'Bridgerton' stars Nicola Coughlan, Luke Newton and Claudia Jessie sat down with The Hollywood Reporter to chat all about season 3 of the hit Netflix series. The stars reveal how season 3 differs from the previous ones, the 'New Girl' moment that inspired their steamy kiss, Nicola liking those Luke Newton TikToks and so much more.
Category
✨
PeopleTranscript
00:00 People were like, "What is she saying?"
00:01 Fans saw that Nick was saving them.
00:02 -Yeah. -No way!
00:03 Yeah, they saw, yeah.
00:04 Stop it! That's the best thing ever!
00:07 Yeah.
00:08 And they were like, "Why is she saving this?
00:10 -What does it mean?" -I'm saving them to send to Luke
00:12 -at a convenience store. -Yeah.
00:13 Because we have a giggle.
00:14 Hello, we are the cast of Bridgerton.
00:16 I'm Nicola Coughlin.
00:17 I'm Luke Newton.
00:18 And I'm Claudia Jesse, and we are in the studio
00:20 with Hollywood Reporter.
00:28 -Well, hello, guys. -Hello.
00:30 -Thank you so much for being here. -Thank you.
00:31 Congratulations.
00:32 Season three is finally out there
00:34 -for the entire world to see. -Yes.
00:36 How does that feel? Because I know a lot of people
00:37 have been patiently awaiting this match-up.
00:40 So, what emotions are going through your head right now?
00:43 Weirdly, when I woke up this morning, I sort of forgot.
00:46 I went to check my texts, and obviously, you know,
00:48 we mostly live in London, so it's not very different.
00:51 So, everyone was waking up and I was looking,
00:52 and then someone texted me, like, "Congratulations, it's out."
00:54 And I was like, "Oh, my God, how did I forget?"
00:56 -Yeah. -Yeah, crazy.
00:57 So, I did want to ask, how do you think season three
01:00 ups the steaminess and the romance
01:03 compared to the past two seasons?
01:05 Or how do you think that it's different entirely?
01:07 I think it just, again, like previous seasons,
01:10 just feels really true and appropriate to their love story.
01:14 -It feels... -Yeah.
01:15 You know, we had sort of that longing-ness of last season
01:20 where they didn't quite get there,
01:21 whereas Colin and Penn have had a connection
01:23 since we first saw them in season one.
01:25 So, it's, like, about time.
01:28 Do you feel like you guys had a leg up chemistry-wise?
01:31 Because you did have that opportunity
01:33 to build up the real-life friendship off-camera
01:35 for a number of years now.
01:37 -Yeah. -Absolutely.
01:38 What's the question, sorry?
01:39 Did we have a leg up in building the chemistry?
01:43 -I think so, yeah. -I think so.
01:44 And I don't think it could have been any other way.
01:46 Like, we needed that history,
01:49 not only that we've experienced as a couple,
01:52 but also as the audience has come along with us
01:54 for that whole ride.
01:55 I feel like sometimes you watch a show
01:57 and someone goes, "Those actors didn't get on."
01:58 And you go, "Yeah, you can kind of tell."
02:01 But with us, we genuinely have such a love for each other
02:03 that it made it really easy.
02:05 And also, I was talking with Claude about this,
02:08 but I was saying how, for me,
02:11 there's always life and art imitating one another and stuff,
02:14 but for me, for this season, Penelope's confidence was growing
02:18 in her finding herself in a relationship and stuff.
02:20 My confidence grew in finding myself in my work
02:22 and being a leading lady.
02:24 I think our relationship grew not as, like, friends to lovers,
02:27 but it grew in that we developed such a closeness this time
02:30 that we always got on really, really well,
02:31 but we have a very different relationship to what we had,
02:34 you know, before we started this season,
02:35 and it's been beautiful, and we're such a strong unit
02:39 within this, and it's been amazing.
02:40 Yeah. Well, I wanted to ask Claudia.
02:42 You're the trio to this group right here.
02:46 -No, it's you mean to me. -Sway it.
02:47 -I think you sway it. -No, I love it.
02:49 I love it because the three of you
02:52 are so important to this season in and of itself,
02:55 so I wanted to ask, what was it like to kind of
02:57 take on a more elevated role this season
02:59 and also watch these two take up the leading mantle?
03:02 -Gross, wasn't it? -Disgusting.
03:03 -Right. Did you look... -Gross.
03:04 How did you feel watching us snogging?
03:07 [laughter]
03:08 She said I don't want to answer that on camera.
03:11 Like, okay, I can...
03:13 The thing is, as a bunch, like, we're well proud.
03:17 Like, obviously, season one, we're introduced to Bridgerton.
03:21 Season two, obviously, we knew Johnny,
03:23 and he did a beautiful job,
03:24 and then we were introduced to the amazing Sharma family.
03:27 But this is, like, obviously, we've known these guys for ages.
03:29 And then for us, as actors,
03:31 we're, like, watching our best mates, like, lead the show.
03:34 So we're like, "Wow!"
03:36 And then they have sex and stuff.
03:39 So then you're like, "Wow! Ah!"
03:42 "Oh!"
03:44 Like, it is weird. It's weird.
03:46 But we're most... Like, it's mostly pride.
03:48 Well, I wanted to follow up on Eloise's storyline this season.
03:52 I feel like she's having a rough time right now.
03:54 She's on the outs with her friend.
03:56 She's watching all of her siblings fall in love.
03:58 What do you think it's going to take for her
04:00 to maybe open herself up to not only love, but happiness?
04:04 I feel like she's just, like, in the trenches right now.
04:07 Yeah.
04:08 I think there's a really interesting school of thought
04:11 that happens with Eloise sometimes,
04:13 that because she's so defined
04:16 in her idea of what she thinks she should have
04:20 and what she wants,
04:21 that that somehow means she's anti-love.
04:23 -Yeah. -And I don't know if that...
04:25 I think that's true.
04:26 And what I loved about season two
04:28 was that we were able to see
04:29 that she could have a connection with someone,
04:30 like, with Theo, the printer.
04:33 I just think right now she wants the choice.
04:35 And right now she's got other priorities
04:37 because she's got this big secret
04:38 and she's got her brother and her ex-best mate
04:40 and all of that.
04:41 -I think there's a lot going on for her. -Yeah.
04:43 Are we not friends?
04:45 [BIRDS CHIRPING]
04:47 Friends.
04:48 Well, Luke, I wanted to ask you.
04:50 I saw there's been a lot of memes
04:52 asking about what kind of boot camp
04:54 they're putting these Bridgerton men through.
04:56 Is there a Bridgerton boy boot camp?
04:58 There's not, actually.
05:00 No, there's not, like, nothing really happens.
05:02 I don't know what it is.
05:03 I guess, like, part of growing up in the show
05:06 and just leaning into the scripts, I guess.
05:08 Like, I read the very first line
05:11 when Benedict says, "Under what foreign sun
05:13 did you apparently get so sturdy?"
05:15 So I was like, "Okay, time to get a little sturdy,"
05:17 whatever that means in whatever capacity I can.
05:20 So, yeah, just dived into that
05:22 and wanted to portray this new version of Colin.
05:25 I think, like, almost the best part of his transformation
05:27 is that he didn't need to transform at all
05:30 because Penn has always loved him for who he is
05:33 and in his soul.
05:34 Because he's kind and he's sweet and he's caring
05:37 and he's funny and he's not the coolest.
05:39 -And it's-- -Well, come on.
05:42 [laughter]
05:43 And he actually is, and I think he's really cool.
05:45 Now we're going to head into the second portion
05:48 called Tea Time with Bridgerton.
05:50 You're each going to get a teacup and saucer.
05:52 Fabulous.
05:53 We're going to ask you a series of questions.
05:56 And if you absolutely do not want to answer it,
05:59 you can just take a sip of tea.
06:02 Who is the best Regency-era dancer in the cast?
06:07 -Oh, wow. -Note for you, Tim.
06:08 -It's notes, isn't it? -What about the dog?
06:11 -Thank you. -She stepped in this year and was like--
06:13 She's a professional dancer, but I think she--
06:15 She's a professional dancer.
06:17 She had too much of an advantage.
06:19 Yeah, that's true.
06:20 We have one scene in Act 6, I want to say,
06:23 -where we dance together. -Yeah.
06:25 And we watched back and we were like,
06:26 "That was incredible that we did that."
06:28 Because we were like, "It was quite complicated stuff."
06:30 And we were doing a lot of dialogue and I'm like,
06:32 -"Shit, that was-- -We rehearsed a lot for that.
06:34 We did.
06:34 Who is the worst dancer in the cast?
06:37 -Wow. -Oh, my good God.
06:39 -Yeah. -That's when we use it, isn't it?
06:40 -Yes. -Uke and Nicola,
06:41 you said you broke some furniture while filming certain scenes.
06:46 Can you disclose what piece of furniture it was?
06:49 -No. -No.
06:51 -We've kept it secret for so long now that I-- -No.
06:54 -Happy. -No one has guessed it yet.
06:57 -No one has guessed it. -No way.
06:58 The craziest guess we've had is candlestick.
07:00 And I'm like, "What do you mean?"
07:02 -Yeah. -"What do they mean?"
07:03 "What are they doing in your house?"
07:05 -Crazy. -Okay.
07:06 -Yeah. -Oh, so no one in the cast knows either?
07:09 I don't know if they do.
07:10 I feel like--
07:11 -I feel like I do. -Maybe.
07:13 Yeah.
07:14 "Oh, you've seen it? Yeah, of course you do."
07:15 -I'm like, "How do you know?" -Oh, yeah.
07:17 Yeah.
07:18 -That's a very private moment. -Most of them have seen it.
07:19 Yeah, yeah.
07:20 Blink twice if it had to do with a mirror.
07:22 -Well... -Well...
07:25 That's a difficult one.
07:27 -One blink. -Maybe there was one in the room.
07:28 -Yeah, there is one in the room. -That's cheap.
07:30 -There's always one in the room. -Okay.
07:32 As a writer or a poet, dare I say,
07:34 I think Penelope would be a big fan of Taylor Swift's new album,
07:37 -Yes. -The Tortured Poets Department.
07:39 What would Penelope's favourite song off the album be?
07:42 What's the one Post Malone?
07:43 -Fortnite? -Fortnite.
07:44 -Yes, that one. -Ooh, okay.
07:46 I was going to say, "Who's Afraid of Little Old Me?"
07:49 Oh, yes, I've seen that one.
07:50 That's a... I feel like I've seen some edits of it.
07:53 -Yeah, yeah, yeah. -Okay, okay.
07:55 Luke, how many thirst trap TikToks of Colin Bridgerton have you watched?
07:59 What the hell does this mean?
08:01 So, it's like a thirst trap is like a sexy video.
08:04 Or if you fancied someone,
08:06 you might put a hot picture of yourself online to be like,
08:08 "I hope they see it."
08:10 But a thirst trap TikTok...
08:11 -But I send him loads, so... -Yeah, you do.
08:13 -So, thanks for that, multiple. -So, you see them.
08:16 -But also... -I don't know the number.
08:18 But I'll find funny...
08:19 -Yeah, they're always very funny. -I was not on my algorithm whatsoever.
08:23 So, it's basically like you don't search,
08:24 -it just whatever comes up, comes up. -Got it.
08:26 So, I'll save them and send them to him.
08:28 -Yeah. -But then I didn't know that you could see.
08:30 -Yeah. -If you could save them.
08:32 So, then people were like, "What does she save?"
08:33 Fans saw that Nick was saving them, yeah.
08:35 -No way. -Yeah, they saw, yeah.
08:38 Stop it. That's the best thing ever.
08:40 Yeah.
08:41 And they were like, "Why is she saving this?
08:42 -What does it mean?" -I'm saving them to send to Luke
08:44 -at a convenience store. -Yeah.
08:46 Because we have a giggle.
08:47 Oh, could you get a notification?
08:49 -I didn't know that. -Or fans get a notification.
08:50 I didn't know that.
08:51 I know now.
08:52 -Oh, that's beautiful. -Wow, okay.
08:54 -So sweet. -Yeah.
08:55 How many pollen fan edits have you seen?
08:58 -Oh, millions. -Over the years, yeah.
09:00 We send notes to each other all the time.
09:01 We got really emotional about that one the other day.
09:04 -Yeah. -We were in Verona.
09:05 We were actually...
09:07 Watching them, I was like, "Luke, watch this.
09:08 It's pretty beautiful."
09:10 It's like seeing their whole journey.
09:11 -Yeah, that's nice. -I've never seen that.
09:13 I haven't watched back season one and two in ages.
09:15 -Yeah. -So it's like,
09:16 -I'm going down memory lane. -Yeah.
09:17 If you could name someone in Hollywood
09:19 to be the diamond of the season,
09:21 who would you pick?
09:22 Oh, crikey.
09:23 -Crikey. -Oh.
09:25 -Oh, crikes. -I want to do a good answer.
09:27 Oh, no. I'm crap at things like this.
09:31 -We'll give you a minute. -Oh, okay.
09:32 I know who I'm going to say because I really want her
09:35 to play Queen Charlotte on SNL, Maya Rudolph.
09:38 -Yeah, it just makes sense. -Maya Rudolph.
09:39 It makes sense.
09:40 -Yeah, I'm going to go with her. -I love her.
09:41 Yeah, great.
09:42 Agreed.
09:43 I'm not going to single anyone out.
09:44 -No, go on. -I'm using my thing.
09:46 -I'm using my thing. -I'm just backing you.
09:48 Yeah, you haven't used it as much, so...
09:50 -Yeah, I've got one. -It's good.
09:51 -I've got one. -It's a pass.
09:52 What is your favourite Friends to Lovers movie?
09:55 When Harry Met Sally.
09:57 That's my favourite as well.
09:59 -It's just... -That's a good one.
10:00 Yeah, classic.
10:01 We need more Billy Crystal type men in maybe rom-coms.
10:02 Yes.
10:03 Can I go TV show?
10:04 -Yeah. -Yeah, you can go TV show.
10:06 Yeah, because I've said it before about Ross and Rachel.
10:09 Because I think they replicate how like...
10:12 Well, they don't replicate, we replicate how they...
10:15 We were first.
10:17 How Colin and Penn just never...
10:21 It never works out at the right time.
10:23 They're constantly missing each other and there's obstacles in the way.
10:26 Were they on a break?
10:27 Yeah, they were fucking on a break.
10:29 You better fucking believe they were on a break.
10:31 Do you think they were on a break?
10:32 No, no, I'm on a break.
10:33 -You think they were? -They were not on a break.
10:34 -You don't think they were on a break. -I think...
10:36 You definitely wouldn't have thought they were on a break.
10:39 Jess and Nick from New Girl, I think.
10:41 Because also that's mine and Nicola's favourite on-screen kiss.
10:45 -Yes. -See, every girl.
10:48 I love that kiss so much.
10:49 I watched him do interviews about that kiss.
10:51 When like Liz Murray, the creator of the show, was giving him notes.
10:55 And he was like, "You don't need to tell me how to kiss a woman, Liz."
10:57 -On the floor. -Yeah.
10:59 I was on the floor.
11:02 That kiss was in our group chat when we were discussing the first Pollen kiss.
11:05 I was sending him...
11:06 Yeah, because we were sending each other like, "Sexy scenes.
11:09 Sounds weird. It's not. It's just what it is."
11:12 So Jess and Nick was inspiration for Pollen.
11:15 Well, yes, but not for the first kiss.
11:17 That wasn't right for that.
11:19 -Yeah, yeah. -But yeah, we have another one in episode.
11:22 I'm going to...
11:23 -Yeah. -Oh, yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah.
11:27 That's more that vibe.
11:28 Whose Bridgerton love story are you hoping to see next?
11:32 The Netflix sniper is over there with the guns.
11:34 If we answer that, they'll back off.
11:36 I think... Can we do a trio sip?
11:38 -Cheers. -Cheers, everybody.
11:40 Cheers.
11:41 What is the primary force that guides us along our paths?
11:46 It's an enemy.
11:51 Is it our minds or our hearts?
11:55 WHO WILL TAKE THE THRONE?
11:58 (whooshing)
12:00 (whooshing)