A decade before anyone put them in bonnets, Daisy Edgar-Jones met Esmé Creed-Miles on the 2017 Yorkshire set of coming-of-age drama Pond Life.
asserted
Jones → put → Life
“I was so blown away by her,” says Edgar-Jones, who was then 19, of her co-star, then 17.
asserted
who → blow → co
“[She] has this energy that is so compelling.
asserted
that → have → energy
She’s a wonderfully intelligent and sort of wild person, in the best way.”
asserted
She → ’ → way
The teenagers became fast friends and “had a really great summer of watching Love Island and shooting this indie film”.
Creed-Miles’ first impression of her co-star is equally vivid: “Daisy was unbelievably kind and talented.
asserted
Daisy → become → star
She put me at ease and I could tell I had a friend in her.”
uncertain
I → put → her
Admittedly, “it would be hard not to get on with Daisy.
asserted
it → get → Daisy
She’s just one of the loveliest people.”
asserted
She → ’ → people
Almost a decade on, the women are reunited on a much grander stage: Georgia Oakley’s gorgeous adaptation of Jane Austen’s 1811 debut novel, Sense and Sensibility, in which they star as sisters Elinor and Marianne Dashwood.
asserted
they → reunite → Elinor
“To already have that shorthand with Esmé and to feel a sort of sisterly feeling, made it so seamless,” says Edgar-Jones.
asserted
Jones → feel → feeling
It’s a kaleidoscope of undone hair, mud, rage and running.
asserted
It → ’ → hair
“I was really trying to get into what it might have felt like to live in Devon 200 years ago,” Oakley has said of her film’s unbridled aesthetic.
uncertain
Oakley → try → aesthetic
“Steering away from this preconceived idea we have about Austen, that everything takes place in a stuffy drawing room.”
asserted
everything → steer → room
When Edgar-Jones, 28, appears on our video call, it’s 11am in London.
asserted
it → appear → London
She’s just off a call with Australian writer Tony McNamara about Mosquito, their upcoming comedy series.
asserted
She → ’ → Mosquito
What does a Gucci, Boucheron and Estée Lauder brand ambassador wear when working from home?
asserted
ambassador → wear → home
As it turns out, a striped rugby jumper, no discernible make-up and “sports shorts” from a morning workout: “It’s not my best look!”
asserted
It → turn → workout
A few days later, Creed-Miles, 26, is similarly casual when she Zooms in just after 1pm.
asserted
she → zoom → pm
“I woke up quite recently,” she says, wandering around her London home, earbuds in, breaking off to answer the door: “I think it’s some food.”
asserted
it → wake → door
Seeing the pair like this – using tech, in athleisure wear, waiting on deliveries – is faintly surreal after seeing them as the Dashwoods, physically and emotionally entwined as they braid hair, share a bed and absorb each other’s heartbreaks.
asserted
they → see → heartbreaks
With apologies to Edward Ferrars (George MacKay) and Colonel Brandon (Herbert Nordrum), they’re the heart of the film and its true love story.
asserted
they → ’re → film
“I’m really glad that you say that because I remember that being such a clear piece of direction that Georgia, our director, wanted to follow,” says Edgar-Jones.
asserted
Jones → ’m → that
Growing up an only child, she “had to outsource that sisterly or that familial sibling bond to friends”, and found it here.
asserted
she → grow → it
“It’s just a really lovely thing that the love story is the two women and how much they gift each other.”
asserted
they → ’ → other
To Oakley, the Dashwoods “represent these two opposing forces that a lot of women have within themselves that are always at war”.
asserted
that → represent → war
For Austen-era women with few ways to support themselves and little control over inheritance, says Creed-Miles, “the bond of motherhood or sisterhood becomes more prescient”.
asserted
sisterhood → support → motherhood
“It’s just a really lovely thing that the love story is the two women and how much they gift each other.
asserted
they → ’ → other
In Austen’s world, marriage was survival – do it or sink.
asserted
marriage → do → it
So in 2026, when women have careers, best friends and their own front-door keys, what is romantic love actually for?
asserted
love → have → careers
“It’s a great question, and I think it’s one we’re always asking,” says Edgar-Jones.
asserted
Jones → ’ → ?
In a relationship with photographer Ben Seed for nearly four years, Edgar-Jones says she “loves love” and that modern romance is “for friendship and companionship and support”.
asserted
romance → say → friendship
But her longer answer is pure Elinor: “What Austen does so well is explore the variety of love we can experience in a life – be it platonic, familial, romantic – and how valuable all of those are.
asserted
all → explore → those
The same exists today.
asserted
same → exist → ?
It’s so magic to cultivate love in all those different areas of your life if you can.”
asserted
you → ’ → life
Asked about the same topic, Creed-Miles admits defeat – “Oh gosh.
asserted
Miles → ask → defeat
“I love going for a walk with my fiancée,” she says.
asserted
she → go → fiancée
“We take our dog to the park.
asserted
We → take → park
We might cook some nice food and watch a bit of telly and chill out.
uncertain
We → cook → telly
Edgar-Jones says she is “probably a mixture, honestly”, adding “I don’t fall in love very easily” while admitting to being “a massive romantic”.
asserted
I → say → love
Creed-Miles, gloriously vulnerable and untamed as Marianne, leans “more towards sensibility, internally.
asserted
Miles → lean → sensibility
…and 34 more, not listed.
The Aporia
