When Golda Rosheuvel worked on season one of Bridgerton, she had a hopeful feeling it would do well. What she didn't realize was how well it would do—the Netflix regency romance quickly became a worldwide phenomenon after its release in December 2020.
"I saw it before it came out, cause we kinda get a sneak peek of it and I knew it was something that I hadn't seen before," Rosheuvel tells Town & Country "And I knew that it was something that I was hoping to see. That I have always been hoping to see: that inclusion, that diversity, pushing the boundaries so Black and brown artists can be celebrated in fabulous clothes and fabulous wigs."
Bridgerton, Rosheuvel explains, is "empowering and really joyous to be involved in." As a Black Guyanese-British actress, she loves the show for reflecting "the world that we're living in" by utilizing color-conscious casting (not color-blind casting) to create a Regency world that is not predominately white; rather, a multi-ethnic society.
In recent years, Rosheuvel joins a growing group of Black actors and actresses portraying white royalty and aristocrats on screen and stage—think Jodie Turner-Smith as Anne Boleyn in the Anne Boleyn miniseries, Sophie Okonedo as Queen Margaret in The Hollow Crown: The Wars of the Roses, or Abraham Popoola, who portrayed a fictional Russian nobleman on The Great. Even Six the Musical on Broadway leans into this, casting actresses of all ethnicities to portray the six ex-wives of King Henry VIII.
What do Black actors portraying royalty mean to her? "What does it mean to me?" she replies. "It means everything, doesn't it?"
"We've been asking for this," she continues. "The debate [over representation] has been ongoing and very, very long. I hope that it spills out into other characters in other shows. Playing royalty is fabulous, it's really great, but I think we need to spill out into other [genres] like sci-fi and fantasies and dramas and cop shows—all of that stuff."
And, Rosheuvel adds, the most important thing she hopes is for diversity and representation to "not be a conversation anymore." Rather, she hopes it will just be a given in the future. "That's the beauty of Bridgeton: We can sit there and it just be, and it be celebrated. We can push the boundaries, then allow people to just sit in it, experience it, and recognize themselves in it. That's the power of storytelling: to just be—and play."
Bridgerton's success—thanks to its diversity—has been well-documented, and Rosheuvel's portrayal of Queen Charlotte as a haughty, insecure monarch who cares deeply about appearances, yet remains a champion of true love, is widely celebrated. Yet, the "sheer large reaction" to the show surprised her. "I went from like 20 followers on Instagram to like 54,000," she said. "I'm really lucky that I get always positive [feedback]."
The worldwide acclaim for Rosheuvel is a new experience for the British theater actress, made all the more meaningful because her Bridgerton character didn't have a built-in fanbase from the books. Because yes, Queen Charlotte—while a very real person—does not play a large role in Julia Quinn's Bridgerton books. In fact, when work began on the first season, she asked if she should read Quinn's novels and had what she calls "a really honest conversation" with director Julie Anne Robinson. Robinson told her the books weren't necessary to understanding her character, because they're creating the Bridgerton Netflix world, and the Queen is of that world. Robinson also cautioned Rohseuvel from reading up on the actual Queen Charlotte, telling her they weren't trying for a documentary or a historical program.
The show's scripts became extremely important to Rosheuvel—but she doesn't try to spoil herself, or guess what's coming next. "I don't ask about the future scripts," she says. "I'm not interested in knowing, because flying by the seat of my pants is the most thrilling space that you could be in an actress."
Rosheuvel says that "to be instinctual, to be in the moment" is her favorite way to act. And, she continues, "Queen Charlotte really lends herself—the character lends herself—to that way of investigation."
Though she doesn't want to know anything about upcoming seasons, she does know she will be involved in the Bridgerton spin-off chronicling Queen Charlotte's early years. (A spinoff that just announced the cast, including India Amarteifio as a young Charlotte "betrothed to the mysterious King of England against her will.") And, she hopes season three of Bridgerton will bring a romance between the Queen's nephew, a prince, and Edwina Sharma (Charithra Chandran). "I love at the end where she blesses Anthony and Kate, and she turns to Edwina, and says, 'Hey girl, you wanna join the family?'" Rosheuvel says with a smile. "That relationship is a joy to watch."
The scene Queen Charlotte shares with Edwina in the sixth episode is one of the most poignant moments of the entire season. "I didn't want it to be a mother-daughter situation," Rosheuvel says. "I didn't want it to be a teacher-student situation. I wanted it to be like we were both senseis—we were both equal."
"We were both women," she continues. "One at the beginning of her society career, and another who had been through it, who had the wisdom of being in it and being part of it and somebody who had created it. The teaching element is really entwined for both of them. Edwina teaches the Queen and the Queen teaches Edwina."
Rosheuvel believes there's a real "sisterhood" between the Queen and Edwina, "a real powerful embrace of female energy and female knowledge." She thinks Queen Charlotte sees herself in Edwina, especially following the moment Edwina has with the King, when she gently calms him down. "Edwina's courage in stepping forward and being so graceful and generous and kind—I think the Queen really recognizes herself, and the task that she has as a Queen to be graceful and kind and open to her subjects to world that she's in."
It's a dynamic she's hoping for more of in the future—but only time will tell.
Emily Burack (she/her) is the Senior News Editor for Town & Country, where she covers entertainment, culture, the royals, and a range of other subjects. Before joining T&C, she was the deputy managing editor at Hey Alma, a Jewish culture site. Follow her @emburack on Twitter and Instagram.
