“There’s nothing that really prepares you for the moment that you step on set and there’s a camera right by your ass,” the actor tells TheWrap
It’s not just the “Bridgerton” siblings who are navigating love and sex in Season 4, with Bridgerton matriarch Violet (Ruth Gemmell) finally getting a dose of romance with Lord Marcus Anderson (Daniel Francis).
After the pair kicked off their flirtation in Season 3, the first installment of the fourth season saw Violet and Marcus deepen their connection, which Gemmell notes is rooted in the mutual understanding of the love and loss they experienced in their first marriage.
“These two people, they they have lived a life, and they have loved and they lost,” Gemmell told TheWrap. “There is a mutual understanding of not the same experience, but of experiences that they both identify with. There’s some comfort, … and he’s also a bloody patient man.”
Francis likened their relationship to the peeling back of layers of an onion, joking that “sometimes you cry” as nuances are unpacked, “but I think it’s what keeps them going and deepening,” he said.
“Let’s say, Anderson comes forward in an open way, Violet has an opportunity to go, ‘Okay, where am I? How do I feel about this? Let me express something, and then that in that expression gives Anderson even more reason to fall as well,’” Francis said. “It’s like this dance.”
By Episode 4, Violet is ready to quite literally shed her layers as she invites Marcus over to Bridgerton House when her children are out of the house for what she would prefer to be thought of as tea. The sensual scene that follows between Violet and Marcus is the first intimacy scene Gemmell has filmed during her four seasons on “Bridgerton,” which prompted some nerves.
“I have to be honest that when I knew it was going to happen, I was quite scared, but then it was very apparent that everybody got on board — costume, hair and makeup … which is about making you feel comfortable and confident,” Gemmell said, also pointing to the intimacy coordinator. “I lucked out on that whole score, so that was comforting, and the producers and the director — the crew a big part of it, because it’s like a family, and if you feel comfortable with those people, then you feel confident. And working with Daniel was a treat … It was a real laugh and a bit of a relief.”
“You need to be comfortable and even with the comfort level, there’s nothing that really prepares you for the moment that you step on set and there’s a camera right by your ass … and then nothing prepares you for the moment that you’re sitting there and you see your ass on the screen,” Francis joked. “That’s a whole new experience.”
Whereas the Bridgerton siblings’ steamy scenes add to the list of intimacy scenes amongst younger people showcased in mainstream media, the scene brought some representation for sex for women past 50, which Gemmell noted is both brilliant and necessary given that a fair amount of “Bridgerton” viewers fall into that demographic.
“What’s lovely about maturity and seeing maturity and a romance is that it comes with a knowledge and a history and a wisdom, I think, and vulnerability because you all get hurt by things, and that hurt makes you vulnerable for the next time,” Gemmell said. “It’s quite nice to explore that, and quite nice I hope for people to identify with.”
Gemmell and Francis remained tight-lipped on whether the pair might formalize their connection in a marriage, though Francis noted, “Marcus is pretty intentional about … fundamentally wanting love first.”
Violet also finds herself in the crossfire of Benedict and Sophie’s connection as she employs Sophie at Bridgerton House. While Araminta made sure that Sophie’s reputation was soiled around society, Gemmell noted Violet is “quickly persuaded by the fact that she saved Benedict” and soon finds herself “delighted” and “surprised” by her education that appears well above her station.
“When [she] sees a connection between Benedict and Sophie developing, I think that worries [her], because he is putting her in a dangerous position, especially because he holds authority and because he could ruin her, and that [she] will not tolerate,” Gemmell said.
Gemmell noted that Violet secretly hopes there is a possibility Sophie and Benedict could be a match, noting “she entertains the idea that she might be have run away from a noble house or something … she can see the connection that they have,” but ultimately the society is much more complex than any of them would like.
“Bridgerton” Season 4 Part 1 is now streaming on Netflix. Part 2 premieres Feb. 26.
