
WARNING: Mild spoilers for Hallmark Channel’s Marrying Mr. Darcy
When Hallmark Channel’s Unleashing Mr. Darcy premiered over two years ago, the Jane Austen-inspired movie delivered three million viewers. It was also a huge hit in the social media universe, becoming, at the time, the most Tweeted non-holiday original movie premiere in Hallmark history.
It should come as no surprise to find out Hallmark ordered a sequel. After all, audiences soundly connected to the love story of Elizabeth Scott and her upper crust suitor, Donovan Darcy. At the end of the film, a romance sparked — sealed with a kiss, cut to black, roll the end credits.
Thankfully, the journey is set to continue in Marrying Mr. Darcy. Even though the OG movie was a big success, a sequel wasn’t a given. However, Ryan Paevey, who plays the dashing Mr. Darcy, says there was always hope for a continuation.

“We had a blast making it. It performed pretty well. I don’t know that anybody knew anything until relatively recently. I didn’t know for sure until I was at the recent Hallmark TCAs [Television Critics Association] and they announced it. And I was like, ‘Oh, okay. Well, I guess we’re making another one.’ Then a week later, a bunch of emails were exchanged. And then a week later, I flew to Canada. So that was that.”
If the title isn’t enough of a clue as to where the story picks up, Paevey offers a tease.
“Obviously, Elizabeth and I are together. You pick us up out and about in our cosmopolitan lives. And very shortly after the beginning of the film, I pop the question. Elizabeth is okay with this idea and says yes. We break the news to the fam. And, of course, our family lives are very different.”
The road to the altar isn’t a smooth ride for the couple. Expect conflicts and obstacles to rise up.

“Darcy comes from [an] upper crust, pseudo-aristocratic background. Things are done a certain way,” explains the former daytime soap star. “It becomes evident pretty quickly and [Elizabeth] and I have very different ideas about what this wedding is going to look like.”
Cue the return of Aunt Violet, played by the fierce Frances Fisher.

“She’s going to be our main source of friction in this one again,” Paevey continues. “But I tell everybody — there’s been a lotta people kind of whining a little about Violet coming back — give her a chance. Give her a chance! Everybody evolves in this one a little bit. Even Violet. And I think some of her haters might actually come to like her by the end.”
Especially since Violet’s not the only source of friction. Back in Unleashing, the fact Donovan and Elizabeth were from two different worlds was a huge issue. He came from money, she didn’t. Not like his, anyway. In Marrying Mr. Darcy, those differences are still there. Their problems haven’t been magically solved.
“Elizabeth’s great fear is that we’re too different to make this work. And I’m constantly trying to reassure her that, no, no, no, we can make it work,” Paevey adds. “Violet kind of puts a face to the difference between the life that Elizabeth lives and the life that Darcy lives. I think the great hurdle here is convincing her that we’re not too different. I think that this love story is a story about compromise.”
Perhaps the lesson of this tale are that differences don’t necessarily have to disrupt or damage a relationship. They can be healthy and celebrated and relished. They shouldn’t be feared.
Paevey believes the safe, comfortable choice isn’t for him. “I can’t do that. Not that there’s anything wrong with that. Because for some people, that’s all they want from a relationship. It would feel like settling. It would feel like I didn’t try. I couldn’t do it.”
He also doesn’t see his character as the same guy from the original movie. Revisiting this role gave him the chance to evolve Mr. Darcy.

“I don’t know that I went entirely back to the first Darcy,” Paevey says. “I think we embrace the fact that everybody evolves a little bit. I always thought Darcy was a little bit stiff. We still try to be a bit vaguely noble, but more human, you know? We’re getting married. And there’s dogs. Smile!”

While dogs don’t play as integral a part as they did in Unleashing, they do make a comeback in the new film. Since the actor’s an animal lover, they’re a welcome presence. That doesn’t mean they make easy scene partners, however.
“On a film set there’s a certain equation that needs to be followed to make things happen. We speak so we have to say words, but there’s also physical locations and physical cues that need to be hit. Things like that. And dogs don’t do that. Ours certainly didn’t. They make your job harder because if they’re not trained properly, they don’t do what they’re supposed to do. But the system adapts and they’re cute as hell so how can you be mad?”

Paevey has nothing but great things to say about reuniting with his human co-star, Cindy Busby. The two, once again, create seriously adorable on-screen sparks as Elizabeth and Donovan.
“She and I fell right back into the same pace that we had in the first one. I think we both were super stoked to be back doing this again, so it’s obviously great to be working with somebody who’s good at their job but also is happy to be there doing their job. It was effortless. It was like we’d never left. I think we laughed the whole time. We’d walk on to the set and be like, doesn’t it feel like we were just here? It was crazy.”
It was crazy good to be working with Fisher again, too.
“I LOVE Frances. Man, she and I are good peeps. I knew it the moment I met her. I was like, you and me, we’re going to be okay. She’s fun. We had some stuff, a couple of scenes, that unfortunately, the first time that we did them are definitely not going to make it into a Hallmark film, because there were some waterworks. But she’s such a great actress. I love working with her.”
Paevey’s genuinely happy to be a part of the Hallmark world where happy endings are not just the priority. They are the norm.

“Hallmark is Happy Land. It’s a place to go where you don’t have to worry about getting sucker-punched by the programming. It’s a happy place and it’s good to have sort of that last bastion of positivity. Hallmark is like a hug in TV form.”
Let the hugs begin when Marrying Mr. Darcy premieres Saturday night at 9/8c on Hallmark Channel.
Check back here at TV Goodness for Heather’s interview with Cindy Busby. We’ll also have another one featuring Paevey where he talks about leaving General Hospital, his recent appearance on Brooklyn Nine-Nine and his other creative outlet, Fortunate Wanderer.
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Can you tell me the name of the song and artist that was playing when Elizabeth and Mr. Darcy were dancing on the rooftop while waiting for Aunt Violet? I cannot find the name of rhe song or who sang it. Here are the lyrics, ‘”With just a smile, you chase the thunder, here comes the sun. you’re such a wonder, you are my true love my whole life through love, there go the raindrops, here comes the sun, there go the rain drops, here comes the sun” I have tried looking for the music, soundtrack, credits, etc. For the movie….nothing. Any assistance would be appreciated.
The next time it repeats I’ll take a listen. I’ve tried going to the website I usually go to for this kind of thing but it doesn’t cover hallmark movies, I guess. 🙂
I finally found it! “Here Comes the Sun†by Hal David and John Cacavas.
Good job!!
Excellent! Thanks so much. I love the song and was having a hard time finding it. Thanks again.
That’s who wrote it and composed but who sings it?
I would also be interested to know the song and artist. It was lovely!
I’ll see what I can do. 🙂
Did you find it? The actual song played on the show ?
I also have been trying to find it. Almost sounds like Frank Sinatra. Absolutely love it.
Thanks to having the name of the composers I found this song online. 89 cents on Amazon. (I think it’s available on itunes too.) STILL cannot find the name of the singer/musicians. My best guess is that the singers were unattributed studio singers hired to record this album??
The singers sounded a lot like The Letterman ,the soft harmony was familiar
I also am in search of the song playing during the rooftop dance just before the aunt interrupted.It sounded like Frank Sinatra. That song in addition to the movie was LOVELY!
Better late than never but…thanks to someone asking this question on twitter, we do have an answer:
“The song Elizabeth & Donovan were dancing to on the rooftop was Hal David & John Cacavas – Here Comes The Sun. #MarryingMrDarcy” –@RyanPaeveynet
Anyone know the name of the song at the end if the movie?
I like Ryan Paevey’s comment: ‘ “Hallmark is like a hug in TV form.” ‘ I like both of these movies very much. I haven’t really found a Pride and Prejudice film version that I don’t like. 🙂
Sounds like a group like the Four Freshmen or Four Lads or someone cut from that cloth
I love both movies, it’s my favorites I can (chain watch them) please make follow up please.
Does anyone know the name of the song that played toward the end of the movie when they were setting up for both weddings?