accident shrinks his wife to just a few inches tall.
He is also part of the Netflix miniseries Death by Lightning, where he plays Charles J. Guiteau, the man who assassinated President James A. Garfield. The show, which also stars Michael Shannon, has been praised for its performances and historical detail.
Looking ahead, Macfadyen is currently filming Legacy of Spies, a major BBC and MGM+ adaptation of John le Carré’s work. In the series, he takes on the role of George Smiley, a character previously played by actors like Alec Guinness and Gary Oldman.
The series also features Charlie Hunnam and Daniel Brühl and is expected to become a key espionage drama for the network. For Macfadyen, it marks another step in a career that has moved far beyond the early audition setbacks that once shook his confidence.
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