It’s been a month since Bridgerton arrived on Netflix and took the world by storm.
Now, the freshman season’s female lead, Phoebe Dynevor, is opening up about working with Regé-Jean Page on the hit series.
Bridgerton Season 1 followed the love story between Daphne Bridgerton (Dynevor) and Simon Basset, the Duke of Hastings (Page), and Dynevor thinks Page was “the perfect Simon.”
In a new interview with Glamour, Dynevor was asked about her first impressions when she met Page.
“That he was the perfect Simon. He’s very polite and gentlemanly and all the things that Simon is… well, Simon’s a lot more than gentlemanly and polite. But Regé definitely had that composure of a Regency man. I saw it straight away.
“I think we worked really well together, and I learned a lot from him. We have different acting styles, so we bounced off each other in that respect. We both were on the same page about the characters and what their relationship was. I loved working with him.”
“I learned a lot from how he works,” she continued. “He did a series for Shondaland before, For the People, so he very much knew how Shondaland worked and what they wanted. It was interesting to learn that style.”
It’s been a whirlwind month for the cast and crew. Initially, Netflix said that it was on track to become its fifth most-watched scripted series.
However, it was revealed this week that the numbers continued to rise, and it now stands as Netflix’s biggest launch ever after being streaming in 82 million Netflix households in its first 28 days.
What’s more, it reached the number one spot in 83 countries, proving that many people wanted to get up to speed with the love story that got everyone talking.
“Witnessing the fervor that the show’s producers, including the inimitable Shonda Rhimes, showrunner Chris Van Dusen and executive producer Betsy Beers, have created has been surreal (hello, TikTok musical!),” said Jinny Howe VP, Original Series at Netflix of the news.
“And to be able to announce that Bridgerton is now the biggest series ever on Netflix is a dream come true.”
Jinny went on to speak about lessons learned along the way.
There are many lessons that I learned along the way, but these are the three most important:
All kinds of audiences love romance.
Romance books have always sold incredibly well. But these stories have rarely made it onto the screen.
Daphne and Simon’s “will they/won’t they” love affair, combined with the opulent costumes and settings, created a world into which members of all backgrounds and ages could escape.
Bridgerton has shown that romance can be smart, dynamic, bold and yes – universally appealing.
It pays to be bold and to take creative “risks”
Bridgerton, like The Queen’s Gambit, defies tradition, and demonstrates that period dramas are not limited in scope or audience.
The show is a fictional portrayal of London in 1813 that lifts the facade of Regency life.
Chris Van Dusen and Shondaland’s Regency reimagined isn’t meant to be history. It’s designed to be more lavish, sexier and funnier than the standard period drama – and that’s what so surprised and delighted our members.
More people want to see themselves reflected on the screen Shondaland’s fans have come to expect diversity in all her shows.
Bridgerton took a seed of truth about Queen Charlotte’s background to reimagine her as a Black monarch using her power to affect broader change in British society.
The empowerment of people of color and women made Bridgerton feel accessible and contemporary, resonating with audiences all around the world.
Like The Queen’s Gambit and Emily in Paris – two other hugely popular Netflix series – Bridgerton draws upon themes that are universal yet speak directly to women because they feature independent-minded female protagonists in lead roles.
It makes sense then that Bridgerton has already been renewed for Season 2, which is set to shoot in the spring, but the second season will focus on Lord Anthony Bridgerton’s search for love. He’s played by Jonathan Bailey.
It’s unclear whether Dynevor and Page will be back for the second season, but the creator recently said on the Today show that he hopes that they will be back.
Paul Dailly is the Associate Editor for TV Fanatic. Follow him on Twitter.