Note: This story contains spoilers from “Bridgerton” Season 4 Part 1.
After portraying Colin Bridgerton’s love story in “Bridgerton” Season 3, Luke Newton could breath a sigh of relief as he passed the baton to the next leading man, Luke Thompson’s Benedict.
While Season 3 saw Colin navigate his friends-to-lovers arc with Penelope Featherington (Nicola Coughlan) while learning of her shocking identity as gossip columnist Lady Whistledown, the majority of Season 4, much to the satisfaction of Newton, sees Colin “annoyingly loved up” with Penelope as newlyweds.
“It’s a really lovely place to be,” Newton said. “No matter how hard I try, I do slightly absorb like moments or feelings that my character is going through — I know that sounds really like actory wanky, but I can’t help but let it just affect me. This season was great for me, because Colin is just loved up, full of joy, really owning his purpose, and he’s really found that after last season.”
Season 3 saw Colin caught in the crossfire of Penelope’s hidden identity of Whistledown, which prompted a major blowout from Colin that Newton said was fueled by “the secrecy … the lies and deception” that came with secretly writing about the Bridgerton family for years. “That was what was so heartbreaking to him,” Newton said.
“As long as there’s transparency and honesty, he’s all good and … I feel that he’s very proud of Penelope, of how she navigated her way into being a public version of Whistledown,” he added. “He’s very supportive of every decision that she makes, to do with Whistledown, outside of Whistledown with her, with her other pursuits. They’re annoyingly loved up.”
Whereas Francesca (Hannah Dodd) hits some bumps in her new marriage to John Stirling (Victor Alli) as she discovers her sexuality, Penelope makes it quite clear to Francesca that she and Colin are having zero issues there — and we even get another carriage scene. “We’ve got years on them,” Newton said. “We’ve known each other since we were kids, so there’s no figuring stuff out and their communication is top … we’re just the best example of a married couple.”
Newton also enjoyed playing a young father, a role he hadn’t yet played, who has the energy to run around and play with the kids, radiating a positive energy that gets absorbed by other characters.
“He has some fun with Gregory, trying to give him advice on matters of the heart and figure out his way into becoming a young man, which was something I’d always been excited about … from Season 1,” Newton shared. “I always knew that there was that element of mischief that they both share, and I think that’ll be something to explore in the future.”
He further relished in passing the leading man responsibility over to his on-screen sibling, noting that Benedict’s story was one that he’s been excited about for a long time. “We’ve seen so much of Benedict through seasons one through three,” Newton said. “He’s had a real journey, and fans have been there the whole way, and then now to really see his story, like, come to life and blossom, I just think it’s so beautiful and I can’t wait for for people to see it.”
Newton added that Thompson has been ready to play this part “forever,” calling him the “ultimate professional, but with so much heart.”
“I remember in season one … Luke’s physicality in the role of Benedict — he merged the two worlds of the Regency drama, but that we could sit and slouch and puff up,” Newton said. “I just love that about what Luke did with the role of Benedict from the very, very start, so there was no advice that I could give him, and I just wanted him to know that I was there to support him and Yerin [Ha] on this wild journey.”
As for whether the eldest Bridgerton brother could join the brothers in Part 2, Newton remained tight-lipped, saying, “There’s always a possibility.”
“Bridgerton” Season 4, Part 1 is now streaming on Netflix. Part 2 premieres Feb. 26.
