London, Sep 4 (IANS): Actor Colin Firth says he doesn't understand why women liked his character Mr.Darcy in the hit film "Pride and Prejudice".

The 55-year-old famously played the iconic Jane Austen character in a 1995 TV adaptation of the novel.

"Women being attracted to him took me by surprise. Jane Austen writes very well about women, but she doesn't really write about men from their perspective, and when I took on the role of Darcy it seemed to me that he was imperious and stiff and forbidding, and I didn't know what there was to play apart from him scowling all the time," Firth told dailymail.co.uk.

The role proved to be a landmark moment in Firth's career, but he still cannot explain the allure of the character.

"I thought it would be quite fun and liberating to play someone who was completely and utterly dislikeable, unsympathetic, judgemental and snobbish," Firth said.

"I didn't have to think about bringing charm to the role, the way I saw it, I just had to stand there and make everyone hate me... then this weird thing happened where people liked him, which wasn't what I was expecting at all! We're 20 years on and I still don't understand it," he added.