Near the end of the recently-dropped trailer for Shondaland’s Regency London-era Netflix drama, Bridgerton — premiering December 25 — our series lead, Daphne Bridgerton, played by British actress Phoebe Dynevor, asks, “You think that just because I am woman, I am incapable of making my own choices?”
In the high-stakes world of British aristocracy in which Bridgerton unfolds, such a question might have been commonplace, if, at times clandestine. After all, this was London, England in the 1800s, when young, upper-crust debutants were, after their formal debuts into society, expected to meet and marry men not necessarily for love, but for a family name that might further their own family’s fame and fortune.
Such is the plight of Daphne in the first season of Bridgerton, which finds the 18-year-old, after facing scrutiny by Lady Whistledown (voiced by Julie Andrews) and her engrossing Society Papers — more or less gossip rags that can make or break any person of standing — concocting a faux romance with Simon Basset, The Duke of Hastings (Regé-Jean Page), after he’s recently returned to London much to the interest of city's elite. Their goal: restore Daphne’s good name (and her family’s) and keep Simon free and clear of vulturous wives-in-waiting. But, because this is a romance drama, the two are more drawn to each other than they ever thought they would be. It’s a lot for a teenage girl to go through. Creator and showrunner Chris Van Dusen half-jokingly calls the season “The Education of Daphne Bridgerton,” because her character’s arc is one of the most influential in the heart of the show’s message.
However, even with Daphne’s hunt for a partner and within the complex rules of this fast-paced high society under which all the show’s characters must operate, the women in Bridgerton are busting out of their assigned roles and into increasingly self-empowered positions. The series may reflect a world that once was, but this modern take on the era sees women making their way in a world that tries to keep them tightly laced into their restrictive corsets.
Among the many unique female characters in Bridgerton, Shondaland spoke with Dynevor and four other actors who embody these strong, determined women, including Daphne’s younger sister, Eloise (Claudia Jessie), Eloise’s best friend, Penelope Featherington (Nicola Coughlan), Queen Charlotte, (Golda Rosheuvel) and Lady Danbury (Adjoa Andoh). Each spoke passionately about what Bridgerton brings to the table, from the importance of representation in high society to body image to the will and determination of the indelible women in the story and the indelible women who play them.
Phoebe Dynevor as Daphne Bridgerton
While the entire Bridgerton family will face their own ups and downs in love, family, and friendships, it’s Phoebe, the eldest Bridgerton daughter, whose stakes in the marriage mart are sky-high. But she isn’t one to be trifled with. Though Daphne is young and inexperienced, she’s also a quick study and will not bend to anyone’s will if she feels it will hurt herself or her family.
On Daphne’s evolution:
“I was immediately intrigued by Shonda Rhimes doing Regency England. Growing up, I loved those movies, but everything I’d seen of that era had quite passive female characters. At her essence, Daphne wants to be loved, but the interesting part of her story is her realizing that conforming to all these complex social rules is not going to necessarily get her what she wants — a loving family, like the one she grew up in. But that is all she knows — her very small bubble. So, she does believe that the only way to get what she wants is by conforming to all these rules, to being the perfect debutante. The journey for her, which was so interesting to play, is evolving into a woman with agency and finding herself as a sexual being without having the luxury of time to do so.”
On Bridgerton’s relevance today:
"Even though Daphne isn’t our idea of a feminist today — because she does conform — her strength comes from saying no. She’s not a yes person; she stands up to her brother and she stands up to things that she doesn’t agree with. But what does make Daphne relevant to a young woman today are the parallels with social media. When I was prepping for the role, I thought a lot about how Daphne portrays this, ‘Everything’s fine, everything’s perfect, I wake up like this!’ persona. She goes to all these balls, she’s perfectly quaffed, she has to maintain the same energy and the same demeanor every single day — it’s so similar to social media. It’s just the same s—t, different era. Inside, Daphne is dealing with her own anxieties. I could relate to that a lot in that she’s displaying one thing out outwardly, but inwardly she’s feeling very different.”
Claudia Jessie as Eloise Bridgerton
Eloise’s happily-ever-after couldn’t be further from her older sister’s. Whip-smart and bolder than most girls her age, she struggles to make everyone else see life the way she does: a blank page on which to write one’s own destiny. She doesn’t need the love of a man to reach her happy ending, but she does need the love of her family to help her get there.
On Eloise’s power:
“She’s so brazen. She’s highly intelligent, but she’s still only 17 years old, so you see that youth in the way that she speaks at a thousand miles an hour without much of a filter. And while all of the women in the show have their own beautiful journey, there’s something quite explicit about Eloise’s as this empowered voice — an opposing voice in fact — of wanting something different for herself. And that is having the freedom of choice to have a career and aspire without the pressure of the marriage mart. She doesn’t want to be a part of that bizarre ritual, as she calls it.”
On Eloise and feminism:
“Eloise is a more explicit voice of how feminism may have been displayed, but she could learn to slow down a bit and listen to other versions of people’s realities, allowing room for feminism to look like whatever it might look like for each woman. Feminism is the equality of sexes and the freedom for us all to have the same opportunities. And at the end of the day, that’s what Eloise wants.”
On what she loves about Bridgerton:
"What I love about the show is that yes, it has this very sexy backdrop, but human nature doesn’t massively change. And I think there’s something to be said about the unremarkable because actually, we’re all just lovely little idiots running around desperately trying not to die.”
Nicola Coughlan as Penelope Featherington
As with Eloise’s best friend, Penelope may come from the Bridgerton’s most competitive family, but she’s just as smart and determined to make her own way in the world. But Pen — as her friends call her — has one problem Eloise does not: she’s hopelessly and secretly in love with a dear friend.
On the many facets of Penelope:
“Penelope is entering into society — a world she’s not particularly comfortable in — and when you see Daphne’s debut, at the balls, getting courted, she’s doing it all right; Penelope is sort of doing it all wrong. She’s also an outsider in her family, but with Eloise, she can really let go and be herself. As the series progresses, we get to see more sides to her. Penelope is a dream to play as an actor because she has so many facets. She is a bit at odds with herself, though, because I think she wants what Eloise wants: to be independent and educated, and she’s aware that she’s very clever and that society limits women. But then there’s also the side of her that’s a real romantic and wants marriage and love. She really doesn’t admit that to anybody. But Penelope wants everything a modern woman wants; she’s a young girl ahead of her time”
On body image in Bridgerton:
“[When it comes to Penelope’s body and looks], it’s hit upon, but it’s not a defining characteristic of her. So often women are reduced to what they look like, but I think Penelope doesn’t dwell upon it or get into an argument with her sisters about it because she’s aware that she’s smart and has a lot more to offer than just that. Society imposes different pressures on young women, no matter what era we’re in. Nowadays, young girls have to deal with the pressures of social media and presenting themselves, and women still get shamed for being sexual beings; we’re still held to impossible standards. Even though this story takes place 200 years ago, it feels like a lot of the same rules apply today.”
On what drives Penelope:
“I think a lot of what drives Penelope is this unrequited love. If you’ve ever been through that — and I have — you know how crushing it can be. Everyone has light and dark in them, and you have to learn that about yourself too. Like sometimes certain things Penelope would do, I think, ‘Oh I would never do that!’ but you have to be honest about being self-reflective… nobody’s an angel.”
Golda Rosheuvel as Queen Charlotte
She may be a Queen. She may be a formidable presence. She may be an all-seeing matriarch of an entire country. But Queen Charlotte ultimately wants the same things as Daphne: to love and be loved. Having lost her companion, King George III, to an illness of the mind, the Queen must occupy her time with other endeavors. Cavorting with her court during the marriage mart season and placing bets on who will end up with whom seems to be her favorite pastime, other than her little pooches.
On representation in Bridgerton:
“I am a dual heritage; my mother was white, English, and my father Black, Guyanese. And all my career, because of the color of my skin, I have played Black roles. Representing my father, I’ve done that. But to represent my mother’s side who is white, that is quite a unique opportunity. I get to be involved in a period drama that I never really saw myself doing because there weren’t any Black people being cast in those roles. So, to get the opportunity to play a Queen, I celebrate that.”
On the Queen’s motives:
“Mostly, the Queen seeks happiness, but there’s also a recognition she seeks. She does crave power and attention, but it’s done in a natural way. She’s not devious; she just has her finger on the pulse of society. And because her status is at the top of the triangle, when this Lady Whistledown comes along, she puts the Queen’s nose out of joint by introducing honest opinions and gossip. She does love it, though, and that’s the complexity of the character: on one side she feels it’s an encroachment on her arena, but on the other side, it’s like candy to her.”
On the series’ community of women:
“There is a beautiful kind of quality between the women in the show. Yes, of course in name the Queen holds status, but I think all the women are on the same level and there’s a real community that makes them, in a sense, all high status. There isn’t a hierarchy in the way they interact, but there’s real girl power there.”
Adjoa Andoh as Lady Danbury
Simon’s aunt and confidante, Lady Danbury is a woman of means and of status. She is a widow with no children of her own, so Simon has, in a way, taken up that role in her life. And while the Queen might hold onto power inside the court, Lady Danbury is her counterpart on the outside.
On Lady Danbury’s confidence:
“There’s something about the expansiveness of Lady Danbury that I love. Her absolute determination and willingness to embrace the whole room and not be intimidated or feel lesser than anybody in that room. There is something about being a woman in charge of space, taking up space, that I think is really attractive and something that we are not raised to do. But more so, Lady Danbury is there to help make space for other people to come in. She’s aware and alert to the quiet ones, the ones who feel fragile and she will make space for them. And she will call out anyone who is being insincere, deceitful or mendacious. Having said that, she doesn’t like arrogance, insincerity or pomposity, either. She likes you to be straight down the line. She knows how to play the game, but that doesn’t mean that she is an insincere person. She's just a person who knows what she needs to use in order to hold the space for others."
On why she loves her character:
“Lady Danbury is the character I’ve been waiting for. With her, I’m able to put all the things in place that I haven’t had the opportunity to do as a Black actress from my generation. I grew up on classical literature, on historical drama, I’m greatly interested in the real history of the monarchy in Great Britain, the history of powerful Black women in rebellious times through the ages. And I think that Lady Danbury synthesizes all those sorts of characters for me.”
Valentina Valentini is a London-based entertainment, travel and food writer for Vanity Fair, Vulture, Variety, Thrillist, Heated and many more. Her personal essays can be read in the Los Angeles Times, Longreads, and The Washington Post. Her tangents and general complaints can be seen on Twitter at @ByValentinaV .
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