It's been about a month since Bridgerton officially dropped on Netflix, and it's safe to say that we can't get enough of the show — and we're not the only ones who feel that way! The pretty sets and costumes, the steamy scenes, and falling in love with Simon Hastings (otherwise known as Regé-Jean Page) — what's not to love about this series?
And though we'll always see them as their characters in our hearts, the Bridgerton cast has actually starred in tons of shows and movies before they entered the world created in Julia Quinn's novels. After seeing them take on these period roles so flawlessly (which is not always an easy task!), it's no surprise that some of these stars have been on the US and UK film and TV scenes for years before we saw them act their butts off on our new favorite show.
Fortunately, we now know that Bridgerton is coming back for a second season, but since filming hasn't started yet, who knows how long the wait will be? In the meantime, watching some of these shows and movies starring the cast might be a fun idea, because this is a pretty talented bunch.
'Younger'
Phoebe Dynevor, who plays Daphne in the series, can also be seen in the TV Land original show Younger, where she plays Clare, who married Josh on the show. It's wild to see Daphne in a time other than Regency England, but this seems to have been a fun role for Phoebe.
'Dickensian'
Another show where fans can catch Phoebe is Dickensian. In this BBC series, different characters from Charles Dickens' works are all running into each other in the same universe, and Phoebe plays Martha Cratchit, one of Bob Cratchit's daughters in A Christmas Carol.
'For The People'
Before we knew him as Simon, the Duke of Hastings, Regé-Jean Page had a role in another Shondaland series: For The People. This show followed legal drama going down in the Mother Court (aka a United States District Court in New York) and Regé-Jean played Leonard Knox, an assistant US attorney.
'Roots'
Regé-Jean also had a role as Chicken George in the 2016 mini-series Roots, which was a fresh take on the classic story written by Alex Haley about an American family that starts with a man who was sold into slavery and follows the family through his descendants.
'Derry Girls'
Bridgerton wasn't Nicola Coughlan's first Netflix series! Before she played Penelope Featherington, Nicola starred in Derry Girls, a show that takes place in the '90s during the Irish Troubles and follows what that time was like for teenage girls.
'Harlots'
Nicola can also be seen in the Hulu series Harlots, a show about a woman who runs a brothel in London to create a better future for her family, but she's up against people in the community who want brothels closed. Nicola plays Hannah Dalton, and there's no doubt this period role gave her even more insight into playing Penelope.
'The Lodge'
Before he was known as Colin Bridgerton, Luke Newton starred in the Disney series The Lodge, a show set in Ireland about a girl whose dad takes over the family business of running a hotel, but things quickly go haywire. Luke plays Ben Evans, one of the employees at the hotel.
'Vanity Fair'
Claudia Jessie is now known for playing Daphne's younger sister (and Penelope's BFF), Eloise Bridgerton, but before that, she had a role in Vanity Fair, an ITV miniseries based on the famed book by William Makepeace Thackeray. Claudia played Amelia Sedley, one of the main characters in the series.
'Wolfblood'
Even more than her role as Marina Thompson on Bridgerton, Ruby Barker is even better known for the CBBC show Wolfblood. It's a show, about a group of humans who can turn themselves into wolves whenever they want. It ran for five seasons after premiering in 2012.
'How To Stop a Recurring Dream'
Ruby will make her feature film debut in the upcoming movie How to Stop a Recurring Dream, where she plays Yakira. Set to be released later in 2021, the movie is about sisters who take a trip together before they know their family is about to change forever.
'Crashing'
Though we now know Jonathan Bailey as Anthony Bridgerton, before that, he starred in Crashing with Phoebe Waller-Bridge of Fleabag fame. This British dramedy series is about people in their 20s who are all living in a hospital together as guardians of the building so they can have more affordable rent.
'Broadchurch'
Jonathan also had a role on Broadchurch, a British crime series that was originally broadcast on ITV. Starring David Tennant and Olivia Colman, the show is based on police detectives as they investigate the death of a child in their town, as well as the aftermath of their investigation.
'The Princess Diaries'
We couldn't possibly talk about Bridgerton without also discussing the voice of Lady Whistledown: The legendary Julie Andrews. Though she's had a lot of amazing roles over her career, one of the most fun has got to be playing the Queen of Genovia in The Princess Diaries.
'Lady Macbeth'
Before Golda Rosheuvel was known as Queen Charlotte (and TBH, that's probably how we'll always think of her), she played Agnes in Lady Macbeth, the 2016 film take on the novel by Nikolai Leskov. Golda was in good company here — the cast also included Florence Pugh and Naomi Ackle.
'In The Flesh'
Long before Harriet Cains was known as Philippa Featherington on Bridgerton, she was in the BBC series In The Flesh in 2013. The show is a pretty interesting one — it's about people who come back to life as zombies who are able to go through a program and re-enter society as humans if they're able to fight their zombie urges.
