The Cast of “Bridgerton”: Everything to Know

From their previous roles to their off-screen dating lives, here's what to know about the cast of Netflix's Bridgerton series

This cast is the talk of the ton.

Based on Julia Quinn's best-selling series of novels, Bridgerton follows the love lives of the eight Bridgerton siblings as they navigate Regency London's complicated marriage season. Bridgerton's esteemed families of London high society and their romantic pursuits are seen through the lens of a mysterious gossip columnist, Lady Whistledown (voiced by none other than Julie Andrews). When the Shonda Rhimes-produced series first hit Netflix at the end of 2020, it broke records, streaming in over 82 million households during the first few weeks of its release.

While season 3 will take a turn from the book order and instead follow the sweet romance between Colin Bridgerton (Luke Thompson) and Penelope Featherington (Nicola Coughlan), the creative team behind Bridgerton intends to tell the story of each sibling.

"It was always my goal to focus on a different Bridgerton sibling every season and it's no secret there are eight Bridgerton siblings," series creator Chris Van Dusen told Entertainment Tonight in 2022. "We will be on as long as Netflix will have us, but I would love to focus on every single one of those eight Bridgerton siblings and tell romance stories for all of them."

The period romance debuted its first spinoff, Queen Charlotte: A Bridgerton Story, in May 2023. In addition to a handful of new actors, the series will see the return of Golda Rosheuval as Queen Charlotte, Adjoa Andoh as Lady Agatha Danbury and Ruth Gemmell as Lady Violet Bridgerton.

Here's everything to know about the cast of Bridgerton.

Regé-Jean Page as Simon Basset, Duke of Hastings

The Duke of Hastings is brought to life by Regé-Jean Page. Reserved and upstanding, Simon has returned to England to settle his late father's affairs and has no intentions of finding a wife — until he falls for Daphne Bridgerton after the two employ a fake-dating scheme.

But to Page, Simon meant a lot more than romance and nobility. Pointing to his character's entrance on a horse, he has spoken about the positive impact of racially diverse casting in period dramas like Bridgerton.

"Being on a horse is literally lifting people into a position of aspiration, power, possibility and agency that they've not been afforded before," he told British GQ in 2021. "That's what's ridiculous. That we are not creative enough in the creative industries — that's the failure. But the second you start doing that? It's like, 'This is so easy!' Yes, it is, so keep doing that."

Page, who grew up between Zimbabwe and the U.K., began acting as a child, landing his first "role" as the Little Drummer Boy in his school's nativity play. His professional debut came in 2001 playing Tanaka in Gimme 6; this was followed by roles in Waterloo Road, Roots and For the People. Since Bridgerton, he's starred in Netflix's action film The Gray Man and appeared in the 2023 film Dungeons & Dragons: Honor Among Thieves.

The actor is also reportedly in the running to become the next James Bond — but Page himself has kept quiet on those rumors.

"It's a conversation people are having, and it's terribly flattering that they're having it," he told Vanity Fair in 2023. "I leave them to it."

The actor left Bridgerton after season 1. "I signed up to do a job and I did the job and then I did some other jobs," he said. "That's the story. I wish it was more glamorous than that." It looks like he won't be returning anytime soon, telling Variety that he'd welcome the Shondaland team to recast his role.

Page has been linked to copywriter and soccer player Emily Brown since 2019. The two first sparked romance rumors when they were spotted kissing in February 2021, but they are notoriously private about their relationship.

Phoebe Dynevor as Daphne Bridgerton

Despite being the fourth Bridgerton child, Daphne, played by Phoebe Dynevor, is the first to enter the marriage market in season 1 of Bridgerton. A true romantic and picture-perfect debutante, Daphne is the perfect "diamond" of the season — until her protective older brother Anthony's intense vetting scares off most of her potential suitors. Luckily, Simon Basset needs Daphne just as badly as she needs him — or, ahem, burns for him.

But don't think of Daphne as a typical Regency wife and mother.

"Daphne is really, at heart, very empowered, and she has a lot of agency and she says no," Dynevor told Harper's Bazaar in 2021. "Her instinctual behavior is her strength and her resilience and her determination."

She added: "But then, that was obviously all clouded in the context of her being a woman in Regency England and everything that meant — literally, her life was to find a husband. … But I think if she was born today, she would be probably running her own business at this point. So it was quite interesting to play with all those aspects and also play with just the pressures that she felt."

Dynevor, whose parents are soap opera star Sally Dynevor and screenwriter Tim Dynevor, made her TV debut in the teen drama Waterloo Road in 2009. Since then, she has racked up a handful of TV roles, including Prisoners' Wives, Dickensian and Younger, which starred Hilary Duff. Dynevor is set to star in several films, including I Heart Murder, The Outlaws Scarlett and Browne and The Threesome.

She previously dated recruitment executive Simon Merrill and Skins alum Sean Teale before stepping out with Saturday Night Live star Pete Davidson in April 2021. The two split in August of that same year.

Unfortunately, Dynevor won't be returning for Bridgerton season 3, but she could "potentially" pop up in the future.

Jonathan Bailey as Anthony Bridgerton

Jonathan Bailey takes on the role of Anthony Bridgerton, the oldest child in the family who inherited the viscount title after his father died. Charming with a keen sense of duty, Anthony sows his wild oats before intending to find a wife in season 2. But despite his mother's insistence on finding a "love match," Anthony is determined to find the most suitable wife for his position — until he's swept away by a certain Sharma sister.

Although Anthony's story earned some flack from fans for not being as steamy as Bridgerton's first season, Bailey has defended the choice, calling the eventual payoff "earned."

"It would have been wrong for Kate and Anthony to have got physical any sooner than they did," Bailey told USA Today in 2022. "What you lose in sex scenes you gain in a deeper human understanding, which hopefully enriches the world so that the future intimacy scenes won't be the heavy feature, and [you] won't have to lean on them as much."

Bailey is an accomplished theater actor, having gotten his start playing Young Scrooge in A Christmas Carol at the Royal Shakespeare Company at just 7 years old. He played Gavroche in Les Misérables on the West End a year later. Since then, Bailey has starred in a number of productions including American Psycho opposite Matt Smith in 2013, King Lear alongside Ian McKellen in 2017 and the West End revival of Company in 2018. His Company performance earned him the Laurence Olivier Award for best actor in a supporting role in a musical. Most recently, he headlined a production of Cock opposite Taron Egerton on the West End.

On-screen, Bailey took on roles in Broadchurch, W1A and Crashing before Bridgerton. He's set to star as Fiyero in Jon M. Chu's highly anticipated Wicked film, which will also star Ariana Grande and Cynthia Erivo. Bailey will be returning in Bridgerton season 3, reprising his role as the viscount.

After coming out to family and friends in his early 20s, Bailey came out publicly as gay in 2018.

"I reached a point where I thought, 'F--- this,' " he told British GQ in 2022. "I'd much prefer to hold my boyfriend's hand in public or be able to put my own face picture on Tinder and not be so concerned about that than get a part."

Simone Ashley as Kate Sharma

The Sharmas pull into the ton for season 2 of Bridgerton led by Kate, played by Simone Ashley. Kate, older half-sister to Edwina and stepdaughter to Mary, is headstrong, intelligent and extremely loyal to her family.

"She listens to her own instincts and she's not easily swayed by what everyone else is doing," Ashley told PEOPLE in 2021. "We meet her in different vulnerable moments and discover her background a little bit more and the family trauma that she holds."

Although Edwina, the "diamond" of the social season, is matched up with Viscount Anthony Bridgerton, it's Anthony and Kate who have chemistry. The two deny their feelings for the benefit of their respective families — until their attraction becomes too much to hide.

Ashley had her breakout role as mean girl Olivia Hanan in Netflix's Sex Education. She previously appeared in the crime drama Broadchurch, the ITV miniseries The Sister and the comedy film Kill Ben Lyk, as well as a small role in Detective Pikachu. Ashley is also set to appear in Disney's live-action The Little Mermaid, also starring Halle Bailey and Melissa McCarthy.

On top of acting, Ashley is also a pianist and opera singer. She was inspired to get into screen acting after watching Quentin Tarantino films.

"I was really inspired to maybe try screen more," she said of watching the director's work. "I started auditioning for more film and TV screen-based projects and never really continued with musical theater."

Ashley is returning for season 3 of Bridgerton and has already been seen in pictures from set alongside Bailey and Hannah Dodd.

Nicola Coughlan as Penelope Featherington

Nicola Coughlan stars as Penelope Featherington, the Bridgertons' kind-hearted but cunning neighbor who — spoiler alert! — is actually Lady Whistledown. More likely to stand near the perimeter of a ballroom than dance in it, Penelope longs for her best friend Eloise's older brother Colin and to get away from her disinterested family. Season 3 of Bridgerton will follow Penelope and Colin as they move from friends to something more.

In Quinn's fourth book, Romancing Mister Bridgerton, Penelope and Colin grow closer as they discover the other's secrets. And while the pair have certainly grown closer from being pen pals in between seasons 1 and 2, Coughlan noted that they still have a long way to go in season 3.

"There's an imbalance because she just reveres him," she told Shondaland in 2022. "If you're going to ever have a relationship with someone, you can't be like, 'Well, he's a god, and I'm trash.' "

Other than Bridgerton, the Galway, Ireland, native is best known for starring as the whip-smart Clare on Derry Girls. Plus, this wasn't her first time in a corset — Coughlan also starred in BBC's period drama Harlots. She announced on Instagram in 2022 that she'll also play a "tiny part" in Greta Gerwig's Barbie starring Margot Robbie and Ryan Gosling.

In her personal life, Coughlan is besties with Queer Eye star Jonathan Van Ness, an outspoken activist and a fellow reality TV fan. On Instagram, she's known for sharing behind-the-scenes pics from the Bridgerton set, especially with on- and off-screen BFF Claudia Jessie.

Despite her incredible career, it hasn't been all positive in the entertainment industry. In 2018, Coughlan wrote an essay about how women's bodies are viewed in Hollywood, detailing an incident with a critic who called her "a fat girl" in two separate reviews rather than write about her acting.

"I know I'm not alone; women in my industry are put under constant scrutiny for their looks," she wrote in The Guardian. "It affects male actors as well — I had messages from them — but the vast majority of feedback was from women. Something in our society tells us that women's bodies are fair game for scrutiny in a way that men's simply are not."

Luke Newton as Colin Bridgerton

Colin Bridgerton, Penelope's love interest and the third-eldest Bridgerton sibling, is portrayed by English actor Luke Newton. With his good-natured jokes and charming personality, Colin is a favorite of the social season. But after a failed engagement to Marina Thompson in season 1, Colin begins to yearn for adventure and spends some time abroad.

Moving forward, Newton is hoping Colin softens up as he falls for Penelope.

"I'm hoping that he has sort of a more sensitive side to him," Newton told Netflix's Tudum about his hopes for season 3. "I love that we are exploring a relationship that so many people have had, where you form a friendship and you get to know each other down to the core. Then it sparks something from there."

In the weeks ahead of the season 3 release, Newton and Coughlan opened up about what it was like filming their steamier scenes — including the damage they caused during one. Coughlan admitted that they did indeed break a piece of furniture while filming, with Newton adding that the years-long friendship between them helped alleviate any awkwardness during those moments.

“It felt like a really safe space,” Newton told 7News Australia. “There were moments where we could explore the scene and try it different ways and that ended up in a piece of furniture getting broken.”

Aside from Bridgerton, Newton has starred in series like Disney Channel's The Lodge and BBC Two's The Cut. He also played Billy in the Syfy made-for-TV movie Lake Placid: Legacy.

Claudia Jessie as Eloise Bridgerton

Eloise, played by Claudia Jessie, is the Bridgerton family's fifth child and second daughter. Even though she's pushed into the marriage market during season 2, Eloise is intelligent and a little rebellious, meaning she'll put off marriage for as long as she can — even if that means linking up with a rebel like Theo Sharpe.

In Quinn's fifth novel, To Sir Phillip, With Love, Eloise falls for Phillip Crane after he proposes without ever even meeting her. Eagle-eyed viewers might recall that Phillip Crane is currently the husband of Marina Thompson, to whom Colin proposes in season 1. In the books, he remarries Eloise after Marina dies.

Eloise's best friend — and comrade in commiserating about the social season — is none other than her neighbor Penelope Featherington. Their close friendship makes for an even larger betrayal when Eloise — spoiler alert! — finds out that Penelope is actually Lady Whistledown at the end of season 2.

"It's very exposing for Eloise because Eloise obviously didn't ever think it was Penelope," Jessie told Tudum in 2022. "Eloise would openly praise this person and really show her hand about how much she admired her and how much she wanted to be her. She wanted to be Lady Whistledown, earning money and having autonomy, so it's just so humiliating for Eloise."

Jessie is known for roles in the BBC's WPC 56 and Line of Duty, as well as the sitcom Porters and miniseries Vanity Fair.

Jessie is a Buddhist, eats a vegan diet and practices yoga, according to Shondaland. In April 2022, the actress told Schön! magazine that she lived on a houseboat with her boyfriend, Cole, and their dog.

Luke Thompson as Benedict Bridgerton

The second Bridgerton sibling, Benedict, is played by English actor Luke Thompson. Benedict is passionate about art and yearns to turn his hobby into a career. The handsome second-in-command has had no shortage of ladies in line for his hand — so far, he's been linked to modiste Genevieve Delacroix and art school model Tessa.

Benedict is the star of the third book, An Offer from a Gentleman, although the show is switching the order of the books to follow Penelope and Colin first. The third book follows the love story between Benedict and Sophie Beckett, a daughter born out of wedlock to an earl. Sophie has been relegated to the role of servant by her haughty stepmother. Benedict and Sophie meet after she sneaks into the Bridgerton masquerade ball, and he becomes blinded to the attentions of any other — save for a mysterious maid.

But Thompson says the real challenge for Benedict won't be finding love or making art. Instead, it'll be finding out who he really is.

"Benedict is someone who's really gone along [with things]," he told Entertainment Weekly in 2022. "He's so open, which is a lovely quality and a lovely thing to play, but he's happy to be pushed or dragged or drawn in lots of different directions. A lot of the challenge for him will be about finding his center before he can even start to think creatively."

Thompson made his professional debut in 2013 as Lysander in Shakespeare's Globe's production of A Midsummer Night's Dream. In addition to his other theater credits, Thompson also took over for Bailey when King Lear transferred to the West End in 2018.

From 2014 to 2016, Thompson played Simon in BBC One's In the Club. He made his feature film debut in 2017 with a small part as a warrant officer in Christopher Nolan's Dunkirk. He is set to appear in Netflix's World War II miniseries Transatlantic.

Charithra Chandran as Edwina Sharma

Charithra Chandran plays Edwina Sharma, a.k.a. the season 2 "diamond" who's supposed to marry Anthony Bridgerton. But kind-hearted Edwina, the younger sister of Kate, wants a true love match — something that's hard to come by in the ton.

For Chandran (Edwina is her breakout role), her Bridgerton storyline hit close to home.

"I know that many young Indian women are brought up with the idea that their priority is to be a wife and a mother and a sister and a daughter. And so for me, Edwina was incredibly personal because I could see a lot of people that looked like her in that position," she told Teen Vogue in 2022. "And if they can get anything from this season, it's that you are much more in control of your own life than you imagine. And even at the moment when you think it's too late, even on your wedding day, you can still take control."

Chandran has certainly taken control of her own life. The actress graduated from the University of Oxford in 2019 with a degree in philosophy, politics and economics; after interning at Boston Consulting Group, an American consulting firm, she was offered a full-time job there. She postponed her start date to spend time on creative pursuits — and so far, she hasn't gone back.

In 2021, she also starred in the spy thriller series Alex Rider on IMDb TV (now Amazon Freevee) and will have a featured role in Prime Video's upcoming romcom How to Date Billy Walsh.

However, she won't be returning for season 3.

Ruth Gemmell as Violet Bridgerton

Bridgerton family matriarch Violet Bridgerton is played by English actress Ruth Gemmell. Caring and kind, Violet is mother to eight children and raises them alone after her husband, Edmund, suddenly dies from an allergic reaction to a bee sting three weeks before giving birth to their youngest child, Hyacinth.

In season 2, Gemmell dives more into the dowager viscountess's grief — Violet even reveals that she wanted to die during childbirth so as not to live without her husband. But because of her own "love match," she wants a romantic pairing for all of her children — despite societal expectations.

"She knows that she's very lucky because she had a loving marriage herself," Gemmell told Town & Country in 2022. "Because she did, she knows it's possible."

Viewers may recognize Gemmell from roles on EastEnders, Home Fires and Penny Dreadful, as well as the 1997 film Fever Pitch. Gemmell was married to actor Ray Stevenson, whom she met on the set of Band of Gold, from 1997 to 2005.

Adjoa Andoh as Lady Danbury

British actress Adjoa Andoh portrays the vivacious Lady Danbury, a matron who essentially runs the ton's social affairs. She has played a large part in the Bridgertons' love stories thus far — as a friend of Simon's late mother, she encourages him to participate in the social season in season 1. In season 2, she hosts the Sharmas when they come to London from India.

After a long career in acting, Andoh has said she welcomed the opportunity to star in a historical drama like Bridgerton — but she wanted to make sure they really wanted her for the role.

"As someone who has grown up in this country with the history of this country — you know, you can't try out for costume dramas, you can't go for historical romance," she said in the behind-the-scenes book Inside Bridgerton. "And so typically, actors of color think, 'Oh, another job I won't get.' I needed to know that this was an opportunity to be in it — and also that I was expected to be myself, a Black woman, not a Black woman pretending that she is White."

The longtime theater actress added: "I needed to know that the auditions weren't colorblind. Because when we say we're colorblind, whose color are we being blind to? I am the color I am. I delight in my race, and I wouldn't want to be anything else. I think I was born with a winning ticket, thank you very much."

Andoh is known for starring on both stage and screen, including TV roles in Doctor Who, Casualty and EastEnders. Her stage credits include His Dark Materials, Stuff Happens and The Revenger's Tragedy at the U.K.'s National Theatre. In 2009, she starred alongside Morgan Freeman in Clint Eastwood's Invictus; she also played a role in the 2019 thriller Fractured.

Andoh married her husband Howard Cunnell in 2001. They share two children together. Andoh has one other child from a previous relationship.

Polly Walker as Lady Featherington

Polly Walker plays Lady Featherington, the Bridgertons' gaudy and conniving neighbor. Lady Featherington will stop at nothing to get her daughters — the spoiled Prudence (Bessie Carter) and Philippa (Harriet Cains), as well as lovable Penelope — married and at the top of the social ladder.

Although Lady Featherington may not always get what she wants, Walker has made sure she's no fool.

"She's desperately trying to survive and protect her daughters. That's her overriding motive," the actress told Vulture in 2022. "She's very aware of people's opinion of her, so she's not a fool in that regard. She's very clever, just born in the wrong century. She's playing at rediscovering her femininity and herself as a woman. She's consumed by her role as a mother, but we all know women are more than that. She would like love too. It's tough for her."

Walker previously received a Golden Globe nomination for her work on the television series Rome. She's also known for her work on movies like Emma, Clash of the Titans and Patriot Games. She has been married to former actor Laurence Penry-Jones since 2008.

Julie Andrews as Lady Whistledown

Julie Andrews voices Lady Whistledown, the ton's voracious gossipmonger who sends each social season into a tizzy. Even though she doesn't sound much like the real Lady Whistledown, revealed to be Penelope at the end of season 1, Andrews has described Penelope's alter ego as "a tartar and a bit of a naughty woman."

And there's no understating just how powerful the character is. ​​"I occasionally guide it, twist it, point it in some direction or another," Andrews told Parade of Lady Whistledown's influence. "I can make or break anybody, it seems, if I wish."

For the show's creators, nabbing Andrews as their narrator was only a pipe dream — but the actress was on board after she "fell in love" with the scripts, according to showrunner Chris Van Dusen.

"When they told me, I legitimately stopped breathing," Bridgerton author Julia Quinn told Oprah. "I mean, I should be dead."

However, Andrews doesn't film with the rest of the cast in England. In fact, she told the Today show in 2022 that she had "never met" her costars, as she records all of her voice-overs close to her home on Long Island, New York.

Andrews rose to prominence in the 1950s, starring in Broadway productions of The Boy Friend, My Fair Lady and Camelot. She shot to superstardom after making her feature film debut in 1964's Mary Poppins, for which she won the Academy Award for Best Actress. The next year, she starred in The Sound of Music as Maria von Trapp, for which she won a Golden Globe for best actress in a motion picture comedy or musical.

Throughout the years, Andrews has worked with film directors like Alfred Hitchcock and her late husband Blake Edwards; she's also won numerous awards. Her career experienced a revival in the 2000s when she starred in the Princess Diaries, Eloise, Shrek and Despicable Me franchises. In 2000, she was made a dame by Queen Elizabeth for her services to the performing arts.

Andrews was married to set designer Tony Walton from 1959 until their divorce in 1968. She subsequently married Edwards in 1969, and they remained married until his death in 2010. She has five children, nine grandchildren and three great-grandchildren.

Golda Rosheuvel as Queen Charlotte

Commanding Queen Charlotte, portrayed by Golda Rosheuvel, takes a special interest in the social season. Known for her over-the-top wigs and love for gossip, the monarch keeps the ton in check, while her husband, King George (James Fleet), remains incapacitated. The royal also received her own spinoff show, Queen Charlotte: A Bridgerton Story.

Though she didn't appear in Quinn's book series, Queen Charlotte was a real monarch of the Regency Era from 1761 to 1818. She and her husband, King George III, had 15 children and reportedly lived a happy life before the king began showing signs of "madness," just as he does in Bridgerton. (Some historians believe that George had what is now known as bipolar disorder.) Charlotte may have also been the first biracial monarch, with historians debating her heritage.

As the seasons have gone on, the once-icy Queen Charlotte has slowly gotten softer — something Rosheuvel says has been intentional.

"I think it's fantastic," Rosheuvel told PEOPLE in 2022. "It would be very interesting, or not very interesting, to play a one-dimensional character, a character that's on the surface and doesn't really have a backstory or any vulnerability. I think, really cleverly, the writers are showing that for the queen, because that makes her relatable."

She added: "Yes, she does have the most fabulous dresses and the most fabulous wigs, but she's a human being at the core of it."

Rosheuvel, who was born in Guyana to a Guyanese father and British mother, is best known for her work on stage, having appeared in productions of Macbeth, The Winter's Tale, Porgy and Bess, Romeo and Juliet, Angels in America, Bad Girls: The Musical and Jesus Christ Superstar. In 2018, she played a lesbian Othello in Shakespeare's Othello.

Rosheuvel has been dating her partner, playwright Shireen Mula, since 2013. The two first met at a friend's party and live together in London, per The Guardian. The actress has spoken openly about how, early in her career, she was told not to come out as gay by a lesbian director she admired.

"We were talking about being out and proud and representation and whether I should say I was gay in interviews, and it was an absolute no," she shared on Just for Variety. " 'You absolutely shouldn't do that. It could or it would ruin your career as an actor.' I would rather lose a job than not be true to who I am. I'd rather not work in an industry that doesn't accept me. It just wasn't how I was raised."

Ruby Barker as Marina Thompson

The Featheringtons' cousin Marina Thompson is brought to life by none other than Ruby Barker. In season 1, she's sent to her cousins' home to enter society; however, after Marina gets involved with Colin Bridgerton, Penelope learns that she's hiding a dark secret.

And although Barker herself isn't concealing anything that big, she connects with the complex Marina on a personal level.

"I definitely have a fire in my belly as she does," Barker told PopSugar in 2022. "I don't think I'm going to go entrapping anybody, but yeah, I do relate to her very much. I remember as a teenager feeling alienated at times and feeling like I don't fit in and being an outsider, so I can really relate to that experience."

After being discovered by Royal Shakespeare Company director Phillip Breen, Barker began appearing on TV, landing a recurring role on CBBC's Wolfblood. Though Bridgerton has been her largest role to date, she made her feature film debut in the thriller How to Stop a Recurring Dream and has a role in the upcoming horror film Baghead.

In 2022, Barker got candid about her mental health, telling fans, "Off my chest. I feel like I've not been completely honest so this is for my followers. Time to be transparent. I've been struggling since Bridgerton, this is the truth."

In May 2022, she checked into a hospital to receive mental health treatment, later sharing that she couldn't "wait for the future," and felt as if she had come "out the other side." Barker even shared a piece of advice that costar Claudia Jessie gave her, advising her followers to "flip the coin."

"It might be dull on one side, but just flip the coin and you'll find it's shiny on the other," she explained in a video. "It's training your mind to find the funny, to find the light, to find the positive. It's a really hard thing to do, but if you can get into the practice of doing that, you've got it."

Ruby Stokes as Francesca Bridgerton

Ruby Stokes played Francesca for seasons 1 and 2 of Bridgerton. Mysterious and quieter than her loud siblings, the sixth Bridgerton child has been largely absent from the first two seasons, having left London to practice pianoforte with their Aunt Winnie during season 1.

According to showrunner Chris Van Dusen, the character was actually supposed to have a larger role in season 2, but Stokes had to leave after three episodes due to scheduling conflicts with another Netflix project she starred in, Lockwood & Co.

"I love Francesca, but we lost her midway through season 2," Van Dusen told TVLine. "After exhausting all other options, she unfortunately had to come out due to reasons beyond our control. Perhaps season 3 will be the charm."

Francesca takes center stage in the sixth book, When He Was Wicked. By the time the book begins, her first husband John Stirling has died. Unbeknownst to Francesca, John's cousin Michael has also been in love with her all along.

Aside from playing Lucy Carlyle in the supernatural thriller series Lockwood & Co., the actress has also starred in series like Da Vinci's Demons and Just William.

Stokes won't be returning to the ton in season 3 — she stepped away to lead Lockwood & Co. But Stokes is confident that her replacement, Enola Holmes 2 star Hannah Dodd, will add her own flair to the character.

"I don't think I have any advice to impart because I'm sure she's doing an incredible job, and I can't wait to watch," Stokes told Cosmopolitan in January 2023. "She will bring so much to the role."

Hannah Dodd as Francesca Bridgerton

Hannah Dodd will be taking over the role of Francesca for season 3 of the hit series. The actress was spotted making her Bridgerton debut in August 2022 wearing a Regency-style dress with white gloves, jewelry and an updo. In photos taken from the set, Dodd is standing next to on-screen brother Anthony Bridgerton and sister-in-law Kate Sharma outside the Bridgerton home.

"I'm so excited," Dodd told TVLine in 2022. "Everybody's been so lovely. I just want to do a good job."

To prepare for the role, Dodd read Francesca's book before tackling the rest of the series.

"I didn't know what I'd got myself in for, but I needed to read that as soon as possible," she added. "It's such a beautiful book, and she's such a beautiful character. I can't really believe that I get to play her."

The actress is no stranger to high-profile Netflix projects. She played Sarah Chapman in Enola Holmes 2, Young Sophie in Anatomy of a Scandal and a small role in Marvel's Eternals. She rose to fame in Hulu's Find Me in Paris.

Will Tilston as Gregory Bridgerton

Young actor Will Tilston takes on the role of Gregory, the seventh Bridgerton sibling. A lovable prankster with a heart of gold, Gregory is often seen teasing little sister Hyacinth. Though he hasn't been involved with the family's twists and turns just yet, he took on a bigger role in season 2 when he bonded with Anthony over the loss of their father.

In the eighth and final novel in Quinn's series, Gregory falls in love with Hermione Watson after seeing her at a ball, but she's already in love with someone else. In a bid to win Hermione's affection, he begins spending time with her best friend, Lucy Abernathy.

Though Gregory is Tilston's biggest role to date, the actor also starred as young Christopher Robin in the 2017 film Goodbye Christopher Robin alongside Margot Robbie and Domhnall Gleeson. According to his Instagram, Tilston is interested in fashion, photography and sports. He's also very close with Florence Hunt, who plays Hyacinth.

"Bridgerton Premier was absolutely amazing," he captioned a snap with Hunt. "And I'm so grateful to have spent it with my Bridgerton little sis."

Florence Hunt as Hyacinth Bridgerton

Florence Hunt portrays Hyacinth, the youngest Bridgerton sibling. Intelligent and wise beyond her years, Hyacinth can't wait to partake in the social season and get married. She's named for the hyacinth flower, which was the last flower her father Edmund picked before he died. In season 1, Hyacinth asks Daphne what it's like to be in love; in season 2, she attends large family events like the races and the Bridgerton-Danbury ball.

In Quinn's seventh book, It's In His Kiss, Hyacinth falls in love with Gareth St. Clair, who needs her to translate an old Italian diary that holds the key to his family's past (and future) after the two meet at the annual Smythe-Smith musicale.

Bridgerton has been Hunt's biggest role so far, though she has appeared in two episodes of the television series Cursed. She also starred in several commercials, including spots for Lloyd's Bank and Apple. Hunt is also a model represented by IMG.

The young actress frequently shares Bridgerton behind-the-scenes videos on her TikTok account, which has over 1 million followers. Her most popular videos include the siblings lip-syncing to Ke$ha's "Tik Tok," Miley Cyrus' "Party in the USA" and Tech N9ne and Dwayne "The Rock" Johnson's "Face Off."

Jessica Madsen as Cressida Cowper

Jessica Madsen plays Cressida Cowper, archenemy turned friend to Eloise. In the first couple of seasons, the Bridgerton girls have an ongoing feud with Cressida, who is the ultimate mean girl. However, after Eloise and Penelope's fight at the end of season 2, Cressida is who Eloise turns to in season 3.

Cressida seems to be turning a page in an attempt to be nicer, but can she keep it up — or will Eloise turn back to Penelope?

Madsen has previously appeared in the 2017 horror film Leatherface and 2019's Dark Light. She also enjoys photography in addition to acting.

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