Queen Charlotte: A Bridgerton Story features younger versions of several Bridgerton characters, including Arsema Thomas as a young Lady Agatha Danbury. A prequel to the hit Netflix show Bridgerton, Queen Charlotte takes place across two timelines and follows the eponymous queen, played by both Golda Rosheuvel (as in Bridgerton) and India Amarteifio as a 50-year-old royal. Other characters in the Queen Charlotte cast include Lady Agatha Danbury, played by Adjoa Andoh (reprising her Bridgerton role), and Arsema Thomas.
In Bridgerton, Lady Danbury is a powerful, wise, and respected member of London’s upper class. She is responsible for many of the relationships in the series and serves as a source of advice to Violet Bridgerton. In Queen Charlotte, Arsema Thomas’s young Lady Danbury is a much less confident character, who is just beginning to figure out her role in London society and has yet to learn how to overcome her fears by making herself intimidating. Young or old, Lady Danbury is a compelling character, but she’s not what drew Thomas to Queen Charlotte in the first place.
Arsema Thomas Wants to Join Queen Charlotte Because of Shonda Rhimes
Although Lady Danbury is well-written in both Queen Charlotte and Bridgerton, Arsema Thomas primarily wanted to join the series because of her admiration for series creator Shonda Rhimes. In an interview with W Magazine, Thomas spoke about her feelings about Rhimes:
“What [Shonda] does for the black woman narrative is something I’ve never had the opportunity to explore. A lot of the characters I’ve played weren’t written for me, or I’ve fought with directors about vision and choices. To be able to be a part of something where I trust the writer, I know it’s going to be a great place to continue to learn.”
Rhimes has brought the black female experience to the forefront of her shows with some of Shondaland’s best characters, including Annalise Keating (Viola Davis) on How To Get Away With Murder and Olivia Pope (Kerry Washington) on Scandal. Thomas’s trust in Rhimes and her characters led her to audition without knowing anything about Lady Danbury or even the Bridgerton universe.
In an interview with Harper’s Bazaar, Arsema Thomas discussed how when she auditioned for the role, her only note was that her character was from the Bridgerton universe. It wasn’t until the producers asked Thomas to come back for a chemistry reading that she learned the identity of Queen Charlotte. By that point, she had already watched the entire Bridgerton series and knew who Lady Danbury was. Luckily, Thomas knew right away, “I didn’t want to play anyone else but her.” Lady Danbury’s ability to command a room appealed to Thomas, who has always admired that type of woman.
Arsema Thomas Pretended to Be British to Audition for Queen Charlotte
You might be surprised to learn that Arsema Thomas isn’t British. Hailing from Atlanta, Georgia, the actress faked her British accent so much that even the producers weren’t sure of her nationality (according to Buzzfeed). Thomas points to her college years as the time she honed her British accent. While this ultimately proved to be a blessing for Thomas, it also points to a similarity between her and Lady Danbury.
As young adults, both struggled to express their true selves. Lady Danbury was still in a loveless marriage, and Thomas struggled with impostor syndrome when she took on the role of the young Lady Danbury. But like Lady Danbury, Arsema Thomas quickly grew into a confident woman who learned to trust her own talents and instincts.
In fact, even the original Lady Danbury actor gave Thomas advice on how to break into the role. Andoh helped Thomas gain confidence in her new career, having spent her early twenties studying public health. In Queen Charlotte, Lady Danbury and Arsema Thomas enter a world they initially don’t believe they belong to, but with the support of people in similar situations (Andoh and Queen Charlotte), they gain confidence in their roles.
