UPDATED: It’s official. Netflix has confirmed Yerin Ha will join the Season 4 cast of Bridgerton as the love interest for Benedict Bridgerton (Luke Thompson). As was previously reported (see below), Ha will portray Sophie Baek, a name change from Sophie Beckett in the book series, to reflect Ha’s Korean heritage. Sophie has a slow burn romance with Benedict in Julia Quinn’s novel An Offer From a Gentleman, on which Season 4 will be based.
This is not the first time Bridgerton has changed the name of a character from the books. In Season 2, Kate Sheffield’s surname was changed to Sharma to reflect the character’s Indian heritage.
The streamer also unveiled a first-look teaser featuring Ha as Sophie. Watch it below.
Your Sophie has finally arrived. Please welcome Yerin Ha to Bridgerton Season 4! pic.twitter.com/sHZMZIPhTD
— Netflix (@netflix) September 11, 2024
PREVIOUS, August 16: Bridgerton has courted Yerin Ha as the love interest for Benedict Bridgerton (Luke Thompson) in the upcoming fourth installment of Shonda Rhimes’ Netflix series.
Sources confirmed to Deadline that Ha is set to portray Sophie Beckett, who has a slow burn romance with Benedict in Julia Quinn’s novel An Offer From a Gentleman, on which Season 4 will be based.
Per Netflix’s official logline: “The fourth season of Bridgerton turns its focus to bohemian second son Benedict. Despite his elder and younger brothers both being happily married, Benedict is loath to settle down — until he meets a captivating Lady in Silver at his mother’s masquerade ball.”
That “Lady in Silver” is Sophie. In the novel, she is the daughter of an earl and one of his maids. Though she was brought up in his house out of a sense of responsibility, he never claimed her as his kin and allowed her to suffer quite a troubling upbringing at the hands of her stepmother and stepsisters.
Though Benedict’s search for a love match is the subject of the third novel, the TV series made a change in the order with Season 3 taking on the fourth book instead, Romancing Mister Bridgerton, which spotlights the romance between Colin Bridgerton, played by Luke Newton, and Penelope Featherington, played by Nicola Coughlan.
Sophie’s casting was highly anticipated, even before Netflix confirmed in July that the fourth season would be about her and Benedict’s love story.
The very end of the Season 3 finale teased the beginning of Benedict’s love story might have been coming soon as Eloise (Claudia Jessie) — who is off to Scotland with Francesca — promises to be back in time for their mother’s famous masquerade ball. The scene prompted speculation, as that is where Sophie and Benedict cross paths for the first time.
Ha is best known for her role in the Halo live-action adaptation. She played Kwan Ha for two seasons. She is also set to appear in the upcoming Max prequel series Dune: Prophecy, which will land on the streamer in November. Her other credits include several Australian shows as well as an independent horror film titled Sissy.
Joe Otterson at Variety was first to report the news of Ha’s casting.
