The world ofBridgertonis expanding with the new spinoff series,Queen Charlotte: A Bridgerton Story.
Taking place in two different time periods, the new series documents Queen Charlotte’s time on the throne as well as her love story with King George III.
While severalBridgertonstars appear on the series, including Golda Rosheuvel as Queen Charlotte and Adjoa Andoh as Lady Danbury, the show also has a slew of new faces, with some playing younger versions of characters and others playing brand-new characters.
For many young stars, the series actually marks their breakout role. During the show’s Los Angeles premiere, Corey Mylchreest, who plays young King George III, spoke to PEOPLE abouthow he’s bracing for the newfound stardom, including getting labeled as aBridgertonheartthrob.
“It’s a testament to the team at Netflix, and Shonda [Rhimes]’s writing, and Tom [Verica]’s direction, and everyone else’s acting,” he said. “They could put anyone in this role, and they would be a contender for whatever sort of sexy man thing there is. So, I don’t feel any need to prepare for that because I don’t think it’s necessarily coming.”
From their previous acting roles to their personal lives, here’s everything to know about the cast ofQueen Charlotte: A Bridgerton Story.
India Ria Amarteifio as Young Queen Charlotte
Liam Daniel/Netflix; Mike Marsland/WireImage
While India Ria Amarteifio is sure to get a lot of attention for her role as young Queen Charlotte, this isn’t her first big acting job.
She got her start in the entertainment industry at a young age. In 2011, she made her West End debut as young Nala inThe Lion Kingbefore appearing in a number of other theater productions, includingMatilda the Musical,Charlie and the Chocolate FactoryandDrury Lane.
“It has felt completely surreal,” Amarteifio said in a Netflix press release about stepping into the role. “As we know, the Bridgerton world and the fandom is huge, so I knew that stepping into it was going to mean I had big shoes to fill — not only as Young Charlotte, because Golda has created an iconic role, but just entering the sphere itself. There are a lot of eyes and a lot of pressure, but I’m really, really loving it.”
Golda Rosheuvel as Queen Charlotte
Liam Daniel/Netflix; Karwai Tang/WireImage
Golda Rosheuvel reprises herBridgertonrole as Queen Charlotte on the new spinoff series, playing the character in the “present-day” timeline.
While she has become well-known for her role as the royal figure, Rosheuvel has a number of acting credits to her name, including roles in stage productions ofPorgy and Bess,Macbeth,Romeo and Juliet,Angels in America, andJesus Christ Superstar. In 2019, she also played a lesbian version of Othello in Everyman Theatre’s production ofOthello.
“It’s amazing to be a Black gay actress playing a gay role,“Rosheuvel told Liverpool Queer Collectiveabout the significance of her role in theOthelloproduction. During the interview, she also opened up about her partner, writer Shireen Mula, when asked about whether she thinks there’s been an increase in the representation of gay characters and actors in theater.
“No I don’t,” she said, adding, “My partner (Shireen Mula) is a writer and she struggles to get work seen. She writes gay work because that’s what she knows. But do we see gay plays or gay characters? I think it’s a shame. I think it’s about funding, maybe people being afraid to lose money if they invest in stories that are about the Other. It is very, very, very, very rare that I will play my casting bracket, which includes being gay.”
Corey Mylchreest as Young King George III
Liam Daniel/Netflix; Ian West/PA Images/Getty
Before booking the Netflix series, Mylchreest was a student at the Royal Academy of Dramatic Art. There, he participated in a number of theater productions, includingHamletandMacbeth, before receiving his BA in Acting Degree in 2020, perhis bio on the RADA website.
He previously had a small role as Adonis on Netflix’sThe Sandmanas well as appearances in a handful of short films.
Bridgertonhas a long history of creating heartthrobs from their leading men, butMylchreest tells PEOPLEhe’s not trying to overthink that possibility. “I don’t think there’s any need to mentally prepare for that. Who knows what’s going to happen?” he told PEOPLE at the show’s premiere.
“It’s a testament to the team at Netflix, and Shonda [Rhimes]’s writing, and Tom [Verica]’s direction, and everyone else’s acting,” he added. “They could put anyone in this role, and they would be a contender for whatever sort of sexy man thing there is. So, I don’t feel any need to prepare for that because I don’t think it’s necessarily coming.”
That being said, he did reach out toBridgerton’s first two male love interests, Regé-Jean Page and Jonathan Bailey, for advice. “I spoke to Regé at a party and Jonathan’s been very lovely on the phone,“Mylchreest toldThe Hollywood Reporter. “And they both said, ‘Don’t worry.’ It all seems very surreal… But I mean, Freddie [Dennis, playing fictional valet Reynolds] will be targeted much more than me.”
Though Mylchreest keeps his personal life fairly private, posting very little on social media, he recently confirmed he’s in a relationship.Speaking with Hits Radio, Mylchreest revealed he was with his girlfriend when he first learned he booked the role of King George, however, he didn’t disclose his partner’s identity.
Adjoa Andoh as Lady Danbury
Liam Daniel/Netflix; StillMoving.net/Netflix
Adjoa Andoh reprises herBridgertonrole as Lady Danbury in the new series.
Andoh has a lengthy acting resume that spans from theater to television. On stage, she has worked with the Royal Shakespeare Company, the National Theatre, the Royal Court Theatre and the Almeida Theatre. As for her television roles, she has appeared onDoctor Who,Casualty,EastEndersand most recently,The Witcher.
As for her personal life, Andoh is married to lecturer Howard Cunnell, with whom she tied the knot in 2001. Together,they have three children, daughters Jess and Daisy and son Liam. She also has a grandson, who was born in late 2021.
Speaking toGood Housekeepingin March 2022, she gushed about the joy her grandson brings to her life. “I have a new special thing that lifts my spirits, which is a video of my six-month-old grandson laughing,” she told the publication. “It goes on for about three minutes where he’s just giggling relentlessly and it’s such a joyful thing.”
Arsema Thomas as Young Agatha Danbury
Nick Wall/Netflix; Karwai Tang/WireImage
Arsema Thomas joins theBridgertonuniverse as a young Agatha Danbury.
Unlike some of her British costars, Thomas, who uses she/they pronouns, was actually born in Atlanta, Georgia, though she lived in multiple countries growing up as their parents worked for the United Nations Development Program,per Yale School of Public Health.
Thomas has an impressive college background, graduating with a Bachelor of Arts in Biophysics from Carnegie Mellon University in 2016 and then a Master of Public Health from Yale University in 2018.
After college, Thomas decided to pursue acting full-time, taking courses at the American Academy of Dramatic Arts, the Cours Florent in Paris, and the Royal Academy of Dramatic Art (RADA) in London. They went on to graduate with a Master of Fine Arts in Professional Acting from the London Academy of Music and Dramatic Art (LAMDA) in 2022,per her bio on the school’s website.
One of their first big roles was in 2022’sRedeeming Lovealongside Abigail Cowen and Tom Lewis before she was eventually cast onQueen Charlotte: A Bridgerton Story.
Like many of her costars, this marks their first starring role, which she told Netflix bonded the cast in a special way. “We were all stepping into this as our first big thing meant that we all could share in our communal feelings of imposter syndrome, feeling anxious, and questioning whether or not we’re meant to be here,” they explained. “And feeling as though you are not alone in that kind of dispels the feeling in general, because everyone is such a great, formidable, tour de force of acting that you have confidence in them, and therefore confidence in yourself.”
Ruth Gemmell as Violet Bridgerton
Ruth Gemmell reprises her role as the matriarch of the Bridgerton family.
A graduate of the Webber Douglas Academy of Dramatic Art, Gemmell has held many acting roles over the years, including 1997’sFever Pitchopposite Colin Firth,EastEnders,Casualty,Home FiresandPenny Dreadful. She is also well known for playing the mother of the titular character in theTracy Beakerfranchise.
Though the new series takes place in two different time periods, Gemmell told Netflix she didn’t interact much with the younger actors, including the actress who plays young Violet Bridgerton, Connie Jenkins-Greig.
“To me, the writers, the directors, and the audience know Lady Violet as an older woman. It’s Connie’s job now to create a younger Violet, and it’s up to the audience to be able to bridge the gap between the young woman and the older woman,” she explained. “I would never have wanted to interfere with her process, and it’s just exciting to see them all come in and bring their energy to these characters.”
Sam Clemmett as Young Brimsley
Sam Clemmett plays a young Brimsley, who serves as the queen’s right-hand man.
Clemmett began acting at a young age, starring in a number of theater productions in London, includingLord of the FliesandAccolade. Additionally, he has appeared in several movies and television shows, includingThe Musketeers,CherryandThe War Below.
However, his most notable role beforeBridgertonwas originating the role of Albus Severus Potter in the West End production ofHarry Potter and the Cursed Child, a role he continued in the Broadway run of the play in 2018.
In June 2022,he announced his engagement to his girlfriend, Danarose, and that October theytied the knot in a Halloween-themed wedding, complete with spooky costumes. Like Clemmett, Danarose is no stranger to the entertainment industry,working as a hairstylist and wigmakerfor various theater productions and shows, including HBO’sSuccession.
Hugh Sachs as Brimsley
Liam Daniel/Netflix; Alan Chapman/Dave Benett/WireImage
Hugh Sachs plays the present-day version of Hugh Sachs alongside Rosheuvel’s Queen Charlotte.
While Sachs is best known for his role as Gavin Ramsbottom onBenidorm, he has a number of credits to his name, including television and film roles inAristocrats,Like MindsandThe Libertine.
When preparing to play young Brimsley, Clemmett said he spoke a lot with Sachs. “We met at the first readthrough; I was incredibly nervous, but we were all incredibly nervous, and he gave me a big hug, and we just dived in,” he told Netflix. “He said, ‘I’ve not had a lot to go on for a little while, so I’ve started to do my own thing to add flesh to Brimsley’s bones.’ And I listened and took that on board.”
James Fleet as King George III
Liam Daniel/Netflix; Dave J Hogan/Getty
After making brief appearances onBridgerton, James Fleet reprises his role as King George III in the spinoff series.
Agraduate of the Royal Scottish Academy of Music and Drama, Fleet began his career on the stage, appearing in several plays through the Royal Shakespeare Company. He has also appeared in countless films and shows, includingThe Vicar of Dibley, the 2004 film adaptation ofPhantom of the Opera,Sense and SensibilityandFour Weddings and a Funeral.
Tunji Kasim as Adolphus
Kasim was born in Aberdeen, Scotland, but moved to Nigeria shortly after. He resided there until he was about 12 before moving back to Aberdeen.
He studied at the Royal Scottish Academy of Music and Drama and has an extensive resume of both stage and screen roles. However, he is most known for his roles as Joe Bailey inNearly Famous, Hugo Scot inShetlandand Ned Nickerson in The CW’sNancy Drew.
Speaking with1883magazine, Kasim said he didn’t actually grow up wanting to be an actor as both of his parents are “more based in academia.”
“The arts weren’t really an option for me until I met a drama teacher in high school, and she kind of opened that world to me and made it known to me that I could be an actor and create in this world, which was pretty cool and I kind of rode that from there,” he explained.
Michelle Fairley as Princess Augusta
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Michelle Fairley plays Princess Augusta, who is the mother of King George III.
Fairley has a lengthy acting resume, appearing in a number of notable films and shows over the years, including Mrs. Granger in theHarry Potter and the Deathly Hallowsfilms and Catelyn Stark on HBO’sGame of Thrones. Her other acting credits includeThe Others,SuitsandIn the Heart of the Sea, just to name a few.
“Michelle Fairley is a force,“Queen Charlotte: A Bridgerton Storydirector Tom Verica told Netflix of working with the actress. “She is brilliant, and she really brings a lot of power and structure and tenderness, in a way. Michelle has such a presence and such a command with every scene that she’s in, your eyes are just drawn to her. Whatever we give her, whenever the camera is on her, even in moments of silence, the layers she provides are extraordinary. She is a gift and a talent.”
Freddie Dennis as Reynolds
Freddie Dennis plays Reynolds, who serves as King George III’s right-hand man.
Before booking the role of Reynolds, Dennis admitted to Netflix that he wasn’t actually familiar withBridgerton. “I’ve become a fan since I got this job, I would say, but I actually had not seen it prior to being offered this role,” he said. “But now I am, yes, definitely. I still haven’t read the books though, please don’t tell Julia Quinn.”
As for stepping into the world ofBridgerton, Dennis noted that it was “slightly overwhelming” at first given the show’s huge fanbase, but everyone welcomed him with open arms. “I think I’ve settled into the process really, really quickly because of everyone being lovely,” he added.
source: people.com
