Season 4 of the successful Netflix series "Bridgerton" centers on Benedict Bridgerton (Luke Thompson), as the show returns to its familiar romantic formula: a masked, Cinderella-style love story between two people from very different worlds. The season opens with Benedict still living a carefree, bohemian lifestyle, until his path shifts when he meets Sophie, (Yerin Ha) a maid working in the household of the formidable Lady Araminta Gun.
At a masquerade ball, Sophie—disguised as the “Lady in Silver”—captivates Benedict, sparking an immediate and undeniable connection. Their romance, however, follows a familiar "Bridgerton" structure: secrecy, mistaken identity, and the gradual breaking down of social barriers. While the chemistry between Benedict and Sophie is strong and convincing, the narrative closely mirrors a classic Cinderella arc, to the point of feeling “a carbon copy” of earlier fairy-tale adaptations.
Although the season largely repeats the show’s established formula, the central pairing remains compelling enough to hold attention, especially once Benedict and Sophie begin to connect away from society’s constraints.
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Luke Thompson and Yerin Ha as Benedict Bridgerton and Sophie
(Photo: Liam Daniel/Netflix)
Thompson, 37, who is British, is known for being highly private and deliberately staying out of the public spotlight. Unlike many other actors, he doesn’t have social media.
Yerin Ha, 28, is an Australian actress who was born in Sydney to South Korean parents who met while studying at drama school. She is best known for roles in "Halo," "Bad Behaviour" and "The Survivors."
In an interview with Thompson and Ha, they reflected on stepping into the world of "Bridgerton" Season 4 and how the show’s global reach and emotional tone have shaped their experience both on and off screen and the chemistry between their two characters.
Has the Bridgerton world rubbed off on your life off-screen in any way?
THOMPSON: “I think the only way it’s rubbed off really is that it’s always nice when people who do come up to you in the street and you realize that it is a sort of a positive show. You can see a little light in their eyes. It’s just wonderful to be part of something that has that effect on people, that really, really touches people. It’s sort of the best part of the job.”
HA: “Yeah, it makes people feel seen and they can project themselves into the character. That’s a real gift.”
THOMPSON: “And the breadth of people that come up to you and the diversity that’s in the show is also reflected in the audience, and that’s amazing.”
Seeing others take the lead in past seasons, did you ever wonder when your turn would come, and what did you want Benedict’s storyline to focus on?
THOMPSON: “'Bridgerton' is such a lovely ensemble show. I’ve been given stuff to do for three seasons, so it didn’t feel I was sort of waiting for my turn. Benedict has got such a front. He’s got a nice, shiny, customer-facing front that enables him to sort of deal with the world in a very easy way and not give too much of himself away, so, obviously the fun is putting a character like that in a position where you turn up the heat on him and the cracks start to show. And I think that delivers particularly in Part 2.”
Sophie and Benedict are so vulnerable with each other, shedding the armor they wear for the rest of the world. Did you talk about what their couple cues would be before shooting?
HU: “I think it’s nice to be surprised on set, and to see what Luke will give me and vice versa, so, I didn’t feel like it was necessary. We trusted each other and we were willing to go on this journey together that we didn’t feel like we needed to have like a couple cue, per se.”
THOMPSON: “No. And then when it comes to the characters, there is a lot of breaking down these barriers and authenticity, but I think what’s lovely about Benedict and Sophie is that from the first time they meet it’s all about what you share and what you hide and they are masked. There’s this constant game between them that probably never really ends.”
Did you get tips from the actors who played the previous couples, or did you have a more individual process to preserve the essence of your characters?
HU: “No, I didn’t get any tips. They were there to offer advice if I wanted it, but I am a big believer that you kind of have to fail and make mistakes to then learn from it. I was happy to kind of surrender to the ride and see what develops and also see how much I can learn as an actor along the journey.”
THOMPSON: “The beauty of it is that it regenerates, and it allows each couple to be different. I can’t do a Jonathan Bailey impression, a Regé-Jean Page impression or a Luke Newton impression, I can only be me as an actor.”
Yerin, can you please share what was your experience playing Sophie and entering the universe of 'Bridgerton'?
HU: “It’s been a lot of fun. I joined the process really late, and so I didn’t have a lot of time to prep, per se, I’ve done a few projects now where it’s been book adaptations, so I heavily relied on Julia’s book to understand Sophie before I got the scripts. I started with that, treated that kind of like my Bible, and then once the scripts came in, it was very much about just being present. Because I came in so late, I think I was able to constantly have a communication with Jess or the writers about things that I was stuck on because I didn’t have the luxury to live the characters for a couple years.”
Everyone loves a romance unfolding. What’s your favorite part of bringing Sophie and Benedict’s romance to life?
THOMPSON: “I like the complexity of it. I think I love the variety of it. I love the fact that they meet at this ball, and then they meet again, but he doesn’t realize it’s the same person, and that then, like, he sort of like ends up in a sort of love triangle with the same person. I think there’s so much about the story that’s - in the best sense of the word - strange, and distinctive. And I think that doesn’t let up. I think throughout the show, like, there’s real complexity in how they handle the truth and who they really are, but also, how they hide. I just think that’s really my favorite part.”
HU: “I really love how much a person can change you for the better and bring out the sides in you that I think you don’t realize you have or are laying dormant inside you. I find that really romantic, when you find someone who shifts your perspective in life. And that’s a complex thing, as well, because I think people don’t want to change unless they want to, so to have someone instigate that for you, that’s a really fun part of the journey.”
Benedict has always defined himself through freedom - through art, independence, possibility. This season forces him to confront the idea that love might actually require limitation.
THOMPSON: “I think the paradox is that it can be both. The freedom Benedict has been experiencing is intoxicating, but the longer it lasts, the more it starts to feel like a kind of cage—like he’s going round in circles because he’s not committing to anything. In a strange way, commitment becomes a form of freedom. Love can feel like freedom from time in a way, something that lasts beyond it. It shifts depending on where you are in life—you can think you want one thing and realize you want the opposite.”
If you had to describe this season’s romance in three words, what would they be?
THOMPSON: “I’m going to say my first is 'masks', because I think there’s something about both metaphorical and physical masks. Then, 'depth', and 'love', surely.
HU: “Masks, love and passion.”