Benedict Bridgerton is in for a major life change. On Sept. 30, Bridgerton stars Luke Thompson and Yerin Ha, who’ll play Benedict’s love interest Sophie, gave a new sneak peek at their love story, just days after production began on Season 4.
In a new video for Shondaland, Thompson said his character’s upcoming arc was a “really nice mix” of romance and the realities that come with a new relationship. “It’s a fairy-tale love story, I guess, but it’s also got the Bridgerton element of trying to tether it to some sort of reality as well and see how that pans out,” he explained.
The fourth season of the popular Netflix series will follow the Julia Quinn book An Offer from a Gentleman, which puts a Cinderella-like spin on the second eldest Bridgerton’s romance.
Ha described the story as an “emotional tug-of-war,” but not necessarily between the two romantic leads. “I guess you can expect this kind of push and pull between what their heart desires and what society kind of desires for them,” she said.
Hilariously, Thompson liked her answer more. “That’s so much better than mine; that was clearer,” he said, leading Ha to declare: “Both are true: it’s a fairy-tale love story and it’s an emotional tug-of-war,” she argued.
When asked to describe the season in one word, Ha gave a fitting romantic metaphor. “The obvious one is roller coaster, but I’m going to say something new,” she said. “I’m going to say ‘prismatic.’ I’m using that as a metaphor for the character for when she meets Benedict and after.”
However, Thompson needed some help deciphering her answer. “When the light comes in and it goes into a rainbow,” Ha explained, and he immediately agreed with that response.
Benedict’s Self-Love Story
Unlike most of Bridgerton’s love stories, viewers have gotten to know Benedict, the oldest brother of the Bridgerton clan, throughout three seasons, making them particularly invested in how his love life will finally have a happy ending. However, Thompson says his character’s growth is just as important this season.
“I think with Benedict, it’s always been about trying to find some sort of solid thing that he’s able to feel and commit to rather than flit around,” he explained. “He’s a man of many interests, and that’s great in some ways, and in some ways, can betray being a little lost or restless. And that goes quite deep, I think. There is clearly something in him that’s not very comfortable, a bit scared or worried about the idea of really committing to something.”
Bridgerton’s Martins Imhangbe & Emma Naomi Share Hopes For Season 4
With Season 4 on the way, two Bridgerton actors have outlined their vision for the show’s next chapter. Martins Imhangbe and Emma Naomi, who play married couple Will and Alice Mondrich, recently spoke to RadioTimes about the Netflix drama, revealing what they’d like to see happen with their characters, who aren’t featured in Julia Quinn’s original novel series.
In Season 3, Will and Alice earned high-society status after inheriting the estate that belonged to Alice’s late aunt.
“We’re not in the books so we don’t have any kind of indication where our arc is going, so we will just have to roll with whatever happens and that’s kind of exciting,” Naomi told the outlet. “We don’t know what to expect.”
Revealing his hopes for the couple, Imhangbe chimed in. “I would hope for them to retain the spark that they initially had and not allow society, the money, or fame to water down their relationship.”
This isn’t the first time Imhangbe has voiced his hopes for Season 4. In May, the actor told Shondaland that he’d like the show to focus more on Will and Alice’s children. “I hope we see how they adjust to this new life, even though they’re very young,” he said. “It must be a lot of pressure, still learning to be a different type of child.”
Season 4, At A Glance
While Bridgerton Season 3 followed the friends-to-lovers journey of Penelope Featherington (Nicola Coughlan) and Colin Bridgerton (Luke Newton), Season 4 will focus on the romance between Benedict Bridgerton and Sophie Beckett.
Luke Thompson will reprise the role of Benedict in the new season, and Netflix confirmed in August that Yerin Ha has been cast as Sophie.
“The fourth season of Bridgerton turns its focus to bohemian second son Benedict,” a Season 4 synopsis reads. “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.”
Jonathan Bailey Confirms He’ll Be Back For Bridgerton Season 4
Dearest reader, this is not a drill. Jonathan Bailey is returning for Bridgerton Season 4. The actor, who plays Viscount Anthony Bridgerton on the Netflix show, confirmed hisreturn during a recent appearance on Good Morning America.
“I have a couple of weeks etched out in my schedule for returning,” Bailey said, adding that he “looks forward to reading the script” before filming begins. “The thing about Bridgerton, which is so brilliant, is that there’s so many different ways you can fall in love as humans and that’s what this show will explore. Obviously being the older brother, I’m going to be there to support the youngsters as we go.”
Season 4 will focus on Benedict Bridgerton (played by Luke Thompson) and his love interest, Sophie Beckett (Yerin Ha).
Speaking on GMA, Bailey praised Thompson, saying he’s “going to be stunning” in the show’s fourth installment, which will begin filming this fall. “Benedict’s full of wonder and joy,” he said. “He’s the beating heart of the family.”
Bailey’s Bridgerton Future
The romance between Anthony and Kate Bridgerton, played by Bailey and Simone Ashley, was the focus of Bridgerton Season 2. In Season 3, Kate revealed she was pregnant, and the couple decided to travel to India before welcoming their first child.
While it remains unclear if the love story between Kate and Anthony (dubbed “Kanthony” by fans) will feature heavily in Season 4, showrunner Jess Brownell said she wants the fan-favorite couple back “as much as we are able to.” As she previously told Teen Vogue, “They give so much, even with just tiny little looks and gestures. They’re a magic pairing.”
Granted, asking actors like Bailey to come back in a limited role is “not really fair” if they have other projects in the works, Brownell said.
Bailey, for his part, filmed Bridgerton Season 3 while also working on Fellow Travelers and Wicked. In an interview on Andy Cohen’s SiriusXM radio show, he admitted to the taxing schedule, saying he “didn’t have a day off.”
Lily Collins Revealed Why She Separates Herself From Emily Cooper
Not everyone loves Lily Collins’ Emily in Paris character, Emily Cooper — as viewers made clear after Netflix introduced the romantic comedy-drama series in October 2020. In the years since, Collins has done her best to defend Emily and highlight her many positive qualities. Still, when she noticed a specific similarity between herself and Emily, the actor made a conscious effort to differentiate herself.
Ahead of Emily in Paris Season 4, Part 1, which debuts on Aug. 15, Collins spoke to InStyle about playing the bright-eyed go-getter. During the interview, Collins revealed that while filming the show’s first season, she told her now-husband, Charlie McDowell, that she shared Emily Cooper’s perfectionist traits and wanted to change that part of herself in real life.
“This idea of perfection, needing to just always feel ready to go, always feeling like your perfect self. That’s not how I want to live my life, especially at 35,” Collins said, before teasing that the show’s “messy” fourth season is one of “vulnerability” and “emotional breakdowns.”
The actor also revealed how playing Emily Cooper has transformed her sense of style. In the interview, Collins explained that her ex-boyfriend was critical of her fashion choices, which led to a “dull period” in which she avoided colorful or revealing clothing.
“I thought for a while that if you make yourself physically, with volume, appear bigger, then you’re taking up too much space,” she told InStyle, adding that Emily in Paris helped reignite her love of fashion.
“Emily, in a lovely way, takes up so much space,” she continued. “Mixing patterns and prints, textures, styles in a way that was foreign to me, I started to realize that I didn’t have to be afraid of color anymore.”
This isn’t the first time Collins has touched upon her ex-boyfriend and desire for perfection. In her 2017 memoir, Unfiltered: No Shame, No Regrets, Just Me, she got candid about her need to be “perfect for him.”
“I became a one-woman island, but not the strong and independent kind,” she wrote. “I was the definition of codependent. And worst of all: I became so scared that if I left him, I would have nothing. Be nothing.”
A “Messy” Emily In Paris Season 4
Netflix announced in May that Emily in Paris Season 4 would be split into two parts, both of which will premiere in late summer 2024. As mentioned, Part 1 will begin streaming on Aug. 15, while Part 2 will debut on Sept. 12.
It’s not a surprise that it will be “messy,” as Collins teased. Season 4 picks up after Emily’s dramatic breakup with Alfie (Lucien Laviscount), and sees her navigate a new dynamic with Gabriel (Lucas Bravo), who is fresh off his own split. Meanwhile, at the June 2023 Netflix Tudum event, Collins also teased that Emily will be jetting off to a new location in Season 4.
“Her life takes some unexpected twists this season,” she said. “Don’t be surprised to find her on a Roman holiday.”
