Phoebe Dynevor & Regé-Jean Page To Headline Shondaland’s ‘Bridgerton’ At Netflix; 10 Others Cast
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EXCLUSIVE: Netflix has set the cast for Shondaland’s Bridgerton. Phoebe Dynevor (Younger, Dickensian) and Regé-Jean Page (For The People, Roots) lead the cast of the eight-episode series, which also includes Jonathan Bailey (W1A, Broadchurch), Golda Rosheuvel (Silent Witness, Lady MacBeth), , Luke Newton (The Lodge, The Cut), Claudia Jessie (Vanity Fair, Doctor Who), Nicola Coughlan (Derry Girls, Harlots), Ruby Barker (Wolfblood, Doctors), Sabrina Bartlett (Victoria, Knightfall), Ruth Gemmell (Deep State, Penny Dreadful), Adjoa Andoh (Thunderbirds Are A Go) and Polly Walker (Pennyworth, Age Before Beauty). They join Julie Andrews, who voices the pivotal character of Lady Whistledown, in the hourlong period series based on Julia Quinn’s bestselling series of novels, which will film in London and is slated to premiere in 2020.
This marks a return to Shondaland for Page, coming off a co-starring role on the company’s legal drama For The People, which ran on ABC for two seasons.
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Created by Scandal veteran Chris Van Dusen, Bridgerton is set in the sexy, lavish and competitive world of Regency London high society. From the glittering ballrooms of Mayfair to the aristocratic palaces of Park Lane and beyond, the series unveils a seductive, sumptuous world replete with intricate rules and dramatic power struggles, where no one is truly ever on steady ground. At the heart of the show is the powerful Bridgerton family. Comprised of eight close-knit siblings, this funny, witty, daring and clever group must navigate the upper ten thousand’s marriage mart in search of romance, adventure and love.
Dynevor will play Daphne Bridgerton, the picture-perfect young debutante has been waiting her entire life to make her grand debut on the marriage mart. Poised to be the season of 1813’s forthcoming Incomparable, Daphne’s set to take the town by storm – but not everything goes exactly as planned for this diamond of the first water, especially after she meets a certain Duke.
Page will play Simon Basset. Having newly returned to London, the Duke of Hastings finds himself the primary topic of conversation amongst marriage-minded misses and ambitious mamas alike. Yet, for reasons of his own, our devastating Duke has zero interest in his title, society, or taking a wife.
Bailey will play Anthony Bridgerton. The quintessential English nobleman, Anthony is the eldest Bridgerton sibling and dutiful head of the family since assuming his late father’s title of Viscount. Endlessly handsome, charming and rich, he’s quite the catch on this year’s marriage mart. But if he has any hope of fulfilling his oftentimes overwhelming duty of marrying and producing an heir, Anthony must first learn to temper his pursuit of pleasure.
Rosheuvel will portray Queen Charlotte. The veritable tastemaker of London society, Queen Charlotte finds herself living for the sordid gossip that Lady Whistledown prints, though she’d swear she’s above such mundane musings. It’s only when the ton’s newest gossip writer takes aim at the palace that Queen Charlotte knows she must do something about it.
Newton will portray Colin Bridgerton. The dashing Colin Bridgerton is used to disarming his fellow society members with good-natured jokes, though a serious sense of adventure lurks behind those swoon-worthy eyes. Colin takes a liking to the newest young lady in town — but it’s this infatuation that winds up giving him more than he may have bargained for.
Jessie will portray Eloise Bridgerton. Whip-smart, brazen and rebellious, Eloise Bridgerton is definitely not here for turning into just another young simpering and mincing debutante. She believes she’s destined for something much greater, though she’s quite rapidly approaching marriageable age.
Coughlan is Penelope Featherington. A vastly intelligent girl with a sharp wit and kind heart, Penelope would prefer to quietly sway near the perimeter of any ballroom rather than take center stage. She’s been born into a family who will never truly understand her–as if dealing with the cutthroat, mean girls of 1813 Regency London weren’t enough.
Barker will play Marina Thompson. Having been sent from the country to live with her cousins, the Featheringtons, Marina never imagined being a part of London society. Yet the arrival of this resourceful young lady seems to make more than just a splash in our glittering, exclusive world.
Bartlett will portray Siena Rosso. The beautiful, captivating, and enterprising opera singer who’s having a secret affair with a prominent lord. Fun and a bit impetuous, Siena secretly longs to be a part of our town’s world.
Gemmell is Lady Violet Bridgerton. All warmth, wisdom and love, the Bridgerton matriarch manages to treat everyone with unmatched kindness and respect. But don’t mistake her compassion for weakness – as she’s an impressive match for anyone who dares comes close to interfering with her family. She’d like nothing more than for her children to marry – not for convenience or opportunity, but for love.
Andoh is Lady Danbury. The legendary, acerbic, lioness of a dowager who runs this town. Unconcerned with the rules of polite society, Lady Danbury is a straight shooter – both formidable and a little scary. And while her judgments may be sharp, they’re always accurate. She is a friend of Simon’s late mother, having shown the now Duke a rare kindness when he was a child.
Walker will portray Lady Portia Featherington. Perhaps the most ambitious mama of all, Lady Featherington is determined to make advantageous matches for each of her daughters – and is forever pushing them on some rather disinterested parties. Cunning and ruthless, Lady Featherington hustles to get what she wants, no matter the cost.
“We could not have found a more gifted group of actors to bring Bridgerton to life,” said Van Dusen. “When creating this series, the goal was to turn a very traditional genre on its head and make something fresh, smart, sexy and fun. That’s exactly what this cast embodies and I’m ridiculously excited to see them inhabit these characters and captivate viewers in their own incredibly brilliant ways.”
Van Dusen executive produces with Shondaland’s Shonda Rhimes and Betsy Beers. The Untitled Bridgerton Project is one of eight series ordered by Netflix last year as part of Rhimes’ mega-deal with the internet network.
Dynevor, who most recently co-starred on the BBC series Dickensian and did an arc on nbc’s The Village, is repped by Gersh, Luber Roklin, and United Agents in the UK.
Page, recently seen in Mortal Engines, is repped by CAA, Mosaic and UK’s The Artists Partnership.
Bailey, which is coming off an arc on Amazon’s Jack Ryan, is repped by ICM Partners and UK’s Conway van Gelder Grant.
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