Actress Ruth Gemmell didn’t expect her Bridgerton character, Lady Violet Bridgerton’s steamy season 4 scenes.
Entertainment Weekly reported that Gemmell discussed the romantic moments between Violet and Lord Marcus Anderson (Daniel Francis) in a February 2026 interview with Ciné-Télé-Revue. Gemmell, who joined the show’s cast during season 1, revealed that she was taken aback when she first heard about her character’s explicit Season 4, Episode 1 scene during a costume fitting.
“I was a little bit shocked. I was in a costume fitting, and I realized that I was being fitted for something that I had no idea was going to happen. I went home and cried,” recalled Gemmell. “Thankfully, we tackled this one in a slightly different way to the kids of the show. because I don’t think anyone would want to watch that really. I was a bit shocked.”
She clarified that she believed Marcus and Violet’s steamy scenes are “important.”
“We don’t die after a certain age, so it’s quite nice to kind of represent that. It’s very lovely to see young love and love for the first time, but it’s also very important and lovely to see somebody who has loved and lost and grieved and comes with a myriad of baggage, because everyone can identify with that, and I think that’s important to show,” said the 58-year-old during the Ciné-Télé-Revue interview.
Daniel Francis Shared He Found Out About His Character Steamy Season 4 Scenes in a Similar Way
In the February 3 episode of Bridgerton: The Official Podcast, alongside Gemmell, Francis shared that he also found out about his character’s first steamy scene during a costume fitting. According to Francis, he was given a modesty garment before he was told that Marcus and Violet had intimate scenes in the show’s fourth season, which began airing in January 2026.
While recording the podcast episode, Gemmell also shared that she and Francis were able to have productive conversations with the intimacy coordinators. In addition, she revealed what her boundaries were when filming her character’s more explicit scenes.
“My a-s wasn’t getting out for anyone,” quipped the British actress.