Why The Bridgerton Prequel's Queen Charlotte Looks So Familiar

Dear Reader, by now we're sure you've heard the latest and greatest news: "Queen Charlotte: A Bridgerton Story" is set to premiere on Netflix in 2023. In an Instagram post, production company Shondaland confirmed a rough release date. Prior to the holidays, Netflix even teased the show with a new sneak peek (via YouTube). In the scene, a young Charlotte, whose older self is played by Golda Rosheuvel in "Bridgerton," finds herself accidentally face to face with the king, whom she's been trying to avoid meeting in the first place — a meet-cute that's as "Bridgerton" as it gets.

The streaming giant first announced the new spinoff on Twitter in May of 2021, revealing that the show would follow the story of Charlotte before she became queen. They also noted that the series would explore the backgrounds of Violet Bridgerton and Lady Danbury.

The leading lady of the new spinoff, British actress India Amarteifio, was officially introduced in September of 2022 adorning a fabulous crown (via Instagram). Amarteifio had previously hinted at the news earlier in the same year when she posted a photo with Golda Rosheuvel captioned: "No words really. Thank you to my secret keepers for keeping it a secret. Absolute honour" (via Instagram). Though she's relatively new on the television scene, you've probably seen Amarteifio's face before.

India Amarteifio's latest work, aside from her new role as Queen Charlotte, includes "The Midwich Cuckoos" — a science fiction series that premiered in 2022. The plot follows a small town as it grapples with the mystery of how all its women became pregnant at the same time, and whether these eerily strange children are a risk to the community (per Sky Max).

Amarteifio plays Nora Randall, one of the women affected by these unexpected pregnancies. She teased her final day on set in October of 2021 by sharing a picture of herself posing next to her trailer (via Instagram). She also joked with followers while posing with a fake baby belly: "I'm with child! Sike," she wrote (via Instagram).

The show hasn't been renewed for a second season and the creator even confirmed that the first season was always intended to wrap up the whole story (via The Review Geek), so it's unlikely we'll see Amarteifio play Nora Randall anytime soon. Early in 2022, lead actor Keeley Hawes said she was down for another season or some kind of spinoff. She told Radio Times: "I'd certainly like to see more of the Cuckoos and their adventures. There's lots you could do."

Prior to her time on the set of "The Midwich Cuckoos," India Amarteifio snagged a small role in the independently produced film "Military Wives" starring Sharon Hogan and Kristin Scott Thomas in 2019. Amarteifio took to social media to tease the release a month before the premiere, sharing a ton of photos from the set and her standout red dress from the movie's red carpet reception. "Yes, the carpet matches the dress," she captioned the post, cheeky as ever (via Instagram).

The plot of the film follows a tight-knit community of military spouses, who form a choir together in order to cope with the absence of their partners. The film is based on a true story; the Military Wives Choir is actually famous in real life (via Rolling Stone). With its wholesome, women-supporting-women vibes, "Military Wives" apparently made the perfect escapism movie for the early days of the coronavirus pandemic.

If you haven't seen India Amarteifio in one of the above two roles, you'll definitely recognize her as Lizzie from "Sex Education." The series revolves around life at Moordale Secondary School and the turbulent romances of its adolescent students (via Netflix). Amarteifio's role, though "teeny, tiny" as the actor put it herself (via Instagram), really shows off her main character vibes. In a climactic scene from Season 1, Lizzie has to stand up for herself when publicly confronted by a crush, Liam, who makes a dramatic scene of his feelings during a school dance. He even threatens to hurt himself if his affections aren't returned — yikes! Thankfully Otis, the main character played by Asa Butterfield, was there to back her up with his mad speech-giving skills when things escalated.

"Sex Education" has released three seasons so far with a fourth on the way. "We haven't started filming yet ... But we are planning to start filming soonish," Butterfield told Digital Spy in early 2022. "That's about all I can say." As far as Amarteifio's role in the series, it's unlikely but not impossible she could return to the highly-rated show if the writers want to do more with her character.

Outside of her film and television career, India Amarteifio is seen at all the it-girl parties. In 2022, she was hot with popular designers and high-end brands and famously showed off at Tatler's Little Black Book Party in London. There, she spent the evening hanging out with influencers, actors, and other important people. According to Tatler: "India Ria Amarteifio dazzled on the dance floor, where the Flag twins cheered on the performers with champagne bottles." She posted a few extra pictures from the event on her Instagram, showing off a pair of red nails and an even more red-lit dance floor.

She also made an appearance at Paris' annual fashion week, where she dazzled audiences with Roger Vivier accessories and a beautiful pink gown (via Getty Images). You can see the accessories up close on her social media, where she struck a dramatic pose with an oh-so-French background. It's not all red carpet gowns and glittery shoes for this up-and-coming star though. She also looks amazing in everyday business attire — check out her shoot for Parisian fashion house Longchamp (via Instagram). Personally, we think she nailed the academia aesthetic perfectly.

Another one of India Amarteifio's biggest on-screen credits is "The Tunnel" — a political crime drama that ran from 2013 to 2018. The plot follows a dual investigation by the United Kingdom and the French government, which are forced to cooperate to catch a killer wreaking havoc at the border tunnel. You may recognize other familiar faces in this award-winning show, including Clémence Poésy who famously played Fleur Delacour in the "Harry Potter" franchise and Stephen Dillane who depicted Stannis Baratheon in HBO's long-running "Game of Thrones" series.

In "The Tunnel," Amarteifio plays Maya Roebuck. In the image above, you can see the then-teen actor looking over her shoulder at the camera. In the scene, she talks to a friend on her tablet as her father tries to usher her out for a family meal. Apparently, Amarteifio really enjoyed this role. "I had the enormous pleasure of being a part of the 3rd season," Amarteifio wrote (via Instagram). "[It] is a project I absolutely loved being on."

India Amarteifio's longest-running part was in Disney Channel's "Evermoor" series which first debuted in 2014. She was with the cast from the very beginning all the way through the final episode of the show in 2017 (via IMDb). In a kids' version of "Charmed" meets "Once Upon a Time," instead of a book of shadows, these kids encountered a magical typewriter and a mysterious tapestry. "The Crossley's spooky new house on the moors contains a tapestry that tells the future" (via Disney +). "The tapestry is tended to by a sinister sewing circle called the Everines, who waste no time in predicting that the Crossley's home is about to go up in flames."

In this adorable clip, you can watch young Amarteifio get into character as Lacie Fairburn for an in-universe vlog. She really showcased a wide range of her acting abilities, from playful and pompous to serious and even vengeful.

India Amarteifio is also well known for her cameo in Season 4 of "Line of Duty," a long-running crime drama about police corruption in the U.K. (via IMDb). According to the leader of the real anti-corruption unit, which has a fictionalized equivalent in the show, "Line of Duty" really dramatized their work. "In reality we spend a lot more of our time sat in front of computers than taking part in car chases and gun fights," Detective Chief Superintendent Peter Holdcroft told The Independent. "Our officers will spend months working on an investigation, which includes gathering intelligence and building up a case against officers accused of wrongdoing."

A teen actor at the time, it's unsurprising Amarteifio's role wasn't a huge one in such a gritty show. She only appeared in three episodes as Sophie but you can skip to Season 4 for a few quick glimpses of the rising star.

Fun fact: Claudia Jessie, who plays Eloise Bridgerton, also appeared on this show.

India Amarteifio, who appeared in Season 9 of "Doctor Who" when she was high-school age, played the small part of Alison in 2015 (per IMDb). In the image above, you can see her dressed up as a dapper private school student next to Clara, played by Jenna Coleman. Her line was brief, but her acting was everything. In the scene, Alison asks Clara, who had just been teaching literature to a classroom full of children, why she's so fixated on something outside the window. As it turns out, that moment was the start of a high-stakes, dangerous mission for Clara, who (spoiler) almost dies later in the episode. 

Now approaching its 40th season (which beats out most television shows by a long shot), it was still going strong with at least 5 million viewers in 2022 (via Radio Times). Seeing as "Doctor Who" will probably never get canceled, maybe there will be another opportunity for Amarteifio to jump back into this long-running series.

One of India Amarteifio's earliest on-screen credits was "The Interceptor" — a mini-series from 2015 that aired on BBC. The show was based on a book and follows the story of customs agent Marcus Ashton, who is recruited by law enforcement to track down high-profile criminals in the UK. Amarteifio plays Hannah for seven episodes of the series.

In the scene pictured above, Amarteifio is seen in a white karate uniform. Her character Hannah gets to help out with a case by following a suspect into a liquor store to get his name (presumably because she's a child, she won't seem suspicious). While Marcus waits, agitated, in the car, she's able to read the man's name off of a piece of paper and escape unscathed. With stealth skills like that, maybe we'll see Amarteifio take on the role of a spy, investigator, or action hero after she's done with "Queen Charlotte: A Bridgerton Story." 

As a child, India Amarteifio got her start with acting classes and theater. She scored a scholarship to a prestigious, celebrity-favorite theater school in London when she was about 11 years old (per Richmond Academy of Dance). While she was studying there, she also worked with a teacher from the Richmond Academy of Dance, who apparently helped her plan out her audition for the theater school. We're eager to see her footwork if she ever graces the dancefloor in the new "Bridgerton" spinoff.

Her very first role of note was in Sam Mendes' "Charlie and the Chocolate Factory" musical which premiered in 2013. She played the part of Violet Beauregard (via Getty Images). You can see her in the signature purple tracksuit in the image above. She also reportedly played young Nala in a stage rendition of "The Lion King" and Hortensia in "Matilda the Musical" (via Fandom).