“Bridgerton” is back, dear readers, this time following the love story of eldest sibling Anthony Bridgerton as he seeks out his perfect match on the marriage mart, a young woman named Edwina Sharma, but finds himself falling in love with her older sister, Kate.
But, the world of the Bridgertons goes well beyond the Bridgerton family and deep into the ton. Like “Game of Thrones,” “Bridgerton” is a series with dozens of characters, and there are many delicious storylines to follow, including that of Penelope Featherington, who is actually Lady Whistledown.
The show’s eight-episode Season 2 premiered on March 25 on Netflix, and if you’re trying to remember who is who and how they are connected, let TheWrap help you out.
Anthony Bridgerton (Jonathan Bailey)
Viscount Anthony Bridgerton is the eldest of the Bridgerton siblings. Anthony inherited his title quite young in life following the tragic early death of his father, Edmund Bridgerton. As the titled member of the family, Anthony has been in charge of business affairs for the Bridgertons his entire adult life (and a bit before). In Season 1, he failed miserably at assisting younger sister Daphne as she made her debut on the marriage mart. Anthony is known as a “capital ‘R’ rake,” (a phrase from Julia Quinn’s “The Viscount Who Loved Me”) and kept a mistress – opera singer Siena – in Season 1, only to break things off with her when his family reminded him of his duty as heir (to get married and produce another heir). Though he tried to win Siena back at the end of Season 1, she sent him away, leaving the Viscount heartbroken. Anthony (pronounced without the “h”) heads into Season 2 jaded by love, but ready to find the perfect woman – on paper – to become his Viscountess.
Bailey has been acting for most of his life, including in “A Christmas Carol” as a child (on the London stage). He spending winter and spring 2022 starring in “Cock” alongside Taron Edgerton in London. Outside of “Bridgerton” and his theater work, he’s known for “Crashing,” with Phoebe Waller-Bridge, “Chewing Gum” with Michaela Cole, and playing reporter Olly Stevens in the U.K. import “Broadchurch.”
Daphne Bridgerton/Duchess of Hastings (Phoebe Dynevor)
Eldest daughter of Lady Violet and the late Viscount, Lord Edmund Bridgerton, Daphne made her debut on the marriage mart in Season 1 of Netflix’s “Bridgerton.” Her graceful presence impressed Queen Charlotte, who named Daphne the “Diamond of the Season.” Living up to the Queen’s expectations began to prove difficult when Lord Nigel Berbrooke began pursuing her, made a deal to marry her with her older brother, the current Viscount, Anthony Bridgerton, and even tried to blackmail her into marrying him. Luckily, Daphne’s mother, and some of the “Bridgerton” servants helped uncover a secret (Nigel had a child in the countryside) that sent Berbrooke scurrying out of town and out of Daphne’s life. All this happened just as Simon, the Duke of Hastings and Daphne fell in love while pretending they were smitten with each other, leading to marriage, and eventually the birth of their first child.
Dynevor, who plays the character, is an English actress who hails from Manchester. Before “Bridgerton” she was known for playing Clare, baby mama to Josh on several seasons of the TV Land series “Younger.” She also starred alongside Rupert Grint in the Crackle original “Snatch” in 2017.
Benedict Bridgerton (Luke Thompson)
Anthony is the heir and Benedict the spare, or at least that’s how many refer to the second son in an aristocratic family. The Bridgertons, though, are a very loving bunch and perhaps the only one who thinks of shifting responsibilities to the second or third son (Colin) is Anthony, who is forever reminding his brothers that as the heir, he has all of the family responsibilities on his shoulders. Benedict, though, takes Anthony’s comments with a grain of salt, finding ways to tease his eldest sibling in the way only a loving brother can. He also agreed to serve as Anthony’s second when the Viscount challenged the Duke of Hastings to a duel for compromising their sister, Daphne. Benedict is interested in art and, as Season 1 showed, likes a sexy party as well. In fact, he hooked up with Madame Delacroix, the modiste, and another lady, while pursuing more carnal arts.
Thompson is a graduate of the Royal Academy of Dramatic Art (Rada) who made his professional debut in “A Midsummer Nights Dream” at Shakespeare’s Globe theatre. He’s appeared in a host of U.K. television series, including “In the Club” and 2016 Netflix show “In the Club.” He also appeared in the feature film “Dunkirk.”
Colin Bridgerton (Luke Newton)
The third Bridgerton brother, Colin, may not have the pressures of Anthony, but even without a title, he wants to be a man of substance, something he continues to work on. He’s buddies with Penelope Featherington (Nicola Coughlan), his sister Eloise’s best friend. She’s madly in love with him, but he hasn’t noticed her romantically. In fact, in Season 1, he developed a crush on Penelope’s cousin, Marina Thompson (Ruby Barker), and was considering marriage to the beauty until Lady Whistledown revealed Marina was pregnant. To leave some of the gossip behind, Colin left London at the end of Season 1 on a European adventure. Newton has appeared in shows including “Mr. Selfridge,” which aired on Masterpiece on PBS, and Disney’s “The Lodge.”
Eloise Bridgerton (Claudia Jessie)
Second Bridgerton sister Eloise is a woman who loves knowledge, reading and intellectual pursuits and has little to no interest in the ton, with one weakness. Although she may be dreading making her own debut (in Season 2), she has been a devoted Lady Whistledown reader since the day the gossip paper launched. Eloise is best friends with Penelope Featherington, while one of her closest siblings is Benedict. Like his co-stars, Jessie has a resume that includes plenty of U.K. shows. “Defending the Guilty,” “Vanity Fair” (which aired in the U.S. on EPIX) and “Porters” are among her credits. She also appeared in a 2018 episode of “Doctor Who.”
Francesca Bridgerton (Ruby Stokes), Gregory Bridgerton (Will Tilston), Hyacinth Bridgerton (Florence Hunt)
Francesca, Gregory and Hyacinth are the three youngest siblings in the family. They’re often around when their siblings are reading, arguing or playing the pianoforte, just biding their time until they can make their own debuts on the marriage mart – after they grow up, of course. Stokes is next up in “Lockwood & Co.” Tilston played a young Christopher Robin in the 2017 film “Goodbye Christopher Robin.” Hunt appeared in the Katheringe Langford-starring Netflix series “Cursed.”
Lady Violet Bridgerton (Ruth Gemmell)
Violet is the widow of the late Viscount Edmund Bridgerton, the father of her eight children. Hers was a love match and therefore Violet wants all of her children to find love, which is something that may prove problematic in Season 2 with her eldest, Anthony, who wants a woman who is perfect on paper. Oh, it’s worth recalling that Violet didn’t give daughter Daphne a proper “birds and the bees” talk prior to her marriage, which helped delay Daphne’s Season 1 revelation that Simon could have children, he was just choosing not to. Gemmell is known for her work in Showtime’s “Penny Dreadful,” and Fox’s 2019 drama “Deep State.”
Simon Basset/The Duke of Hastings (Regé-Jean Page)
Simon is the Duke of Hastings and husband to Daphne. He is an old school chum of Anthony Bridgerton, though the two met in a field at dawn for a duel after Anthony caught Simon compromising his sister in Season 1. Page, who played the character, did not return for Season 2 so he will largely be off the page, or screen, rather, as they say. Page is best known right now for his role in “Bridgerton,” but before that, he was in another Shondaland series – “For the People” – which lasted one season on ABC. Since leaving “Bridgerton,” he’s been involved in several high profile projects including the upcoming “Dungeons & Dragons” film.
Penelope Featherington (Nicola Coughlan)
Penelope is the youngest daughter of Lady Portia Featherington and Lord Featherington, the latter of which met an untimely end in Season 1. Her mother shoved her into society earlier than she would have liked and she spends many parties as a wallflower, and crushing on Colin Bridgerton. Rather than waste that time though, Penelope, viewers learned at the end of Season 1, turned her party-hopping into a lucrative pursuit – she is Lady Whistledown (voiced by Julie Andrews). When she’s not having to attend balls with her older sisters, while dressed in an unflattering yellow, Penelope can often be found in the company of her closest friend, Eloise. Coughlan stars in “Derry Girls,” also on Netflix.
Lady Portia Featherington (Polly Walker)
With three daughters and no sons, Lady Featherington is constantly on the lookout for potential matches for her daughters. She’s a pushy mama, who loves hearing and spreading gossip. Her overall goal, though, is to see her girls settled. After all, she knows all too well that their home life isn’t perfect, what with a husband who, prior to his death, gambled away the family fortune. Walker starred as Atia in HBO’s 2005-2007 drama “Rome.” She appeared in 1992’s “Patriot Games” with Harrison Ford, 1996’s “Emma” with Gwyneth Paltrow, and more recently, did “Pennyworth” for EPIX.
Prudence Featherington (Bessie Carter), Philipa Featherington (Harriet Cains)
Prudence is the eldest and Philipa the middle Featherington sisters. They’re both looking for matches, though Philipa seems to have more luck in that department than her older sister. Carter is known for “Beecham House,” and “Howards End” (the latter of which aired on Starz). Cains appeared in Season 2 of “Marcella,” also on Netflix.
Queen Charlotte (Golda Rosheuvel)
In order for aristocratic ladies to enter society, they must be presented to the queen. In Season 1, Queen Charlotte started out as the literal and figurative queen of the town, selecting Daphne Bridgerton as the season’s incomparable, aka, the season’s diamond. But, the Queen was quickly overshadowed by Lady Whistledown, who criticized some of the monarch’s choices. Queen Charlotte is determined to unmask the gossip columnist at some point with the help of her servant, Brimsley (Hugh Sachs). She’s also close friends with Lady Danbury. Shonda Rhimes is writing a Queen Charlotte prequel series. Rosheuvel has appeared across theater, television and film. She was in “Dune,” and the Florence Pugh-starring “Lady MacBeth.”
Lady Danbury (Adjoa Andoh)
Wealthy widow Lady Danbury rules the ton. She’s like a surrogate aunt to the Duke of Hastings, having been his late mother’s closest friend. She took care of Simon, getting him the best tutors money could buy, grooming him to become the duke after his mother died and his father disowned him over his stutter. A fierce force, she wields her tongue like a weapon. Underneath it all, though, she’s a true romantic at heart and was rooting for Simon and Daphne to get together. In Season 2, she’ll be sponsoring the Sharma sisters – Kate and Edwina – as they arrive from India for their debuts. Andoh’s recent credits include roles in “The Witcher” and “Liar.”
Marina Thompson (Ruby Barker)
Marina is a cousin of the Featheringtons who stays with the family for a season after her father pushes her to find a match. She’s secretly pregnant at the start of Season 1, by a lover who has gone off to fight in the war. When Lady Featherington finds out, however, she forces Marina to stay locked in a room. Later, the pushy mama tries to force all manner of bachelors – including several very old men – into Marina’s orbit in the hopes she’ll make a match. Marina, though, manages to catch the eye of Colin Bridgerton. That match, however, is thwarted by Lady Whistledown (Penelope), who reveals Marina’s pregnancy to the ton. At the end of Season 1, Marina leaves with the brother of her lover. Sadly, her beau died, but the elder brother offers to marry her. Barker’s credits include “Wolfblood” and “Doctors.”
Kate Sharma (Simone Ashley)
Kate is the brilliant, but also headstrong oldest sibling in the Sharma family, who comes to London from India with her step-mother, Mary Sharma, and her sister, Edwina (they share the same father). Kate may be making her ton debut in Season 2, under the sponsorship of Lady Danbury who has offered the women her home and guidance, but Kate’s goal is not to find love for herself. Instead, she joins society to help her sister find the perfect match, anointing herself her sister’s guardian, sorting out the good suitors from the bad – and Anthony Bridgerton, following their first meeting, definitely falls into the latter category. Ashley is best known for Netflix’s “Sex Education,” and like her TV love interest, she too appered in the U.K.’s “Broadchurch” in a smaller role.
Edwina Sharma (Charithra Chandran)
Edwina is the daughter of Mary Sharma, and sister to Kate. She is young, beautiful and hopeful about joining London society. The idea of going to balls and soirees is something she can’t wait to do, and she’s pleased to have her beloved sister with her while she does it. Afterall, she knows Kate has her best interests at heart, and plans to help her find only the perfect match. Chandran co-stars in IMDB TV original “Alex Rider.”
Lady Mary Sharma (Shelley Conn)
Lady Mary is the mother of Edwina and step-mother to Kate. She considers Kate her daughter though. Mary married Kate’s father after his wife’s untimely death. She has connections to the ton and clearly Lady Danbury, as she brings her family to stay with the wealthy widow as they take on society. Conn played Danni Prendiville in Cinemax series “Strike Back” in 2010. She’s next up in “Good Omens” Season 2 on Amazon Prime Video.
Theo Sharpe (Calam Lynch)
Theo is a new character in Season 2 who clearly has something to do with a print shop. Lynch had a small role in “Dunkirk,” and appeared in “The Prom” episode of “Derry Girls.”
Lord Edmund Bridgerton (Rupert Evans)
Edmund is the late husband to Lady Violet and the father of the eight Bridgerton children. He died when most of his children were young – Hyacinth actually hadn’t even been born when he passed away. He is remembered fondly for being a good, loving man and a noble Viscount. In Season 2, he is being played in flashback by actor Rupert Evans. Evans recently played Harry on The CW’s “Charmed,” and Frank in “The Man in the High Castle” for Amazon Prime Video.
Will Mondrich (Martins Imhangbe)
Will is a boxer and close friend of Simon, the Duke of Hastings. He ended up throwing a fight toward the end of Season 1, after he was promised money by Lord Featherington that he and his wife could build their future on. Imhangbe has had a robust theater career. He appeared in the film “The Tragedy of King Richard II” in 2019.
Alice Mondrich (Emma Naomi)
Alice is the wife of Will Mondrich. She knew her husband was considering throwing the fight and was hoping he would not. The couple were still in love and going strong at the end of Season 1. Naomi stars in “Professor T” alongside actor Ben Miller.
Cressida Cowper (Jessica Madsen)
Cressida is a high society miss known for her elaborate hairdos and fancy gowns. She’s the apple of her mama’s eye and clearly spoiled. She even intentionally spilled a drink on Penelope in Season 1 when she wanted to dance with Colin. After Daphne was named the diamond of the season, Cressida fumed, especially once Daphne “caught” the eye of the Duke. Cressida fumed even more when Daphne caught the eye of Prince Friedrich, but she just happened to be outside during an intimate moment between her love rival and the Duke, which helped force the pair into marriage. Madsen is another “Bridgerton” cast member who appeared in “Mr Selfridge.” She was also in “Rambo: Last Blood.”
Siena Rosso (Sabrina Bartlett)
Siena is an opera singer who was the mistress of Anthony Bridgerton during part of Season 1. After he got a talking to by his mother about his duty, he ended things with Siena. He attempted to reconcile, even asking Siena to run away with him following his duel with Simon (which didn’t happen), and later asking her to go to Daphne and Simon’s ball on his arm, to make them official. She, however, knew it wasn’t going to work and turned him down leaving the Viscount heartbroken. Bartlett has had many roles across British TV. She actually played Arya Stark in a “Game of Thrones” episode where Arya wore a new face and killed Lord Walder Frey. She is also known for Masterpiece’s “Poldark.”
Madame Delacroix (Kathryn Drysdale)
Madame Delacroix, or Genevieve to her friends, is the London-based modistet responsible for many of the gorgeous gowns seen at the balls and while promenading. She also gets involved in an intimate relationship with Benedict Bridgerton in Season 1. Drysdale played Meghan Markle in the U.K. TV series “The Windsors.”
