It's crazy to think that it's been just one month since Bridgerton hit Netflix, because we feel like we've been obsessed with this show (and its cast) forever — and now, we're learning even more about them. Though certain actors on the show will always feel like their character to us, they're all real people, obviously, and they're actually interesting people at that.
Recently, Buzzfeed rounded up some of the most fascinating facts about the Bridgerton cast, and we'd have to admit they've blown us away. Behind-the-scenes tidbits, fun little details about the cast's lives before they began filming the show, and more — we can't get enough. And who knew that more than one cast member has a famous mom?
Read on for all the facts that even the biggest fans might not have known about the cast of Bridgerton. We can't wait for the show to come back for season two, but while we wait, details like these definitely help tide us over.
Bessie Carter's Mom Is Professor Umbridge
That's right — Bessie Carter, who plays Prudence Featherington, is the daughter of Imelda Staunton, the woman who brought Dolores Umbridge to life in the Harry Potter movies … and the woman who is set to play Queen Elizabeth in the next chapter of The Crown. Whoa!
Regé-Jean Page Listened to Music to Prep for 'Bridgerton'
In an interview with Queue, Regé-Jean admitted that a lot of becoming Simon for him had to do with music.
"A lot of character work in finding what the differences are and what the bridges are between myself and Simon have to do with rhythm and tempo," He said. "It’ll be Deftones at one point, it’ll be Vivaldi the next, it’ll be Nina Simone the moment after that. It really depends what tempo and rhythm the moment needs versus where I’m at, and how to do a little bit of alchemy with it."
Nicola Coughlan's Face Is on the Side of a Building
Before playing Penelope Featherington in Bridgerton, Nicola Coughlan starred in Derry Girls. And since the series was so beloved, a mural of the cast has been painted on a building in Derry, Ireland, and that includes a giant version of Nicola's face. So cool!
Jonathan Bailey Originally Auditioned for Simon
According to what Jonathan said in an interview with Netflix, he originally was in talks to play Simon, but then, the casting team realized he'd actually make a perfect Anthony. It's a good thing, too, because we could never imagine a Duke of Hastings played by anyone other than Regé-Jean — and no one else would be fitting to play Anthony but Jonathan, either.
There Was a Group Chat
In an interview, Phoebe Dynevor told Elle that before filming, she and the other women on the show were in a group chat where they'd discuss what it meant to be female in the time of Bridgerton to help lend authenticity to their roles.
"At one point we had a group chat just for the girls where we'd share articles and books that told us what it was like to be a woman in that time," she said. "That was really important for all the women's stories, actually, to understand how empowered they were even within the context at that time."
Phoebe Dynevor Was Already a Big Shondaland Fan
In the same interview, Phoebe shared that she loved Shondaland shows before she was cast in one.
"I was such a fan of Scandal and Grey's Anatomy, and all of her characters are always super dimensional and interesting, particularly the female roles," she told Elle while talking about Shonda Rhimes.
Luke Thompson Drew Cast Portraits
As Regé-Jean explained on Instagram, Luke Thompson — who plays Benedict — drew portraits of everyone as gifts when the series wrapped filming, and even called his co-star "instinctively generous" with his talents. Scroll through this post from Regé-Jean to see the portrait of Simon!
Nicola Is BFF With Jonathan Van Ness
Two Netflix worlds colliding! As Nicola explained to Bustle, she met the Queer Eye star on Instagram and they've been friends ever since.
“Basically, I printed his face on a jumper and posted a picture of it," she told the outlet. "I just figured if I could take a little bit of his energy onto set with me I would get up and be ready for the day and feel happy even if it was 4 a.m. So I had this hoodie made, and he saw it on Instagram and messaged me like, ‘Girl, I love you!’ and since then we’ve hung out a lot."
The First Scene Phoebe Filmed Was an Intimate One
The first day of Bridgerton filming — and the first scene for Phoebe's on the show ever — was one of the steamiest yet. It was the scene where Simon and Daphne are having sex in the library, and that just goes to show how much talent these two have, because watching it back, we never would have known that they just met!
The Dance Rehearsals Were Intense
On Twitter, Netflix has shared footage of Phoebe and Regé-Jean practicing one of their choreographed dances for a ballroom scene on the show, and it's cool to see exactly how much work went into it. Dancing and acting at the same time sounds a bit complicated, but these two killed it.
Lady Whistledown's Voiceover Was a Secret
Though we now know who the actual Lady Whistledown is, in the series, she's voiced by Julie Andrews. But that fact was actually kept a secret from the cast until the announcement was official, which means they found out about it when the rest of us did. Amazing!
Phoebe's Mom Is Also an Actress
Much like Bessie, Phoebe also has a famous mom — this kind of talent must be genetic! Phoebe's mom is Sally Dynevor, who plays Sally Webster on long-running British soap opera Coronation Street. We have to wonder if she gave her daughter a few tips before Bridgerton?
Regé-Jean Was Once in a Band
Before his time on Bridgerton, Regé-Jean was super into music, to the point that he was in a band with his brother when he was in college, he told Interview Magazine.
"We were writing loud, angry, righteous guitar music and screaming at people with various colors in our hair," he said.
Regé-Jean Was Thought of as Simon Before He Was Simon
As some fans might already know, Regé-Jean was already a part of the Shondaland universe before Bridgerton when he starred in the short-lived series For The People. Because of that, executive producer Betsy Beers told Esquire that those who had worked with him before were already thinking of Regé-Jean to play Simon from the jump.
Phoebe Went Right to a Fitting After Getting Cast
As Phoebe told Glamour, immediately after finding out that she'd gotten the role of Daphne, she entered Bridgerton mode with no time to spare.
"The first thing I did when I touched down in England was have a wardrobe fitting," she said. "I walked into this warehouse of costumes; there were so many incredible designers, and it was basically a factory just for Bridgerton. I was like, ‘Oh, my God,’ and that’s when it hit me, and in the end I had over 100 original dresses!"
Nicola Was a Shoo-In for Penelope
It's impossible to imagine anyone but Nicola playing Penelope, and apparently, the show's casting directors felt the same way. It took only one audition for her to snag the role, and the rest was history. It's a good thing, too, because who else could play Penelope like she does?
One of #Peneloise's First Scenes Got Deleted
As Nicola shared when she posted this shot to Instagram, she and Claudia Jessie, who plays Eloise, filmed one of their earliest scenes with a dog that ended up on the cutting room floor.
"I like to believe they had to cut it because the dog kept looking directly into the camera," she joked.
