ACTOR Colin Firth is one of Britain's most versatile leading men, but the dashing star has resigned himself to the fact he'll always be remembered for wearing the most famous wet shirt in TV history.

That unforgettable scene in Pride And Prejudice when he emerged from a lake in loose white shirt and tight breeches has gone down in TV history as one of the sexiest ever.

His portrayal of the brooding Mr Darcy won him a legion of swooning female fans. Not surprisingly, the star isn't in any hurry to shake off his wet-shirt tag.

Looking as suave and debonair as ever in The Importance of Being Earnest, Firth plays Jack Worthing, a reserved bachelor living in the country who creates a non-existent wayward brother called Earnest who he uses as an excuse to escape to the bright lights of London.

The movie features an all-star cast including Dame Judi Dench, Rupert Everett and Reese Witherspoon and is an adaptation of the classic Oscar Wilde play.

As well as seeing Firth back in elegant period costume, the film also reunited him with his first ever big screen co-star Rupert Everett. The pair both made their movie debuts in the 1984 film Another Country.

But Firth admits they weren't exactly the best of friends. Eighteen years on, however, the two stars seem to have resolved their differences, admitting they had great fun working together this time round.

Here Jack Worthing (Firth) and Algernon Moncrieff (Everett) are best friends with much in common.

Both men are in the amorous pursuit of young ladies - Algernon's cousin Gwendolen (O'Connor) and Jack's lustrous young ward Cecily Cardew (Witherspoon) respectively - and both have invented fictitious alter-egos.

Jack is known as Earnest to his friends in the city, so he may run up huge debts, without fear of reprisals.

Meanwhile, Algernon has created a mysterious friend called Bunbury, whose ill health gives him the perfect excuse to avoid his domineering aunt Lady Bracknell (Dench). A comedy of errors ensues, ensnaring the two best friends in their own web of lies and deceit.

Director Oliver Parker adheres closely to Wilde's play, but isn't averse to the odd stylistic flourish, including some dreamy fantasy sequences.

Firth and Everett are at their dashing, swaggering best and O'Connor brings a sternness and determination to her independent woman. Witherspoon simpers to perfection with a convincing English accent.

As expected, Dame Judi scene-steals as the imperious Lady Bracknell, underplaying the infamous handbag scene, and savouring Wilde's most famous quips: "To lose one parent, Mr Worthing, may be regarded as a misfortune. To lose both looks like carelessness."