This article contains light spoilers for the first part of Bridgerton Season 4. (Members of the media were given Episodes 1–4 to screen in advance of the show’s release.)
The Netflix megahit Bridgerton—adapted from the book series of the same name by Julia Quinn—returns for Season 4 today, with that well-heeled family in the wisteria-clad Mayfair manor looking for yet more love on the Ton.
Each Bridgerton season follows the courtship of one of the household’s eight siblings, some of whom are eager for romance and some of whom balk at the idea. This time around, it’s brother Benedict’s turn to find a partner and settle down—and his attitude sits firmly in the middle of those two poles. (He’s played by Luke Thompson.)
In Season 4, Benedict’s rakish bachelorhood comes to an end with the introduction of Sophie Baek, played by the Australian actress and series newcomer Yerin Ha. Sophie is Bridgerton’s Cinderella proxy; a riches-to-rags-to-riches-again outsider who is both kind-hearted and determined. Early on, she sneaks into a masquerade ball dressed in London fog-hued sequins—immediately enchanting Benedict in so doing. The rest is (fictional, high-society) history.
Below, over separate interviews in New York City, Thompson and Ha discuss everything from the extraordinary lushness of the show’s visuals to the cast’s superlatives.
Vogue: Luke, what were your thoughts going into this season, having been a part of the show since the beginning but now becoming the center of attention?
Luke Thompson: The people who make Bridgerton are absolutely in control of what it is and what they want it to be. So, when you’re placed at the center of it, you can relax a little and let it all happen to you. I just feel quite lucky, really, and maybe it’s because I’ve had time to settle into the world of Bridgerton and know what it is a bit… but I didn’t find it to be pressurized or a big burden to lead the story. I’ve been able to learn by watching other people do it before me.
To that point: Did any of your show-siblings, who have already found their love matches, impart any wisdom along the way?
It’s difficult, right? Because the beauty of Bridgerton is that every year it regenerates. I can’t think of another show that does that, where it’s long-form but every season focuses on someone else. And because the characters are different, they incarnate the lead position in different ways. And I think that’s true of the actors, too. It’s personal. And yes, Johnny [Jonathan Bailey] and Regé [Regé-Jean Page] and Luke [Newton] all offered help. It was lovely to know that was there, but I was keen on making the mistakes I had to make, and trying to work it out for myself.
That’s a nice quote: “Making the mistakes you had to make.”
Well, also—I don’t know, my mom’s a teacher, so maybe that’s why—I like the idea that you can only really learn if you fuck up. I think I’ve always been quite dubious about advice…
Benedict and Sophie’s chemistry is strong. Tell me about working with Yerin: Did that come naturally or was it a slow burn?
We actually met on Zoom for the chemistry read, and then we did one rehearsal. But that’s the nature of acting; you just have to jump in. And it’s why acting is exciting. You don’t have to really know someone to connect to them. I also think everyone has chemistry. You discover what your chemistry is, and how it develops. It’s not fixed, like, Do you have it or not? It’s more passive than that. You let it happen and go on this discovery-journey together. And I feel lucky because Yerin was very lined up with me on that. We didn’t try to force anything or do lots of exercises to squeeze chemistry out of each other. We took it scene by scene. You develop trust, and you develop a dynamic.
A “passive” process is an interesting idea. You’re not lunging into it, you’re letting it come together.
I think the most interesting things that happen aren’t when actors have ideas. They’re when actors are doing things they don’t even realize.
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Your character, in past seasons, has been with both women and men. How much does Benedict’s bisexuality impact the plot this season? Or is it more that… this is his reality, and it’s not really a big deal?
What’s striking is his sexuality doesn’t feel like a big determiner of his identity. There are plenty of stories where it is about that identity, and those are wonderful. This story is doing something different. For Benedict, sex has been this force he’s always keen to explore with curiosity and openness, but it has also helped him dodge really falling for someone. And that someone could have been anyone—we believe that. Love is where it falls. So it doesn’t feel like a huge question of identity for him. What I do think is interesting is that the show treats Benedict’s sexuality in terms of the character’s experience, rather than trying to represent a general experience. It’s just… him being him.
What’s the most fundamentally different thing about Season 4, when compared to the first three?
I think it’s wonderful that we get an upstairs/downstairs element for the first time.
So far, the world of Bridgerton has maybe felt more fantastical because you see the rich and popular side of society, and it looks stunning, and there’s drama. But exploring a different version [now] grounds it. So hopefully the universe is expanding. Maybe it’s got a few more roots now. And it’s perfect that this happens in the season where the couple’s whole question is: How do you bring love down to earth? Falling in love is a mixture of fantasy and reality. It’s where fantasy and reality meet. So it’s a great symbol.
The costumes in the first episode—throughout, really, but especially at the masquerade ball—are extraordinary. How involved are you in shaping the looks, and what’s it like inhabiting that kind of period design?
There’s no need to weigh in. The design is extraordinary, on all levels. To be surrounded by people who are so talented and in control and wildly creative… it’s funny, costume fittings on the show are often extremely relaxing, in a way, and amazing. They throw these things on you—new suits, waistcoats, everything—all carefully tailored. And you just get to be in them. There’s nothing I could possibly add. And it’s crazy because the sheer detail… you watch it onscreen and it’s there for a second and then it’s gone. Some costumes you only glimpse. I remember with Evie, my dresser, I asked her if it’s frustrating that all this detail goes into something you barely see. And she said: “If the detail wasn’t there, you’d know it, as the actor.” The overall effect is only achieved because there’s so much attention to detail.
What you wear impacts how you carry yourself.
Yeah, that’s right. And in our case, I think it lifts the show into the realm of something really artistic. Because with art, the more closely you look, the more you discover. Hannah [Dodd], who plays Francesca, was telling us yesterday that she was fiddling with her dress and realized the pattern in it had, like, a musical clef motif. And Francesca’s character is very into music. There are constantly things to discover.
Vogue: Yerin, what was joining this show like for you? How did you want to put your stamp on Sophie?
Yerin Ha: What was kind of great—and perfect for me in this strange situation—was that I had 24 hours to turn it around. I didn’t have too much time to think. And I sometimes feel like when you’re not overthinking, that’s when the best work happens. With auditioning for Bridgerton, it worked in my favor that I wasn’t able to stew on it and try to do it to perfection. Because what is perfection, right? In acting, anyway…
Good point. So you went into it more on instinct?
I remember reading the scenes for the audition. I had to do two. One was around a lake, and one during an afternoon tea. I remember reading them and thinking, OK, I think I have this–there’s a clear emotive beat, or an obstacle, or an objective that I want to accomplish. These scenes were easy to absorb, and they felt very natural for me to access. [Sophie] felt really quite close to me. I was like, oh, I know what she might possibly feel like.
Can you elaborate on that a little bit? Sophie is an outside looking in, even though her rightful place is among the group to which she aspires. What did she teach you about yourself, or rather, make you realize about yourself?
Sophie has taught me quite a lot. And through playing her, there’s been a lot of self-reflection. To be an actor in this industry, I’ve had to really get myself seen and heard. And, also, being a woman in this industry, a lot of insecurities can flare up. I realized how much negative self-talk I [do]—but, for example, I would never talk in such a way about a friend. The way we talk about our friends is the way we should talk about ourselves! Basically, Sophie is someone who really struggles to be kind to herself. And because she’s not kind to herself, she struggles to let love in. She’s refusing to believe the positivity and see the beauty within her because she hasn’t worked on herself. So that’s something I’ve carried through: I need to work on talking more kindly to myself, and the way I view myself.
As a new cast member, do you have a favorite moment from the previous three seasons? A highlight that stuck with you, even before you knew you’d be involved?
I think each storyline portrays love in such different ways, which is beautiful. Maybe the one with Nicola [Coughlan, who plays Penelope Featherington]. I remember watching it and thinking it was such a beautiful sequence. Actually, I say that, and then I look at Daphne’s one with [the Duke of Hastings], and that was so beautiful. Now they’re all coming back to me! No, I don’t think I have a favorite. I think they’re all equal, and they present such different types of love and the ways passion can arise. I’m sorry, that’s not really a great answer.
No, you’re right: the show does a great job in differentiating the way it tells love stories. It’s the same family, with relatively similar people in it, but the stories are different enough to keep viewers entertained.
Yes, because it’s different tropes. And I think because we’re tackling different tropes, love stems from different emotional places, which is what makes it unique—even though we do get a consistent amount of intimacy scenes throughout!
And Bridgerton is known for showing intimacy in a pretty unguarded way.
Ultimately, I think all of its steamy scenes are a bigger lens into connection… that deep connection that people are so desperate to have. I think they’re sort of a mirror, perhaps, to real life.
This is a bit on-the-spot, but the show is famous for Regency-era remixes of pop songs. If you could have one song “Bridgerton-ized,” what would it be, and why?
Oh, wow. I feel like Olivia Dean is having such a moment right now, and I’d love to hear some of her. Or more Lana Del Rey. I feel like she has a really good place in Bridgerton. I think her poeticism could sit somewhere really nicely in the show.
Bridgerton has a large ensemble cast, and it keeps growing. Can I ask you some superlatives?
Okay. Let’s do it.
Who is the class clown?
Claudia Jessie [who plays Eloise].
Most likely to run a Fortune 500 company?
A what?
Like, a huge corporation.
[Laughs.] Oh—I feel like Golda [Rosheuvel]. She plays the queen.
Best dressed? IRL, not in character.
Ooohhh. Hannah Dodd.
And who’s most likely to brighten your day?
Luke Thompson!
In real life, and in fiction.
In real life and in fiction! Exactly.
These conversations have been edited and condensed.