Agnes Wickfield Amanda Ryan Since the death of her mother, the calmly beautiful and noble Agnes has looked after her father with dedicated devotion. She shares a happy childhood and sisterly friendship with David but seems doomed never to find her deep love for him reciprocated. Amanda Ryan admits she'd "never read a Dickens in my life. But I thought David Copperfield was wonderful. I really enjoyed playing Agnes. I don't think I have ever played anyone so nice before. She has a huge generosity, which is basically love itself. Whatever she says comes from love, rather than any feelings of fear, jealousy, or whatever. "I told my boyfriend one day that I'd be rather sad to give her up. I was rehearsing a part for the National at the same time as doing the Copperfield scenes. I remember thinking on my last day that I wanted to stay in the world of Agnes and Dickens." Ryan found Dickens a very moving writer, particularly when he came to write of David's love for Agnes. "The boy can write," she laughs.