You Probably Won't Recognize The Bridgerton Cast In Real Life

Since its release in 2020, "Bridgerton" has quickly become one of Netflix's most successful original series. The historical romance is based on the book series by Julia Quinn and centers around the lives of the Bridgerton family in re-imagined Regency-era England. Each season focuses on the love life of one of the family's siblings. The chemistry and romance between the actors is one of the key components that keep viewers coming back for more and demonstrates what excellent actors they are, given that many members of the "Bridgerton" cast have their own real-life partners outside of the series. Of course, that doesn't stop the avid viewers from shipping the cast members together. 

Another element of the series that fans love is the stunning "Bridgerton" costumes. The show has its own unique spin on Regency-era dress, which has led to stunning wardrobe, hair, and makeup design for the characters. Due to the elaborate costumes, however, many of the actors look very different in real life. 

Throughout the hit Netflix series, Nicola Coughlan's character, Penelope Featherington, develops from a shy young girl to a witty, powerful, and strategic woman. But even as her on-screen character goes through a transformation from wallflower to socialite, she still looks quite different from the actor who plays her. 

Penelope is perhaps most recognizable with her character's signature red curls, but Coughlan's natural hair color is blond. Another key difference is that Coughlan is from Ireland and had to put on a British accent. During a Netflix interview, she explained that developing Penelope's voice was a big part of her embodying the character. "In the first season I wanted it to be more little girly 'cause it's her first season out ... and then in Season 2 there's a little bit more confidence and cockiness to her," she explained. "And then in Season three, she's a woman. Sort of talks a little more grounded." Although the "Bridgerton" makeup artist did a wonderful job giving the cast flawless and youthful skin, Coughlan has demonstrated that she doesn't need much help in that department, given that the "Bridgerton" actor looks stunning makeup-free.

As "Bridgerton" Season 3 focuses on the relationship between Penelope and Colin Bridgerton, Coughlan and her body were under a lot of scrutiny. "I'm a few sizes below the average size of a woman in the U.K. and I'm seen as a 'plus-size heroine,'" the star told Time Magazine. "Making it about how I look is reductive and boring." 

For the most part, Luke Thompson looks very similar to his "Bridgerton" character Benedict Bridgerton. Both the actor and character are clean-shaven and have similar haircuts, though the actor sometimes lets his dark hair grow longer than his gentlemanly character. The notable difference between the two is, of course, the period costumes that the whole "Bridgerton" ensemble wears to portray the Regency-era look. 

When asked to break down the physical transformation he went through to play Benedict, the actor shared that he worked with a personal trainer. "The way I approach it is that I wouldn't do it for any part," he told Country and Town House. "It can feel really odd when people [on screen] are supposed to be playing normal people and then suddenly they have nine packs. But I think that with 'Bridgerton' because it's based on a romance novel, it's important — because that's the world. Within reason, it's part of it." Fans of Thompson can look forward to seeing more of him in Season 4, as the official Netflix "Bridgerton" Instagram page has teased photos of him with Yerin Ha, the newest "Bridgerton" leading lady. 

Ruth Gemmell has starred in films and TV series since the early '90s. She's most well known for "Fever Pitch" (1997), "Primeval" (2009), and her part on the Netflix series as Lady Violet Bridgerton. Lady Violet is the sweet, widowed mother of the eight Bridgerton siblings, whose love lives are at the heart of the period drama. Although she's spent most of the series looking out for her children, viewers see a new side to Lady Violet in Season 3 as she starts to explore her own story. Speaking about her role to Photo Book Magazine, Gemmell shared that she did not originally audition to play Lady Violet. However, she was called back to read the part and drawn in by the character. "Here is this woman navigating her eight children through life and willing them to experience a love from life that she herself has experienced. She's written with such humility and grace and is a woman whose bereavement has shaped her. And that appealed to me," she said. 

In the show, Gemmell is typically styled in light shades like soft blues and violets, with natural makeup and an updo hairstyle. In real life, the actor is able to show off more modern styles, striking colors, and dramatic smokey eyes like the one she wore to the "Bridgerton" Season 3 screening in 2024. 

Claudia Jessie's "Bridgerton" character, Eloise Bridgerton, has a distinctive look thanks to the blunt bangs she has sported since Season 1. However, the actor and the other characters she plays, such as D.C. Jodie Taylor in "Line of Duty," don't share this distinctive hairstyle. Instead, Jessie favors wearing her hair parted to the side with some face-framing layers but no bangs. Her hair, which is darker brown in the show, is also highlighted with warm honey tones in real life, giving her a much different look than her on-screen persona. The actress also wears darker eye makeup, Eloise, who has a more natural look. 

One of the biggest differences between the actor and her character is not her looks but her background. While Eloise comes from a wealthy, high-class family, Jessie told Voice Magazine about growing up in a very low-income household. However, she's enjoyed the opportunity to play such a posh character, and she appreciates that Eloise is still complex. "Eloise has the privilege of money and quite a cozy domestic setting, so she can go out and do those things. She can be a voice and she can hopefully use her privilege for good," the actor said. This major difference is reflected in the styling, as she wears a regal wardrobe to play the upper-class character.

Daphne Bridgerton, played by Phoebe Dynevor, was central to "Bridgerton" Season 1. The show starts with Daphne entering society on the hunt for true love, and in the process, the queen names her the "diamond of the season." Daphne's storyline — and how Dynevor portrayed her — drew many fans into the Netflix series, causing it to blow up into the pop culture sensation it is today. 

The actor is a few years older than her character, who is meant to be quite innocent and guileless at the start of the show. She's styled with minimal makeup, light colors, and short bangs to highlight that innocence. Her overall look is softer than the more modern style the actor wears in her day-to-day life. That said, Dynevor revealed that she connected to some of her character's initial naïveté, as "Bridgerton" was her first major project and she was new to the world of fame at the time. "I was really naïve. I don't think there was a period of my life as an actor when I thought about fame. My only goal was to work as an actor and not have to have any other jobs," she told Elle in 2023. "And so I just didn't expect it to change my world in the way that it did."

While watching "Bridgerton," you might have recognized the actor playing Lady Featherington from somewhere but couldn't quite place where. The actor Polly Walker has had a long career and is known for many roles, such as Annette in "Patriot Games" and Atia of the Julii in "Rome." However, you likely didn't recognize her because she looks so different in "Bridgerton." Lady Featherington is one of the loudest dressers on the show; she always has a garishly colored gown and plenty of gaudy jewelry. Her red hair is also done in elaborate updos with stiff curls. It's a big difference from the simpler and more relaxed look the actor presents in her daily life. 

Although Lady Featherington was mostly seen as vapid and selfish in early seasons, her character became more prominent and well-rounded in Season 3. "It's been great to not just keep her in this pantomime baddie, two-dimensional realm," Walker told Shondaland in 2024. "I have relished in the audience getting to see other sides to her, a more vulnerable side. I think it will gain her a bit of sympathy with people." 

Adjoa Andoh is best known for her role as Lady Danbury in Netflix's "Bridgerton." Outside of the series, she's had a long career as an actor, writer, director, and producer. Lady Danbury is a headstrong, smart woman who has the confidence of the queen, and the character's costumes speak to the well-respected figure she is. Throughout the show, she typically dons jewel-toned tailored dresses and structured hats. In her daily life, the actor looks a bit different, namely due to how Andoh wears her hair shaved close to her head. However, like Lady Danbury, she often makes big statements with her clothing, with bold colors and unique ensembles.

Speaking to Washington University , Andoh said, "When you see me play Lady Danbury, that's 40 years of professional acting life. That's 61 years of life life. That's three kids, aging parents, a dog, a grandson, Leeds United Football Club, being a punk rocker ... Lady Danbury is just the tip of that iceberg" (via Student Life Newspaper). Thanks to the breadth of her lived experience, Andoh is perfectly believable as the wise woman, helping to subtly steer the series' cast of characters in the right direction. 

Colin Bridgerton went through quite the transformation from where he started in Season 1 to the heartthrob of Season 3. Growing from one of the supporting roles to the main love interest of the season, the actor Luke Newton underwent a similar transformation. "I really wanted to feel like there was a difference, not only emotionally and in this experience that he'd had, but also physically. It kind of completely just changed my lifestyle. And there were also parallels in that I turned 30 on set while we were shooting, so it felt like we were kind of going through a similar journey," Newton told People.

Despite their similarities, there are a couple of key differences between the character and the actor. Notably, Newton doesn't have Colin's iconic sideburns. The actor doesn't wear his facial hair like that, but he grew it out for the part. Although the look worked for the regency era show, he admitted he felt strange when he wasn't on set. "The only thing is in normal life, it didn't really go with anything," he said, "like if I'm in the coffee shop on a Sunday morning, you can kind of spot a Bridgerton from a mile away if you see those sideys!"

Queen Charlotte has an essential role in the "Bridgerton" universe. The character is instantly recognizable in every scene due to her lavish style and tall wigs. The casting of Golda Rosheuvel to play the royal character is one of the things that makes "Bridgerton" so special. In the historical fiction, Queen Charlotte is the first black queen of England, and her marriage to the king led to equality for people of color. Although the series is not based on reality, many historians believe that the real Queen Charlotte also had black ancestors. As a biracial woman, Rosheuvel was ideal to play the crucial part. 

Through her costuming, hair, and makeup, the British singer and actress transforms to play the series' monarch. Charlotte's ever-changing wigs are often blonde, which is a contrast from Rosheuvel's dark hair. As far as makeup, the queen often wears a colorful lip, and the makeup artist darkens the two beauty marks above and below the actress's right eye to make them stand out. Although Rosheuvel is a fashion-forward woman, becoming Queen Charlotte is a full metamorphosis. She told WWD that the transformation typically takes two hours. "I suppose, in that regal way, it's a real ceremony of getting ready, and the jewelry is the last cherry on the cake of presenting this character to the cameras on the day of filming. So it really is a kind of ceremonial ritual in a way," she said about her costume and styling. 

Cressida Cowper is another "Bridgerton" character with a very distinct look. While much of the show's costuming is extravagant, Cressida's personal style is even more over the top. In every scene, she's wearing dresses with puffy sleeves, frills, appliqués, and every kind of trimming. Like her character, actor Jessica Madsen has beautiful blond hair, but Cressida wears hers in elaborate shapes and updos that seem impossible to replicate outside of the "Bridgerton" styling team. Speaking about her character's ostentatious wardrobe, Madsen said, "It's emotional to put those outfits on that fit you so perfectly and look in a way that you've never imagined that you'd ever look ... They give you the character, so much of it, I feel" (via Cinema Blend).

What's more, many fans are hoping to see a queer storyline for Cressida in the future, which is something the actor is equally excited about. "I love it. As a queer woman, it fills my heart with so much joy to see that there is such a hunger for queer romance on the show," she told Refinery29. Despite the differences in style preference between Madsen and Cressida, this is one aspect of her character that could fit her even more perfectly than the outfits. 

Kate Sharma was Anthony Bridgerton's romantic love interest in Season 2 of "Bridgerton." You may have also recognized actor Simone Ashley from her time on another Netflix series, "Sex Education." Although the actor and character are both stunning, Ashley's style is much more free-spirited and contemporary. Ashley exhibits a preference for high glam makeup and equally glamorous styles for red carpet appearances, while her character leans toward a more proper and polished wardrobe overall. 

According to Ashley, costuming and mannerisms were crucial to embodying her dignified character. "I love dressing up for 'Bridgerton.' The show has been a very special experience in my life and it's a job where I get to go to work and wear the most beautiful couture. It's an honor to wear our costume designer, tailor, and seamstresses' work. You step out feeling like a princess," the actor told Vogue. In addition to adapting to her character's wardrobe, Ashley also learned how to carry herself and the rules of decorum for women in the Regency era. "Women weren't really allowed to be tactile, cross their legs. Simple things that I, as myself, kind of naturally went into. I would be given notes, saying, 'You're not allowed to do that,'" she told Glamour.

Jonathan Bailey plays one of the series' many heartthrobs, Anthony Bridgerton. In his role as Anthony, Bailey appears clean-shaven, apart from his signature muttonchops, but in his normal life, the actor typically sports short facial hair. Speaking to Logo TV, Bailey said the carefully groomed muttonchops were an important part of getting into character. "I think for Anthony, it's really important that he felt sharp and serious. He's so desperate to try and fulfill his role as man of the house and he's completely capable of doing it, so I thought he would definitely have the muttonchops."

In his day-to-day life, the actor has a much more modern style, but he didn't mind getting into regency dress for the series, although he admitted it was uncomfortable at times. "I think it's pretty much, for me, a dream come true. The novelty does wear off, of course — I think when you're six months in and you're desperate to go to the loo," he said about the costumes. "The britches can ride quite high, and good old Anthony gets to wear white britches which meant that I think I had to wear a dance belt underneath, which proved to be quite uncomfortable, especially when riding a horse."

Bailey recently starred in "Wicked," where he and the rest of the cast look quite different from real life. 

Martins Imhangbe plays Will Mondrich, a former boxer and club owner in "Bridgerton." Imhangbe looks very similar in the show and in real life. Both he and the character have a shaved head and carefully groomed beard. The key difference is the regency costumes that he wears on screen. 

In Season 3, the Mondrich family goes through a big change as they upgrade from a working-class to an upper-class family. As a black actor, Imhangbe was happy to see "Bridgerton" hiring people of color for significant and powerful roles on screen. "We have often been erased from history or undermined in period dramas and historical productions in general, so it's a great thing to be able to honor those who lived and paved the way for us," he told The British Blacklist. As his character rises through the ranks of society, his costumes reflect that change, and he begins to dress like a wealthy 19th-century gentleman. The waistcoats, britches, and old-fashioned neckties are a big change from the actor's everyday simple and modern clothing choices. 

Born in 2007, Florence Hunt is one of the youngest members of the "Bridgerton" cast. She plays Hyacinth Bridgerton and has been a part of the ensemble cast since Season 1, when she was just 10 years old. In 2024, Hunt received the honor of being named one of the stars of tomorrow by Screen Daily. Speaking to the magazine, she said, "Actors don't get many opportunities to take on a role for a long amount of time, so I'm lucky to have grown up as Hyacinth as I've grown up as well."

The character and actor have transformed together on screen, and she will likely become a more focal member of the plot in later seasons. Even though both she and her character are growing up before our eyes, they have their differences, and some of those differences are clear to see. While playing Hyacinth, Hunt typically has her hair up and curled into ringlets. She also wears minimal makeup for a young and fresh-faced look. In real life, the actress frequently wears her hair down and lets it stay in natural-looking waves. She also wears trendy clothes and makeup that quickly set her apart from her 19th-century role.