- Netflix and Shondaland's breakout romantic period drama, Bridgerton, premiered on December 25.
- The show, adapted from the Julia Quinn romance novels, stars Regé-Jean Page, Phoebe Dynevor, Jonathan Bailey, and Golda Rosheuvel as Queen Charlotte.
- Though not on screen, Julie Andrews voices the gossiping narrator Lady Whistledown.
If you grew up watching Mary Poppins, The Sound of Music, or The Princess Diaries, then the nagging suspicion that you've definitely "heard that voice somewhere" as you watch Netflix's Bridgerton is spot-on.
Yes, Dame Julie Andrews herself voices the witty narrator Lady Whistledown in Shondaland's new Regency Era period drama, adapted from the bestselling Julia Quinn romance novels. And Quinn, who acted as a consultant on the show, was thrilled when she got the news of the Oscar winner's involvement.
"When they told me I legitimately stopped breathing," Quinn tells OprahMag.com. "I mean, I should be dead."
In Bridgerton, Lady Whistledown (whose identity is revealed in the finale) is the knower of all things when it comes to the most scandalous gossip of the tony crowd during London's 1813 season. And she spills the dirty details in her anonymous column that quickly becomes a must-read amongst the British elite. It's hard to imagine that any other being's disembodied voice could have carried the role but Andrews, whose signature regal, and inviting, British tone keeps you hooked on every scene.
"She was at the top of our list for Lady Whistledown," showrunner Chris Van Dusen tells OprahMag.com. "We offered her the part, sent her the scripts, not thinking anything would really come of it. But surprisingly she read the scripts and fell in love with them."
While the rest of the cast filmed on a variety of grand sets overseas in the U.K., the 85-year-old had the luxury of staying stateside as she recorded her voiceovers from a studio in New York, where she has a home in the Hamptons.
"We did all of our sessions virtually with her," Van Dusen says. "I was in Los Angeles, and we were able to do it over Zoom. She was so fun to work with. Everything that you think Julie Andrews is, she is."
He continued: "I had such a blast writing the voiceover for Lady Whistledown because she gets to say the most scathing, sometimes insulting things. And they're not typical things that you would think that would be coming out of Julie Andrews's mouth."
When describing her role, Andrews told Parade that the narrator is “a tartar, and a bit of a naughty woman.” She added, “I occasionally guide it, twist it, point it in some direction or another. I can make or break anybody, it seems, if I wish.”
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McKenzie Jean-Philippe is the editorial assistant at OprahMag.com covering pop culture, TV, movies, celebrity, and lifestyle. She loves a great Oprah viral moment and all things Netflix—but come summertime, Big Brother has her heart. On a day off you'll find her curled up with a new juicy romance novel.
