Meet The New Bridgerton Season 2 Cast Members
Fans may have said goodbye to breakout star Rege-Jean Page, but Bridgerton season 2 has gained several fresh, new faces, according to The Hollywood Reporter. The trade reports that four new cast members have joined season 2 of Netflix and Shondaland's megahit period romance drama. Bridgerton's second season will reportedly be based on Julia Quinn's novel, The Viscount Who Loved Me, the second installment in her series about the eight Bridgerton siblings, who each have their own romantic adventures in Regency-era London. Season 1 was based on the first Bridgerton novel and followed the eldest Bridgerton daughter, Daphne (Phoebe Dynevor), as she fell in love with Simon Bassett, Duke of Hastings (Page). Season 2 will follow Anthony Bridgerton (Jonathan Bailey), the eldest son of the family, as he finds true love of his own. Anthony's love interest will be Kate Sharma, a headstrong young woman who just arrived in London. Kate will be played by Sex Education star Simone Ashley, Deadline reported in February.
Now, the rest of the new season 2 cast is starting to get filled in — some season 1 cast members, including Phoebe Dynevor, will return for season 2, albeit in smaller roles. Here are four new series regulars for Bridgerton season 2.
Charithra Chandran is Edwina Sharma
The role of Kate Sharma's younger sister Edwina will be played by Charithra Chandran, a young actress getting her first prominent role. Her IMDb page lists only one other credit, an episode of the British spy thriller Alex Rider. According to her agency's website, she recently graduated from the University of Oxford with a degree in Philosophy, Politics and Economics, so she's very intelligent and well-rounded. Her bio on IMDb says she began acting as a child touring productions of West End musicals and acted in theatrical productions while a student at Oxford.
Here's Edwina's official character description, from Shondaland's Instagram: "Edwina Sharma has been taught by her older sister Kate (Ashley) to be the perfect debutante. She's kind-natured and endlessly endearing. But while she may be young and naive, she also knows what she wants: a true love match." The equivalent character in the book was named Edwina Sheffield, but the show has changed the Sheffields to the Sharmas, a family of Indian descent.
Shelley Conn is Mary Sharma
Kate and Edwina's mother Mary will be played by Shelley Conn, a British actress with dozens of credits to her name in a career that goes back to 2000, according to IMDb. Prominent roles include chocolate palace resident Princess Pondicherry in Tim Burton's Charlie and the Chocolate Factory, Terry in the star-studded 2010 romantic comedy How Do You Know, military officer Danni Prendiville in the first season of Cinemax's long-running action thriller series Strike Back, and DI Vanessa Harmon in the British drama series Liar. Currently she can be seen on Netflix's Victorian fantasy series The Irregulars, which means she'll already have some experience working on an imaginative Netflix period piece by the time she starts filming Bridgerton.
Here's Mary Sharma's official description, per Shondaland: "An Earl's daughter whose marriage to a tradesman once embroiled her family in scandal, Lady Mary has now returned to London with her own daughters and is forced to endure the scrutiny of the ton yet again."
Calam Lynch is Theo Sharpe
Young British actor Calam Lynch will play Theo Sharpe, who Shondaland describes as "a hardworking printer's assistant. But he's not just a working-class man, he's also an intellectual who fights for the rights for all." Commenters on Shondaland's Instagram believe that Theo is a love interest for Edwina Sharma.
According to IMDb, Lynch made his debut playing a sailor in Christopher Nolan's 2017 World War II film Dunkirk, a movie that featured dozens of young British actors. He followed that up with appearances in the limited series Mrs. Wilson as the son of the title character (who was played by Ruth Wilson, playing her own grandmother); the beloved Northern Irish comedy series Derry Girls; and Disney+'s remake of the horse movie Black Beauty. He will next be seen in writer-director Terence Davies' upcoming film, Benediction.
Like Charithra Chandran, his projected screen partner, he is a graduate of the University of Oxford, according to his talent agency's website.
Rupert Young is Jack
Rupert Young's new character is the most mysterious one. Here's how Shondaland describes Jack: "The newest member of the ton with a connection to one of its most notable families." Bridgerton fans on Shondaland's Instagram think he's going to be the heir to the Featherington estate. According to IMDb, Young is a working British actor best known for playing Sir Leon on the BBC fantasy series Merlin. He's also appeared on the British version of Shameless, the Hulu series The Bisexual, and the limited series The White Queen. Bridgerton is the biggest show in which he's ever been cast.
These are some of the new actors joining Bridgerton for season 2; more will surely be revealed as season 2 gets closer to production and release on Netflix. Cast members expected to return for season 2 include Golda Rosheuvel as Queen Charlotte, Adjoa Andoh as Lady Danbury, and Julie Andrews as the narrator.