April 7, 2022 • 36 mins
In this inaugural episode for the second season of Bridgerton: The Official Podcast, host Gabrielle Collins is joined by actress Nicola Coughlan (Penelope Featherington) and director Tricia Brock. They deep dive into Episode 1 “Capital-R-Rake” and beyond – discussing Penelope’s life between social seasons and exploring how the Shondaland series has expanded its world as they welcome the Sharma family to the ton.
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Speaker 1 (00:00):
Bridgerton The Official Podcast is a partnership between Shondaland Audio
and iHeartRadio. Welcome to Bridgerton the Official Podcast, your exclusive
peak behind the curtain of Shondaland's Bridgerton series. This season,
hosts Gabrielle Collins will be doing an episode by episode
deep dive breaking down all of the gossip and behind
the scenes details. She'll be joined by season two stars
(00:23):
Jonathan Bailey, Simone Ashley, and Shreithra Shandron, alongside executive producer
and director Tom Verica, and many more of your favorite
cast and crew. So let's dive in. With the first
episode of season two, Capital r Rake finds Anthony Bridgerton
on the quest for the perfect wife as long as
she meets his list of requirements. Kate and Antony briefly
(00:44):
meet and Duena is chosen as the diamond of the season.
And to our surprise, Lord Featherington arrives and he's not
old or ugly at all. Today. Host Gabrielle Collins is
joined by Nicola Coughlin, who plays Penelope Featherington, and Trisha Brock,
director episodes two to one and two O two. Hi, Nicola, Hello,
(01:06):
how are you Welcome back to bridgeton the official podcast.
Thank you for having me back. I'm glad I didn't
misbehave too much last time that I was afforded a
second invitation. So what was it like returning though? The
first time on set? It was very surreal actually because
I mean we ropped season one end of February twenty twenty,
(01:30):
so before the world shut down, so it's like it
was very weird. You know, you filmed the show, you finish,
the world changes, then it comes out it's this like
monster hit and then you're going back. So for a
lot of us, it was like it was like one
of the first times i'd like left the house a
significant amount of time, because you know, we had no premiers,
we had no nothing. We didn't get to It was
(01:51):
sad because we didn't get to like celebrate our work together.
We did it like this over zoom, but we didn't
actually get any in person events. So the first time
I saw a lot of the people, most of the people,
I should say because I was in Ireland, was when
we were back on set, and I remember that first
day we did a rehearsal in the Bridget and drawing
room and walking in it was like, oh, this is
(02:11):
the set of bridget In the show. Like it was
like and we kept saying, like, doesn't necesar like really
weird because you know, but the last time we were there,
no one knew what we were doing, and it was
all kind of and then you're like, oh, yeah, I
remember seeing this on TV, Like this stuff feels like
a TV set. This is quite strange. This is you know,
but weirdly, we were all I mean, you might think
there was some trepidation, but there actually wasn't. We were
(02:34):
all just very excited because it's like, you know, when
you're an actor, you just want to make things that
people hopefully enjoy, and we knew people did. And then
also this story with Kate and Anthony, you know, we
had known like the book fans let us know that
this was when they were like ready and gunning for
and they were so so even in season one, I
was like, I really hope we get to that story
(02:54):
because I know people like really love it and are
like very obsessed with it. So know, we were coming
back and it was just so nice to see everyone again.
And it is such and it's probably annoying, but it
is such a nice crew of people. It genuinely so
being around them again, Yeah, it was. It was very exciting. Hi,
tris so welcome. It's really cool to get to talk
(03:15):
to you. Thank you so much. We want to know
the behind the scenes. We want to know your day
to day. Can we just start with how how did
you even get tapped to join this project? Boy? I
have thought about that so many times. How I got
so lucky? A year ago, last fall, so that would
be Fall of twenty twenty, my daughter moved to London
(03:37):
and I was in New York City going what they left.
And so then I called my agency manager and I said,
are there any shows in the UK? What's going on
in the UK? Because man, I would love to work there.
And the next thing I knew, I was sent the
script called Bridgeton. It had not I had not aired yet,
(03:58):
but I was sent the script and I was it's
a rare experience to be sent to script and have
it read like a novel, have it be a page turner,
have it be something that you literally cannot put down.
And I was bowled over by the script. And I
was sent actually the first two episodes of season one
(04:22):
to look at, and I mean my eyes were on sticks.
I could not believe what I was watching. It was
one of the most brilliant, on so many levels, artistic
shows I had ever seen. On so many levels, it
was extremely artistic because I already knew the writing was
just like out of this world, and then to see
(04:43):
the production design and the costumes and the actors, I
was hooked. So I've just started going through a process
with Shonda Land and mercifully the universe was shining on me.
I was tapped to direct the first two episodes of
season two. It was a dream job. Well for me
(05:05):
totally selfishly, I was like, well, now the veilors were
lifted and I get to do all of this fun stuff.
But you know, I didn't get to do as an actor.
Lets you like flex your acting muscles as well, because
you know, there were so many, like more challenges for
me this time, because in season when it had to
be that she was very reserved and quiet. But getting
to then do all the other sides of her this time,
I was really excited for very excited. I think that's
(05:27):
the joy of coming back for a second season, is
like not having to explain everything because also now Bridgeton
is its own world. You know, it's a world that
has its sort of its own rules and it's its
own sort of fantasy, so we don't need to sort of,
you know, explain that, yes there is a black queen
and yes, you know there is Alriuna grand date at
these balls, you just accepted as it's Bridgeton, which is amazing.
(05:51):
So yeah, you could go in, and you could. It
just felt like we went in at full speed this time,
like we all knew our characters. We were ready to go,
you know. Also having seen the show, whe're like, oh,
we get the town, like we totally know what we're
going to do, and now we can like spread our
wings and fly. It very much felt like that. Actually,
how long ago did you get to season two scripts?
(06:12):
It wasn't terribly long before we started. I think I
moved back over to London in March of twenty twenty
one and started in fittings, and I think we started
filming an April to my memory, so yeah, not Terry Fair.
We got them in like increments, so I think we
got like Epps maybe one to three or something, and
then we're filming it, so we don't actually know the
(06:32):
end of the season at the start. That's kind of great.
It is because when you get the scripts, like you
start hypothesizing what's going to happen, and Claudie and I
do it a lot. Because there was a line in
episode two that I sort of was like, Oh, I'm
not really sure why she's saying this, and they're like, oh,
it's going to relate to a thing it happens in
you know, EP six, And I was like, oh, do
(06:54):
you think that means this? Or they like, you know,
you try and yeah, figure it out, and oh my goodness.
Bears actually is the one who said the detail in
the script is so fine. There's a lot of detail,
so things just kind of unfurl before your eyes on
the page. Every sentence is like from Gone with the
(07:16):
Wind and Atlanta Burns. I mean, just that one sentence
probably cost them a month of shooting. But it was
so funny because in a lot of scripts people just
like skip through screen direction and just try to get
to the story. It's Chris's scripts. The screen direction is everything.
There's so many looks and details. Absolutely like it's bridget
(07:38):
in language, so it's super flowery. There's always so much
to remember. There was one line in this season where
if I can remember it correctly, it was your obstinate
and opinionated with no inclination to obedience or conformacy, and
it was such a tongue christ like, well, I to
keep apologizing Claudio. It's like, I this is not easy.
This is a tough one, but it's it's it's just
(07:59):
like it's shondaland language as well, you know what I mean.
It's always just filled information and detail and richness. And
Tom Erica, he's one of our really brilliant directors. And
one of the EPs on the show said, you know,
that's the thing with Shan shows. They're packed with dense
language because the audience are always like slightly a step
behind to the audience are going what do you mean
by that? Oh yeah, and it just it keeps you
(08:21):
on your toes, so that the language being like that
is no accident. It's very deliberate and yeah, it's great
prep for everybody is very very similar in that it
is your time to really dive into the material and
really start to figure out how you're going to bring
(08:41):
it to life. It was so daunting the first week
because the schedule was jam packed and to realize that
I had forty days ahead of me, forty days for
the two episodes. Wow, but I mean it went so well,
the crew is so good. We'll talk all about Penelope's
(09:02):
Lady Whistledown dealings and more character development after the break.
Welcome Back to Bridgerton the official podcast. I imagine since
you get like one scripts one, two and three, that
your surprise when four or five and six, etc. Etc.
(09:24):
Come is very authentic playing such a young character and
a passionable character. It's quite nice to feel that journey
as you're going on it because I think even Penelope
in this season, she's not the same from the first
to the last episode. Yeah, you definitely see your growth
in her. And we also got to work I had
an amazing hair and makeup archasis year of her Jenny
Roads McLean and we work together on like developing her
(09:45):
look as it went on. So you kind of like
this little like there's a connection between you know, season
two and season one in the beginning of but then
she moves forward. She's sort of becoming a young woman
as it goes along, and that was really fun to
do that as well. One of Lady Whistletown's first lines
by Julie Andrews. And it's an image of you and
you're writing ferociously and you're saying you've been sharpening your knives. Yes,
(10:09):
and I have. That's the first thing I really clung
to watching the first episode, and I haven't let go,
and I have been anxious to ask. It's the first
question I wrote down, Actually, what in your mind were
you doing since the last season? Does Penelope have a
life over the last fall and spring? So, yeah, So
(10:32):
they go back to their country homes and they go
out of on this so they don't see the people
that they normally see. They sort of keeped themselves. So
I think, you know, she left the season one, you know,
having really messed around with people, and especially Marina. You know,
that sort of a terrible thing, and she definitely still
(10:53):
has guilt about that. But then I think she's also
spent this time with her family who are really not
very nice to her, and you know, they sort of
perment her and saying not nice things to her and
overlook her. So I think she's been sad at home,
being like, you know, I am not hbic here, but
(11:13):
I am in London, so when I get back there,
I am ready. I'm gonna just go and do what
I need to do, and I'm going to get back
in that position of power. And also during that time,
she's developed this like penpal relationship with Colum Bridgetin, which
is so sweet and it's like, so their relationship has
progressed in that time, and I think it's a really
(11:34):
lovely thing because deep like she's she's a writer, that's
who she is. And when I meet a lot of writers,
it's so that personality type that you could meet someone
that's so quiet and reserved and then writes the wildest
things and you think, how did all that come out
of you? Like that's amazing. And that's the same with her,
is that she's quiet, but these all these other things
(11:55):
live in her head and she's so perceptive and sharp
and witty. So I think she's able to express herself
with Colin so much easier through her writing, you know,
because she's not worried about all the eyes on her.
She can really be genuinely herself. So they've they've grown closer,
and it's funny with the moment you know that Colin
returns from his travels. It's so sweet, but literally the
(12:19):
moment that Colin returned, everyone went, ah, I was like,
it's so cute, Like no, I really am so that. Yeah,
their relationship has has progressed. Penelope doesn't even like withhold
her like good there he is. No, but don't you
know that feeling of like that somebody you really like,
(12:40):
I mean, and you're just like, yeah, you know, and
she's missed him so so desperately, and you know, and
now they probably have like, you know, a little in
jokes of one another and a little you know, she
knows about his whole journey and everything he's been doing.
And yeah, it's it's just so it's so sweet. It's
so sweet. It is. I completely expected that after the
(13:04):
moment where he says, you're right, Penelope, I didn't meet
some woman somewhere else. I found myself. Yeah, that the
two of you would like sink even deeper into this connection,
but it like stops there. Her levels of expectation are
(13:24):
I think a little too high when he comes back,
because you know, she's been getting these letters and I
think she's going, what does this mean? What does this mean?
And she thinks they have this like deep deep connection,
but he's not there because he's still hung up on
what happened with Marina, and he's like cutting women off.
So like that's a devastating moment for her, devastating and
(13:47):
like all all she wants for him is to lose. So, yeah,
I've realized that you're this amazing, wishy woman that I've
been talking to. But like in that moment, he just goes, no,
you're just my friend, and it's like, you know, I
don't know if you've been in that situation, but it's
just like a dagger to the heart. You're like, oh yeah,
getting friend zone in the most like devastated way. Yeah,
(14:12):
sawing off women. Then for the time being, I am
a woman. You are pent. You do not account you're
my friend, of course your friend. How good to hear that.
Oh look, we've all been there. It's it's no fun
(14:33):
for anybody. Yes, yes, oh freshman year of college. Yes.
By Unlike Penelope would be like, okay, let's forget about it.
Let's forget about it and to move on with our lives. Ever,
but she she loves him hard, so that's not it's
not going to happen with her. I don't think I'm
so with you, and I wanted to ask you, like,
(14:55):
are we seeing Penelope mature or are we just seeing
Penelope in full effect for the first time? Like, I
think it's a little bit of both, a little bit
of both. I think it is because I think you
definitely see more sides to her. Obviously this time around,
like the reveal from the final episode last year, you
find out she's Lady Whistledown, So then you get to
(15:16):
see sort of behind the curtain of all the things
she's been doing and how she's been getting away with this.
But also I think you start to see that it's
given her a certain I would say, a certain cockiness,
you know, because she's so powerful, she's got all this money.
She's like this puppet master, you know, pulling the strings
all over London. But then I think ultimately she like
(15:38):
she's a contradiction a lot of ways, because she then
is this really shy girl who would hate to have
attention on her and wouldn't know how to deal with that.
And so it's interesting because I feel like the Whistledown
sort of sneaks out in her more so at different moments.
This time you really see it, you know, when she's
in company, you kind of she makes these little remarks
and little things, but I think she suffers alves from
(16:00):
the fact that she is very intelligent but not streetwise
at all. I think she thinks she knows much more
than she really does, and you know, she's sort of yeah,
it's like I've got this suster got through. But then
she has very little real life experience. It's all well
and good, sitting back and riding them out of book
to live it. So yeah, I think there's a certain
cockiness to her this time around. Because if you walked
(16:23):
around and everyone was saying how great you were all
the time and constantly obsessing about you, right, that would
of course have an effect on you. You know, you're
in need of this arrangement. So I'll say this only once.
What my mistress wants she gets for whatever reason. That
will be you at the moment. That doesn't make you special,
mister Harris prnches in this town are ten a penny.
(16:46):
There's only one lady whistle down and she could just
as easily take her business elsewhere, So it's eighteen not
a pennymore. And the delivery boys need a wage increase.
They're the ones running around town. Will you get to
sit here on your lazy hours. Yes, then, my mistress,
thanks you for your services. I have my ideas, but
I'm wondering if there was talk about why we are
(17:08):
thrust into the behind the scenes with Penelope, because she
was all over the place. She was at a ball,
she was at the printing press, she was at home writing.
I think because Lady Whistledown was revealed to be Penelope
at the end of season one, I think that this
(17:29):
is the Wizard of Oz moment, the behind the curtain
of how Lady Whistledown pulls it off. It's letting the
audience in on the backstage of Lady Whistledown and making
them kind of a partner with Lady Whistledown because now
they're on the inside and only Penelope and the audience
(17:50):
are in on it. None of the other people in
the show are. So it's like an intimacy that the
audience can have now with Lady Whistledown. How long did
those scenes take? They were, um, you know, we shot
them all different times, all different places. But Nicola is
so stunning. He just brings it every time. I mean,
she's so so good. Yeah, so much fun to work with.
(18:12):
I just adored her. And I can't say enough about
Laudia either, who plays Eloise. And we shot that scene
of them in the in the daisy field when they
run away from the ball. Oh can we please talk
about that? It was I was like, wow, this this
like a moonlight. It was. It was just beautiful. It
(18:34):
was beautiful. It really it really was. There aren't enough
accolades for Will Hughes Jones because Chris had seen a
field of daffodils at some point when he was over
here in like when daffodils come out in March, and
by the time we shot it there were no daffodils.
But Will found enough. He found enough real ones, and
(18:57):
enough then for the distant ones were artificial. But he
created a dafodel phild that looked absolutely incredible. I never
thought of it that way. No one truly notices me.
I suppose that is what they like. When you were invisible,
(19:19):
you can have all of the amusement you want, that
any of the expectations. Popularity brings it freez you. I
think that's why I was said our remains anonymous. Perhaps
that scene and it's one of my favorite scenes in
the whole series. And I just loved how that was written.
It was so like when we got that scene, we
(19:40):
were like, oh, that's really special. You know, it's them
being very open with one another. And also I think
Penelope sort of letting the guard down a little bit
and saying, you know, nobody really sees me. But I
think I like that, and I think figuring stuff out
and like just it's not being fully honest, but being
honest in a way she hasn't been for and like
(20:00):
letting Eloise know know that she sort of does enjoy
being part of the town. You know, she didn't admit
that to her in season when she kind of went
you know, she kind of laughs long with Alois and
they're like, oh yeah, it's all sort of silly and whatever.
But she she does enjoy it and she's a romantic.
But I think also in season one, Eloise wasn't part
of it, and then you see the difficulty of Eloie's
(20:21):
being there and how it gets some Penelope's way, and
you know, going, oh god. And even when we was sunny,
because when were filming the scenes, like the things that
I would normally do in the balls and listen and
then all of sudden Claude would be there and I'll go, oh,
damn it, okay, Oh, how I do this? Okay? Oh,
(20:42):
I like starting realizing it and real left to be
like and then you know, we see Eloise having to
debut into society, and I think, you know, they should
sort of then be on the same level, and they
are in a way, but then there's so many secrets
that are bubbling underneath for both of them. The obvious
wings obviously Lady whistled down, you know, then Colin, and
(21:04):
then Eloise sort of starting this relationship with THEO that
she's not really being honest with Penelope about, and it
sort of just shows when there's like a lack of communication,
what can happen? I think Penelope not really also getting
how difficult it is for Eloise. You know, Penelope, it's
her second time around, so she kind of understands in
(21:27):
a way how to navigate these things. But then you know,
it's really like heartbreaking scenes a film, you know, when
Eloise is sort of forced to dance with this young
suitor and Penelope well, you know, go and do it
and they'll be funny, it'll be whatever, and then being
horrified that Eloise is so upset by it. I'm sort
of not realizing oh oh okay, oh no, it's just
(21:50):
a bit of a it's a bit of a it's
a bit of a mess. And like the choreography by
Jack Murphy as well, it is just dreamy and he
makes it so unintimidating. He's he's a genius for working
with actors. Because I didn't think I was going to
get a dance this year, and my mom every time
she'd call me, she's like, any sign of you dancing
with anyone? And I was like no. I was like,
I don't think it's going to be And then I
(22:11):
got the script. I was like, I got it dance,
Oh my god. And then Luke Newton is, i don't know,
for better or worse, an insanely amazing dancer. So I'm like, well,
I can't be terrible, because you know, that's just gonna
really like he's just gonna show me up, like Luke
was in musicals on the West End. So yeah. I
remember going into my dance left So with Jack and
(22:31):
being like terrified, and I was like, oh god, okay,
and then like it's the awful and it's I think
it's such a feminine trade as well that you'll go,
how do I tell him that I can't do this?
Like I'm not able to do it? And I danced
like all the way up through from when I was
like four years old, when I was seventeen, I dance lessons.
But yeah, I was like, I do I can't at dance.
(22:53):
I will not be able to do this. And then
he just goes, we're just marking up the steps, don't worry,
and you go, okay, I'll do that much, I'll do that,
which he's like, a kay, now we're just going to
join this. He's getting your book, well final, I'll do
that then, and all of a sudden he has the
music on and you're doing it and you're like, you're
a wizard. How did you make me to do that?
And you look lovely? Oh my goodness, that's so crazy
that that was the whole thought process. It's just lovely.
(23:15):
And you know that Jack, who's our choreographer, plays the
choreographer in the show. That's Jack. Yeah, we all adore him.
Jack Murphy is teaching Eloise how to dance. He's in
the Bridgerton living room when she's dancing with Gregory, her
brother and he's going in a one and a two
easter egg. Yes, he's phenomenal. I'm gonna go back and
(23:40):
look at that. Now we'll be right back. Welcome back
to Bridgerton the Official Podcast. So I really wanted to
ask you about the introduction of Jack Fatherington and the
introduction of the Sharma's and just kind of what do
you think This season felt very much about expanding the
(24:02):
world and it being about the whole time and all
of this happening. So we were really excited actually to
have new people, I mean since the end of season
and we were like, who is going to inherit the
feuding in the state and then Rupert is so much
fun really funny. He just brought this lovely energy with
him and we were so bad, you know, because there's
(24:22):
this new person coming in. You're like, oh god, I
hope there. But yeah, he just made us laugh all
the time and it was just and he's also sort
of playing this I mean, I don't know, I was
going to see he's kind of a badup, but he's not. Really.
He's like morally questionable guy, maybe questionable, yeah I don't
say that, yeah, but in person, Yeah, we just adored him,
and then I remember when Simone got announced, I like
(24:46):
immediately DMed her on Instagram and I was like, welcome,
you know, because it would always be my fear that
people would think coming into a show that's you know,
established and there's like a coecast, that they would not
feel welcome, So that I just wanted like them to know,
like right away that they were welcome, and they were
as much part of this as we are seeing Truth
(25:07):
and Smoanan just the new elements. It was really nice
to see it all come together and how very it
was very exciting. We meet Kate. Of course, one of
my favorite moments is when she's on the horse and
she turns around looks at him. We see her for
the first time. She looks so beautiful because of Kate
being the more serious sister and a little bit older
(25:30):
at twenty eight, as if that's older, but still all
she wants is to make sure her sister is looked after,
that her mother is taken care of, and then she
wants to go home to India, and so I just
we would just keep talking about how she needed to
keep her eyes on the prize and not be distracted
and not let people annoy her. She had a higher
(25:53):
purpose than just jumping in on a daily basis. She's
playing a long game. There was a photograph of her
I saw with all these ringlets, and I just went
out on a limb and said, that just did not
seem like her character. She was very still clinging to
(26:17):
her Indian heritage and the tea that she likes, and
I felt her hair would just be more simply swept
back and up, and she's not trying to fit in
to the fashionable hair dues like all the Featherington girls are.
That was certainly, for me a valuable point to make,
and they all took it to heart, and so Kate's
(26:37):
hair was made much more simple. Yes, it was pulled back. Yes,
that's such an awesome little tidbit, those little details that
helped tell the story. There's a song I don't know
Matissette material Girl Madonna. Why do you think they chose that?
It's so good? Right, it's very much like Kate and
(26:59):
a Duen are coming into London, very much aware of
the game that has to be played, and how you know,
we find out. You know, there's the sort of mercenary
side of things from Kate's perspective is that they have
to get a dona right off. So it's like, you know,
everyone coming out and showing themselves as as rich as
they are and as lavish as they are. Goods are
(27:20):
being traded like it is, you know that type of thing.
It was my take on it. Maybe that's very skeptical
of me. I just well, I just love the song too,
so I was very excited. It's a great song. That
moment and her appearance and her demeanor also just really captured.
I felt like simone Kate was holding herself back from
(27:46):
really feeling her only dog in the race was her sister,
and all of her energy went to making her be
the most beautiful. And that's why in that one scene
where she's holding up the dress in front of the
mirror and she's looking at herself on this dress, yes,
because she has just met Jonathan and she are the viscount,
(28:06):
and so she is. There are some little rumblings and
she's holding the dress up and her sister comes in,
are you going to wear that tonight? And Kate says, no,
this is for you. Are you thinking of wearing that one?
It is quite beautiful? No, these are for you vonn
We have come to London to find your husband, not mine. Yes, yes,
you are but a dear old maid who shall be
(28:29):
perfectly happy doting on my many nieces and nephews. One
day soon I shall spoil them exceedingly. You do know that. Yes,
there are so many moving parts that suddenly come together.
It's amazing how in sync you all are. Tell us
more about working with Jonathan that the two of you
(28:50):
talk a lot about his own prep, I mean his character.
We really get to get deep with his character. What
were those conversations? They were fantastic. I mean I only
gave Jonathan, I think, one tiny piece that just to
(29:10):
where he was beginning this season. And I reminded him
because he's now motivated to get married. He now realizes
it's his duty. It's nothing romantic at all. It is
his duty to get married. He has to look after
his family. It's the right thing to do, and so
he's going to do it. Then he's got this shell
(29:31):
over his heart, and I reminded him of one of
my favorite scenes in season one is when he goes
to Sienna, who he's having this the opera singer affair with,
and declares himself he's going to he invites her to
come with him to the ball, and she declines and
(29:55):
shuts the door in his face. Yeah, and I just
took him back there and minded him of the vulnerability
he showed in that scene and what it took for
the Viscount to be willing to give up all the protocol,
all the history, all the social pressure and go to
her and say, come with me. I want you to come.
(30:17):
You're who I love. I want to be with you.
And he risked everything for her and shut the door.
So that's why when we meet our Viscount in season two.
In the acting world, there's always a moment before, like
what were you doing as an actor? What was your
(30:38):
character doing before you walk into this scene? And so
many times I would just have to say Sienna to
him and he and that was always his kind of
moment before, and he was just he just took that
little tiny piece and ran with it and it was
it was fantastic. That's so good. That's so good. I mean, Jonathan,
(31:05):
I don't know if anybody told him this, but you know,
he was number one on the call sheet for the
last season, and that person has a tremendous impact on
sets because how they arrive for the day is pretty
much how our day is going to go. And he
just brought it every day. You know. I'd see him
(31:28):
at base camp and he would be in like, you know,
sweatpants and a sweatshirt and a baseball hat. And then
the next time might see him and he'd be strolling
up the steps in his cutaway tails and his boots,
ask God in his shirt and I mean ready, ready
to go. Ready. He was just absolutely amazing. I loved
(31:50):
working with him so much. So Johnny and I often
joke that, you know, we have so few scenes together ever, like,
and there's one scene in episode two when Colin returns
and then Johnny walks in at the end of the
scene to they we're all going to the races today,
And it was so funny because every time you walked
in and saw me, he'd be like like and he
(32:12):
is terrible for laughing well in acting. I'm sure he knows,
but we call it corpsing when you laugh on set.
I don't know if everybody's really I don't know why
it's called that. Corpseying. Yeah, yeah, So Johnny is the
worst at corpsing out of everybody so every time he
saw me, he just find it really funny that I
was like in their house. Yeah, it's like we our
paths don't really don't really cross. I mean, there's there's
(32:34):
one bridgeton man Phienelope's most interested in. I think we
all know that. But it's a really supportive group as well.
You know, everyone really seems to have each other's back.
I actually have never had an experience like that with
an ensemble group of actors. They all were prepared, and
(32:56):
they all were so happy to be at work, and
they all brought such great energy, led by the greatest
source of shining light, Jonathan Bailey, and I hope I
met him in that place, and then everybody else just
rose up there with us, and it was an incredible group,
(33:17):
every single one of them. The cast. They screened episode
one for us together, and I flew I was filming
in Belfast and I flew back to come and watch it.
But it was amazing because normally, at screenings, because actors
are annoying and self critical, you'll watch and go, Okay,
why did I do that? Or Okay, my face looks funny,
or but literally, at the end of the screening, everyone
(33:40):
was so excited and just like so buzzing and just
happy and like that. It really doesn't happen genuinely at screens.
Everyone's like, yeah, it was good, like this bit maybe
you needs a bit of but everyone was like, is
it great? Did you learn anything about yourself, Nicolai I'm
around or did you surprise yourself in any kind of way?
(34:04):
Oh gosh, yeah, I think yeah, in a way. It's
such a funny process because you get the scripts, you go,
oh my god, amazing, how funny I get to do
all this, And then the realization you go, oh, but
I actually have to do it and make it good
sort of terrifying, you know, because it is like being
given a gift to you, like, well, I really don't
want to like crash my bike into a wall when
(34:25):
I've just been handed the shiny bike. So like filming
the difficult scenes and feeling like, oh, I got it,
I did it. You did it, Big Red Wig and all,
you did it, Big Red Wagon. All. Yeah. I was
hugely honored to be doing it and it was a
daunting task. But I've felt so supported by the team,
(34:49):
supported by everybody, and to have the actors be as
gracious and elegant and talented as they all and funny
as they all are. Really ma it easy, and at
a certain point I just was so in it that
I never stepped outside it. But to say, how do
I even know what I'm doing? I just was in
(35:11):
it doing it and it was again, it was one
of the best experiences I've ever had in my career.
That's really nice. I think that's such a great way
to end. Thank you so so much. Thank you for
joining us on this deep dive into the world of Bridgerton.
(35:31):
Tune in next week for more from behind the scenes
of Bridgerton, featuring Luke Newton and Luke Thompson, who played
Colin and Benedict Bridgerton. If you're enjoying this show, please subscribe,
share with your friends, rate, or leave us a review.
And if you haven't finished binging Bridgerton on Netflix, please
go do that so you can enjoy all of the
juicy spoilers with us. Bridgerton. The Official Podcast is executive
(35:52):
produced by Sandy Bailey, Lauren Holman, Tyler Klang, and Gabrielle Collins.
Our producer and editor is Vince to Johnny Bridgerton. The
Official Podcast is a production of Shondaland Audio in partnership
with iHeartRadio. For more podcasts from Shondaland Audio, visit the
(36:15):
iHeartRadio app or anywhere you subscribe to your favorite shows.
Bridgerton The Official Podcast is a partnership between Shondaland Audio
and iHeartRadio. Welcome to Bridgerton the Official Podcast, your exclusive
peak behind the curtain of Shondaland's Bridgerton series. This season,
hosts Gabrielle Collins will be doing an episode by episode
deep dive breaking down all of the gossip and behind
the scenes details. She'll be joined by season two stars
(00:23):
Jonathan Bailey, Simone Ashley, and Shreithra Shandron, alongside executive producer
and director Tom Verica, and many more of your favorite
cast and crew. So let's dive in. With the first
episode of season two, Capital r Rake finds Anthony Bridgerton
on the quest for the perfect wife as long as
she meets his list of requirements. Kate and Antony briefly
(00:44):
meet and Duena is chosen as the diamond of the season.
And to our surprise, Lord Featherington arrives and he's not
old or ugly at all. Today. Host Gabrielle Collins is
joined by Nicola Coughlin, who plays Penelope Featherington, and Trisha Brock,
director episodes two to one and two O two. Hi, Nicola, Hello,
(01:06):
how are you Welcome back to bridgeton the official podcast.
Thank you for having me back. I'm glad I didn't
misbehave too much last time that I was afforded a
second invitation. So what was it like returning though? The
first time on set? It was very surreal actually because
I mean we ropped season one end of February twenty twenty,
(01:30):
so before the world shut down, so it's like it
was very weird. You know, you filmed the show, you finish,
the world changes, then it comes out it's this like
monster hit and then you're going back. So for a
lot of us, it was like it was like one
of the first times i'd like left the house a
significant amount of time, because you know, we had no premiers,
we had no nothing. We didn't get to It was
(01:51):
sad because we didn't get to like celebrate our work together.
We did it like this over zoom, but we didn't
actually get any in person events. So the first time
I saw a lot of the people, most of the people,
I should say because I was in Ireland, was when
we were back on set, and I remember that first
day we did a rehearsal in the Bridget and drawing
room and walking in it was like, oh, this is
(02:11):
the set of bridget In the show. Like it was
like and we kept saying, like, doesn't necesar like really
weird because you know, but the last time we were there,
no one knew what we were doing, and it was
all kind of and then you're like, oh, yeah, I
remember seeing this on TV, Like this stuff feels like
a TV set. This is quite strange. This is you know,
but weirdly, we were all I mean, you might think
there was some trepidation, but there actually wasn't. We were
(02:34):
all just very excited because it's like, you know, when
you're an actor, you just want to make things that
people hopefully enjoy, and we knew people did. And then
also this story with Kate and Anthony, you know, we
had known like the book fans let us know that
this was when they were like ready and gunning for
and they were so so even in season one, I
was like, I really hope we get to that story
(02:54):
because I know people like really love it and are
like very obsessed with it. So know, we were coming
back and it was just so nice to see everyone again.
And it is such and it's probably annoying, but it
is such a nice crew of people. It genuinely so
being around them again, Yeah, it was. It was very exciting. Hi,
tris so welcome. It's really cool to get to talk
(03:15):
to you. Thank you so much. We want to know
the behind the scenes. We want to know your day
to day. Can we just start with how how did
you even get tapped to join this project? Boy? I
have thought about that so many times. How I got
so lucky? A year ago, last fall, so that would
be Fall of twenty twenty, my daughter moved to London
(03:37):
and I was in New York City going what they left.
And so then I called my agency manager and I said,
are there any shows in the UK? What's going on
in the UK? Because man, I would love to work there.
And the next thing I knew, I was sent the
script called Bridgeton. It had not I had not aired yet,
(03:58):
but I was sent the script and I was it's
a rare experience to be sent to script and have
it read like a novel, have it be a page turner,
have it be something that you literally cannot put down.
And I was bowled over by the script. And I
was sent actually the first two episodes of season one
(04:22):
to look at, and I mean my eyes were on sticks.
I could not believe what I was watching. It was
one of the most brilliant, on so many levels, artistic
shows I had ever seen. On so many levels, it
was extremely artistic because I already knew the writing was
just like out of this world, and then to see
(04:43):
the production design and the costumes and the actors, I
was hooked. So I've just started going through a process
with Shonda Land and mercifully the universe was shining on me.
I was tapped to direct the first two episodes of
season two. It was a dream job. Well for me
(05:05):
totally selfishly, I was like, well, now the veilors were
lifted and I get to do all of this fun stuff.
But you know, I didn't get to do as an actor.
Lets you like flex your acting muscles as well, because
you know, there were so many, like more challenges for
me this time, because in season when it had to
be that she was very reserved and quiet. But getting
to then do all the other sides of her this time,
I was really excited for very excited. I think that's
(05:27):
the joy of coming back for a second season, is
like not having to explain everything because also now Bridgeton
is its own world. You know, it's a world that
has its sort of its own rules and it's its
own sort of fantasy, so we don't need to sort of,
you know, explain that, yes there is a black queen
and yes, you know there is Alriuna grand date at
these balls, you just accepted as it's Bridgeton, which is amazing.
(05:51):
So yeah, you could go in, and you could. It
just felt like we went in at full speed this time,
like we all knew our characters. We were ready to go,
you know. Also having seen the show, whe're like, oh,
we get the town, like we totally know what we're
going to do, and now we can like spread our
wings and fly. It very much felt like that. Actually,
how long ago did you get to season two scripts?
(06:12):
It wasn't terribly long before we started. I think I
moved back over to London in March of twenty twenty
one and started in fittings, and I think we started
filming an April to my memory, so yeah, not Terry Fair.
We got them in like increments, so I think we
got like Epps maybe one to three or something, and
then we're filming it, so we don't actually know the
(06:32):
end of the season at the start. That's kind of great.
It is because when you get the scripts, like you
start hypothesizing what's going to happen, and Claudie and I
do it a lot. Because there was a line in
episode two that I sort of was like, Oh, I'm
not really sure why she's saying this, and they're like, oh,
it's going to relate to a thing it happens in
you know, EP six, And I was like, oh, do
(06:54):
you think that means this? Or they like, you know,
you try and yeah, figure it out, and oh my goodness.
Bears actually is the one who said the detail in
the script is so fine. There's a lot of detail,
so things just kind of unfurl before your eyes on
the page. Every sentence is like from Gone with the
(07:16):
Wind and Atlanta Burns. I mean, just that one sentence
probably cost them a month of shooting. But it was
so funny because in a lot of scripts people just
like skip through screen direction and just try to get
to the story. It's Chris's scripts. The screen direction is everything.
There's so many looks and details. Absolutely like it's bridget
(07:38):
in language, so it's super flowery. There's always so much
to remember. There was one line in this season where
if I can remember it correctly, it was your obstinate
and opinionated with no inclination to obedience or conformacy, and
it was such a tongue christ like, well, I to
keep apologizing Claudio. It's like, I this is not easy.
This is a tough one, but it's it's it's just
(07:59):
like it's shondaland language as well, you know what I mean.
It's always just filled information and detail and richness. And
Tom Erica, he's one of our really brilliant directors. And
one of the EPs on the show said, you know,
that's the thing with Shan shows. They're packed with dense
language because the audience are always like slightly a step
behind to the audience are going what do you mean
by that? Oh yeah, and it just it keeps you
(08:21):
on your toes, so that the language being like that
is no accident. It's very deliberate and yeah, it's great
prep for everybody is very very similar in that it
is your time to really dive into the material and
really start to figure out how you're going to bring
(08:41):
it to life. It was so daunting the first week
because the schedule was jam packed and to realize that
I had forty days ahead of me, forty days for
the two episodes. Wow, but I mean it went so well,
the crew is so good. We'll talk all about Penelope's
(09:02):
Lady Whistledown dealings and more character development after the break.
Welcome Back to Bridgerton the official podcast. I imagine since
you get like one scripts one, two and three, that
your surprise when four or five and six, etc. Etc.
(09:24):
Come is very authentic playing such a young character and
a passionable character. It's quite nice to feel that journey
as you're going on it because I think even Penelope
in this season, she's not the same from the first
to the last episode. Yeah, you definitely see your growth
in her. And we also got to work I had
an amazing hair and makeup archasis year of her Jenny
Roads McLean and we work together on like developing her
(09:45):
look as it went on. So you kind of like
this little like there's a connection between you know, season
two and season one in the beginning of but then
she moves forward. She's sort of becoming a young woman
as it goes along, and that was really fun to
do that as well. One of Lady Whistletown's first lines
by Julie Andrews. And it's an image of you and
you're writing ferociously and you're saying you've been sharpening your knives. Yes,
(10:09):
and I have. That's the first thing I really clung
to watching the first episode, and I haven't let go,
and I have been anxious to ask. It's the first
question I wrote down, Actually, what in your mind were
you doing since the last season? Does Penelope have a
life over the last fall and spring? So, yeah, So
(10:32):
they go back to their country homes and they go
out of on this so they don't see the people
that they normally see. They sort of keeped themselves. So
I think, you know, she left the season one, you know,
having really messed around with people, and especially Marina. You know,
that sort of a terrible thing, and she definitely still
(10:53):
has guilt about that. But then I think she's also
spent this time with her family who are really not
very nice to her, and you know, they sort of
perment her and saying not nice things to her and
overlook her. So I think she's been sad at home,
being like, you know, I am not hbic here, but
(11:13):
I am in London, so when I get back there,
I am ready. I'm gonna just go and do what
I need to do, and I'm going to get back
in that position of power. And also during that time,
she's developed this like penpal relationship with Colum Bridgetin, which
is so sweet and it's like, so their relationship has
progressed in that time, and I think it's a really
(11:34):
lovely thing because deep like she's she's a writer, that's
who she is. And when I meet a lot of writers,
it's so that personality type that you could meet someone
that's so quiet and reserved and then writes the wildest
things and you think, how did all that come out
of you? Like that's amazing. And that's the same with her,
is that she's quiet, but these all these other things
(11:55):
live in her head and she's so perceptive and sharp
and witty. So I think she's able to express herself
with Colin so much easier through her writing, you know,
because she's not worried about all the eyes on her.
She can really be genuinely herself. So they've they've grown closer,
and it's funny with the moment you know that Colin
returns from his travels. It's so sweet, but literally the
(12:19):
moment that Colin returned, everyone went, ah, I was like,
it's so cute, Like no, I really am so that. Yeah,
their relationship has has progressed. Penelope doesn't even like withhold
her like good there he is. No, but don't you
know that feeling of like that somebody you really like,
(12:40):
I mean, and you're just like, yeah, you know, and
she's missed him so so desperately, and you know, and
now they probably have like, you know, a little in
jokes of one another and a little you know, she
knows about his whole journey and everything he's been doing.
And yeah, it's it's just so it's so sweet. It's
so sweet. It is. I completely expected that after the
(13:04):
moment where he says, you're right, Penelope, I didn't meet
some woman somewhere else. I found myself. Yeah, that the
two of you would like sink even deeper into this connection,
but it like stops there. Her levels of expectation are
(13:24):
I think a little too high when he comes back,
because you know, she's been getting these letters and I
think she's going, what does this mean? What does this mean?
And she thinks they have this like deep deep connection,
but he's not there because he's still hung up on
what happened with Marina, and he's like cutting women off.
So like that's a devastating moment for her, devastating and
(13:47):
like all all she wants for him is to lose. So, yeah,
I've realized that you're this amazing, wishy woman that I've
been talking to. But like in that moment, he just goes, no,
you're just my friend, and it's like, you know, I
don't know if you've been in that situation, but it's
just like a dagger to the heart. You're like, oh yeah,
getting friend zone in the most like devastated way. Yeah,
(14:12):
sawing off women. Then for the time being, I am
a woman. You are pent. You do not account you're
my friend, of course your friend. How good to hear that.
Oh look, we've all been there. It's it's no fun
(14:33):
for anybody. Yes, yes, oh freshman year of college. Yes.
By Unlike Penelope would be like, okay, let's forget about it.
Let's forget about it and to move on with our lives. Ever,
but she she loves him hard, so that's not it's
not going to happen with her. I don't think I'm
so with you, and I wanted to ask you, like,
(14:55):
are we seeing Penelope mature or are we just seeing
Penelope in full effect for the first time? Like, I
think it's a little bit of both, a little bit
of both. I think it is because I think you
definitely see more sides to her. Obviously this time around,
like the reveal from the final episode last year, you
find out she's Lady Whistledown, So then you get to
(15:16):
see sort of behind the curtain of all the things
she's been doing and how she's been getting away with this.
But also I think you start to see that it's
given her a certain I would say, a certain cockiness,
you know, because she's so powerful, she's got all this money.
She's like this puppet master, you know, pulling the strings
all over London. But then I think ultimately she like
(15:38):
she's a contradiction a lot of ways, because she then
is this really shy girl who would hate to have
attention on her and wouldn't know how to deal with that.
And so it's interesting because I feel like the Whistledown
sort of sneaks out in her more so at different moments.
This time you really see it, you know, when she's
in company, you kind of she makes these little remarks
and little things, but I think she suffers alves from
(16:00):
the fact that she is very intelligent but not streetwise
at all. I think she thinks she knows much more
than she really does, and you know, she's sort of yeah,
it's like I've got this suster got through. But then
she has very little real life experience. It's all well
and good, sitting back and riding them out of book
to live it. So yeah, I think there's a certain
cockiness to her this time around. Because if you walked
(16:23):
around and everyone was saying how great you were all
the time and constantly obsessing about you, right, that would
of course have an effect on you. You know, you're
in need of this arrangement. So I'll say this only once.
What my mistress wants she gets for whatever reason. That
will be you at the moment. That doesn't make you special,
mister Harris prnches in this town are ten a penny.
(16:46):
There's only one lady whistle down and she could just
as easily take her business elsewhere, So it's eighteen not
a pennymore. And the delivery boys need a wage increase.
They're the ones running around town. Will you get to
sit here on your lazy hours. Yes, then, my mistress,
thanks you for your services. I have my ideas, but
I'm wondering if there was talk about why we are
(17:08):
thrust into the behind the scenes with Penelope, because she
was all over the place. She was at a ball,
she was at the printing press, she was at home writing.
I think because Lady Whistledown was revealed to be Penelope
at the end of season one, I think that this
(17:29):
is the Wizard of Oz moment, the behind the curtain
of how Lady Whistledown pulls it off. It's letting the
audience in on the backstage of Lady Whistledown and making
them kind of a partner with Lady Whistledown because now
they're on the inside and only Penelope and the audience
(17:50):
are in on it. None of the other people in
the show are. So it's like an intimacy that the
audience can have now with Lady Whistledown. How long did
those scenes take? They were, um, you know, we shot
them all different times, all different places. But Nicola is
so stunning. He just brings it every time. I mean,
she's so so good. Yeah, so much fun to work with.
(18:12):
I just adored her. And I can't say enough about
Laudia either, who plays Eloise. And we shot that scene
of them in the in the daisy field when they
run away from the ball. Oh can we please talk
about that? It was I was like, wow, this this
like a moonlight. It was. It was just beautiful. It
(18:34):
was beautiful. It really it really was. There aren't enough
accolades for Will Hughes Jones because Chris had seen a
field of daffodils at some point when he was over
here in like when daffodils come out in March, and
by the time we shot it there were no daffodils.
But Will found enough. He found enough real ones, and
(18:57):
enough then for the distant ones were artificial. But he
created a dafodel phild that looked absolutely incredible. I never
thought of it that way. No one truly notices me.
I suppose that is what they like. When you were invisible,
(19:19):
you can have all of the amusement you want, that
any of the expectations. Popularity brings it freez you. I
think that's why I was said our remains anonymous. Perhaps
that scene and it's one of my favorite scenes in
the whole series. And I just loved how that was written.
It was so like when we got that scene, we
(19:40):
were like, oh, that's really special. You know, it's them
being very open with one another. And also I think
Penelope sort of letting the guard down a little bit
and saying, you know, nobody really sees me. But I
think I like that, and I think figuring stuff out
and like just it's not being fully honest, but being
honest in a way she hasn't been for and like
(20:00):
letting Eloise know know that she sort of does enjoy
being part of the town. You know, she didn't admit
that to her in season when she kind of went
you know, she kind of laughs long with Alois and
they're like, oh yeah, it's all sort of silly and whatever.
But she she does enjoy it and she's a romantic.
But I think also in season one, Eloise wasn't part
of it, and then you see the difficulty of Eloie's
(20:21):
being there and how it gets some Penelope's way, and
you know, going, oh god. And even when we was sunny,
because when were filming the scenes, like the things that
I would normally do in the balls and listen and
then all of sudden Claude would be there and I'll go, oh,
damn it, okay, Oh, how I do this? Okay? Oh,
(20:42):
I like starting realizing it and real left to be
like and then you know, we see Eloise having to
debut into society, and I think, you know, they should
sort of then be on the same level, and they
are in a way, but then there's so many secrets
that are bubbling underneath for both of them. The obvious
wings obviously Lady whistled down, you know, then Colin, and
(21:04):
then Eloise sort of starting this relationship with THEO that
she's not really being honest with Penelope about, and it
sort of just shows when there's like a lack of communication,
what can happen? I think Penelope not really also getting
how difficult it is for Eloise. You know, Penelope, it's
her second time around, so she kind of understands in
(21:27):
a way how to navigate these things. But then you know,
it's really like heartbreaking scenes a film, you know, when
Eloise is sort of forced to dance with this young
suitor and Penelope well, you know, go and do it
and they'll be funny, it'll be whatever, and then being
horrified that Eloise is so upset by it. I'm sort
of not realizing oh oh okay, oh no, it's just
(21:50):
a bit of a it's a bit of a it's
a bit of a mess. And like the choreography by
Jack Murphy as well, it is just dreamy and he
makes it so unintimidating. He's he's a genius for working
with actors. Because I didn't think I was going to
get a dance this year, and my mom every time
she'd call me, she's like, any sign of you dancing
with anyone? And I was like no. I was like,
I don't think it's going to be And then I
(22:11):
got the script. I was like, I got it dance,
Oh my god. And then Luke Newton is, i don't know,
for better or worse, an insanely amazing dancer. So I'm like, well,
I can't be terrible, because you know, that's just gonna
really like he's just gonna show me up, like Luke
was in musicals on the West End. So yeah. I
remember going into my dance left So with Jack and
(22:31):
being like terrified, and I was like, oh god, okay,
and then like it's the awful and it's I think
it's such a feminine trade as well that you'll go,
how do I tell him that I can't do this?
Like I'm not able to do it? And I danced
like all the way up through from when I was
like four years old, when I was seventeen, I dance lessons.
But yeah, I was like, I do I can't at dance.
(22:53):
I will not be able to do this. And then
he just goes, we're just marking up the steps, don't worry,
and you go, okay, I'll do that much, I'll do that,
which he's like, a kay, now we're just going to
join this. He's getting your book, well final, I'll do
that then, and all of a sudden he has the
music on and you're doing it and you're like, you're
a wizard. How did you make me to do that?
And you look lovely? Oh my goodness, that's so crazy
that that was the whole thought process. It's just lovely.
(23:15):
And you know that Jack, who's our choreographer, plays the
choreographer in the show. That's Jack. Yeah, we all adore him.
Jack Murphy is teaching Eloise how to dance. He's in
the Bridgerton living room when she's dancing with Gregory, her
brother and he's going in a one and a two
easter egg. Yes, he's phenomenal. I'm gonna go back and
(23:40):
look at that. Now we'll be right back. Welcome back
to Bridgerton the Official Podcast. So I really wanted to
ask you about the introduction of Jack Fatherington and the
introduction of the Sharma's and just kind of what do
you think This season felt very much about expanding the
(24:02):
world and it being about the whole time and all
of this happening. So we were really excited actually to
have new people, I mean since the end of season
and we were like, who is going to inherit the
feuding in the state and then Rupert is so much
fun really funny. He just brought this lovely energy with
him and we were so bad, you know, because there's
(24:22):
this new person coming in. You're like, oh god, I
hope there. But yeah, he just made us laugh all
the time and it was just and he's also sort
of playing this I mean, I don't know, I was
going to see he's kind of a badup, but he's not. Really.
He's like morally questionable guy, maybe questionable, yeah I don't
say that, yeah, but in person, Yeah, we just adored him,
and then I remember when Simone got announced, I like
(24:46):
immediately DMed her on Instagram and I was like, welcome,
you know, because it would always be my fear that
people would think coming into a show that's you know,
established and there's like a coecast, that they would not
feel welcome, So that I just wanted like them to know,
like right away that they were welcome, and they were
as much part of this as we are seeing Truth
(25:07):
and Smoanan just the new elements. It was really nice
to see it all come together and how very it
was very exciting. We meet Kate. Of course, one of
my favorite moments is when she's on the horse and
she turns around looks at him. We see her for
the first time. She looks so beautiful because of Kate
being the more serious sister and a little bit older
(25:30):
at twenty eight, as if that's older, but still all
she wants is to make sure her sister is looked after,
that her mother is taken care of, and then she
wants to go home to India, and so I just
we would just keep talking about how she needed to
keep her eyes on the prize and not be distracted
and not let people annoy her. She had a higher
(25:53):
purpose than just jumping in on a daily basis. She's
playing a long game. There was a photograph of her
I saw with all these ringlets, and I just went
out on a limb and said, that just did not
seem like her character. She was very still clinging to
(26:17):
her Indian heritage and the tea that she likes, and
I felt her hair would just be more simply swept
back and up, and she's not trying to fit in
to the fashionable hair dues like all the Featherington girls are.
That was certainly, for me a valuable point to make,
and they all took it to heart, and so Kate's
(26:37):
hair was made much more simple. Yes, it was pulled back. Yes,
that's such an awesome little tidbit, those little details that
helped tell the story. There's a song I don't know
Matissette material Girl Madonna. Why do you think they chose that?
It's so good? Right, it's very much like Kate and
(26:59):
a Duen are coming into London, very much aware of
the game that has to be played, and how you know,
we find out. You know, there's the sort of mercenary
side of things from Kate's perspective is that they have
to get a dona right off. So it's like, you know,
everyone coming out and showing themselves as as rich as
they are and as lavish as they are. Goods are
(27:20):
being traded like it is, you know that type of thing.
It was my take on it. Maybe that's very skeptical
of me. I just well, I just love the song too,
so I was very excited. It's a great song. That
moment and her appearance and her demeanor also just really captured.
I felt like simone Kate was holding herself back from
(27:46):
really feeling her only dog in the race was her sister,
and all of her energy went to making her be
the most beautiful. And that's why in that one scene
where she's holding up the dress in front of the
mirror and she's looking at herself on this dress, yes,
because she has just met Jonathan and she are the viscount,
(28:06):
and so she is. There are some little rumblings and
she's holding the dress up and her sister comes in,
are you going to wear that tonight? And Kate says, no,
this is for you. Are you thinking of wearing that one?
It is quite beautiful? No, these are for you vonn
We have come to London to find your husband, not mine. Yes, yes,
you are but a dear old maid who shall be
(28:29):
perfectly happy doting on my many nieces and nephews. One
day soon I shall spoil them exceedingly. You do know that. Yes,
there are so many moving parts that suddenly come together.
It's amazing how in sync you all are. Tell us
more about working with Jonathan that the two of you
(28:50):
talk a lot about his own prep, I mean his character.
We really get to get deep with his character. What
were those conversations? They were fantastic. I mean I only
gave Jonathan, I think, one tiny piece that just to
(29:10):
where he was beginning this season. And I reminded him
because he's now motivated to get married. He now realizes
it's his duty. It's nothing romantic at all. It is
his duty to get married. He has to look after
his family. It's the right thing to do, and so
he's going to do it. Then he's got this shell
(29:31):
over his heart, and I reminded him of one of
my favorite scenes in season one is when he goes
to Sienna, who he's having this the opera singer affair with,
and declares himself he's going to he invites her to
come with him to the ball, and she declines and
(29:55):
shuts the door in his face. Yeah, and I just
took him back there and minded him of the vulnerability
he showed in that scene and what it took for
the Viscount to be willing to give up all the protocol,
all the history, all the social pressure and go to
her and say, come with me. I want you to come.
(30:17):
You're who I love. I want to be with you.
And he risked everything for her and shut the door.
So that's why when we meet our Viscount in season two.
In the acting world, there's always a moment before, like
what were you doing as an actor? What was your
(30:38):
character doing before you walk into this scene? And so
many times I would just have to say Sienna to
him and he and that was always his kind of
moment before, and he was just he just took that
little tiny piece and ran with it and it was
it was fantastic. That's so good. That's so good. I mean, Jonathan,
(31:05):
I don't know if anybody told him this, but you know,
he was number one on the call sheet for the
last season, and that person has a tremendous impact on
sets because how they arrive for the day is pretty
much how our day is going to go. And he
just brought it every day. You know. I'd see him
(31:28):
at base camp and he would be in like, you know,
sweatpants and a sweatshirt and a baseball hat. And then
the next time might see him and he'd be strolling
up the steps in his cutaway tails and his boots,
ask God in his shirt and I mean ready, ready
to go. Ready. He was just absolutely amazing. I loved
(31:50):
working with him so much. So Johnny and I often
joke that, you know, we have so few scenes together ever, like,
and there's one scene in episode two when Colin returns
and then Johnny walks in at the end of the
scene to they we're all going to the races today,
And it was so funny because every time you walked
in and saw me, he'd be like like and he
(32:12):
is terrible for laughing well in acting. I'm sure he knows,
but we call it corpsing when you laugh on set.
I don't know if everybody's really I don't know why
it's called that. Corpseying. Yeah, yeah, So Johnny is the
worst at corpsing out of everybody so every time he
saw me, he just find it really funny that I
was like in their house. Yeah, it's like we our
paths don't really don't really cross. I mean, there's there's
(32:34):
one bridgeton man Phienelope's most interested in. I think we
all know that. But it's a really supportive group as well.
You know, everyone really seems to have each other's back.
I actually have never had an experience like that with
an ensemble group of actors. They all were prepared, and
(32:56):
they all were so happy to be at work, and
they all brought such great energy, led by the greatest
source of shining light, Jonathan Bailey, and I hope I
met him in that place, and then everybody else just
rose up there with us, and it was an incredible group,
(33:17):
every single one of them. The cast. They screened episode
one for us together, and I flew I was filming
in Belfast and I flew back to come and watch it.
But it was amazing because normally, at screenings, because actors
are annoying and self critical, you'll watch and go, Okay,
why did I do that? Or Okay, my face looks funny,
or but literally, at the end of the screening, everyone
(33:40):
was so excited and just like so buzzing and just
happy and like that. It really doesn't happen genuinely at screens.
Everyone's like, yeah, it was good, like this bit maybe
you needs a bit of but everyone was like, is
it great? Did you learn anything about yourself, Nicolai I'm
around or did you surprise yourself in any kind of way?
(34:04):
Oh gosh, yeah, I think yeah, in a way. It's
such a funny process because you get the scripts, you go,
oh my god, amazing, how funny I get to do
all this, And then the realization you go, oh, but
I actually have to do it and make it good
sort of terrifying, you know, because it is like being
given a gift to you, like, well, I really don't
want to like crash my bike into a wall when
(34:25):
I've just been handed the shiny bike. So like filming
the difficult scenes and feeling like, oh, I got it,
I did it. You did it, Big Red Wig and all,
you did it, Big Red Wagon. All. Yeah. I was
hugely honored to be doing it and it was a
daunting task. But I've felt so supported by the team,
(34:49):
supported by everybody, and to have the actors be as
gracious and elegant and talented as they all and funny
as they all are. Really ma it easy, and at
a certain point I just was so in it that
I never stepped outside it. But to say, how do
I even know what I'm doing? I just was in
(35:11):
it doing it and it was again, it was one
of the best experiences I've ever had in my career.
That's really nice. I think that's such a great way
to end. Thank you so so much. Thank you for
joining us on this deep dive into the world of Bridgerton.
(35:31):
Tune in next week for more from behind the scenes
of Bridgerton, featuring Luke Newton and Luke Thompson, who played
Colin and Benedict Bridgerton. If you're enjoying this show, please subscribe,
share with your friends, rate, or leave us a review.
And if you haven't finished binging Bridgerton on Netflix, please
go do that so you can enjoy all of the
juicy spoilers with us. Bridgerton. The Official Podcast is executive
(35:52):
produced by Sandy Bailey, Lauren Holman, Tyler Klang, and Gabrielle Collins.
Our producer and editor is Vince to Johnny Bridgerton. The
Official Podcast is a production of Shondaland Audio in partnership
with iHeartRadio. For more podcasts from Shondaland Audio, visit the
(36:15):
iHeartRadio app or anywhere you subscribe to your favorite shows.
Host
Gabrielle Collins
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