Nicola Coughlan Opens Up About Filming Intimate Scenes on Bridgerton ( Photo Credit – IMDb )
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Dear Readers,
As the cast of Bridgerton celebrated the premiere of Season 3 at Alice Tully Hall, star Nicola Coughlan revealed what it was like for her to film intimate scenes with co-star Luke Newton.
The Netflix series Bridgerton, adapted from Historical Romance Novel author Julia Quinn’s books, has become a cultural phenomenon dominating drawing room conversations with each season’s premiere since 2020. Shonda Rhimes’ helmed series, which slightly diverges from the books set in whitewashed Regency-era London, has been praised for its unique blend of romance, wit, drama, and inclusivity.
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The series follows the story of the esteemed Bridgerton family’s alphabetically named siblings: Anthony, Benedict, Colin, Daphne, Eloise, Francesca, Gregory and Hyacinth.
Like seasons one and two, which featured Daphne Bridgerton (Phoebe Dynevor) and Anthony Bridgerton (Jonathan Bailey) as leads, season three diverts from the book order and focuses on Bridgerton’s sibling Colin (Luke Newton). It is unclear why Benedict was cast aside for Colin, but it’s Shonda Rhimes’ world, and we’re all just grateful to live in it.
At the end of Season 2, Penelope Featherington (Nicola Coughlan) was unmasked as Lady Whistledown by Claudia Jessie’s Eloise Bridgerton. While celebrating the premiere of Season 3 at Alice Tully Hall, Nicola Coughlan told Deadline the new season will explore how Penelope will juggle her friendship with Eloise and her romantic feelings for Colin.
Nicola also opened up about filming steaming scenes with Luke Newton, with whom, like the books, she shares a close friendship off-screen. Talking about filming intimate scenes with Luke Newton, The Derry Girls star said, “I was intimated at first.”
Nicola explained she felt at ease after reading the script and then filming the scenes, adding, “They were even better than I expected ’cause they’re beautiful. They’re funny, they’re smart, they’re sexy, they’re suspenseful…. they’re everything, I’m super proud.”
Earlier this month, Nicola told E! News she had “a certain physical comfort level” with Luke prior to filming the intimate scenes, as they were dance partners for five years. Talking about their on-screen chemistry, Luke told the publication that it was effortless for the couple to enact the steamy scenes. He said, “It was natural; we didn’t have to do anything to ignite that.”
Nicola added that the characters’ innate chemistry from the first two seasons organically exploded in season 3. She reflected, “We just went for it. We had to kind of hold back on the chemistry for the first two seasons. And then it was like when we were ready to unleash it, we were like, ‘Here you go!'”
Meanwhile, during a recent red carpet appearance, Luke Newton compared Colin Bridgerton and Penelope Featherington’s relationship to Ross and Rachel’s from Friends. He told Deadline, “They’re perfect for each other, but it never quite works out. There’s always some sort of obstacle, and that’s what we really explore this season.”
Bridgerton Season 3 Part 1 will drop on Netflix on May 16, and Part 2 will be released on June 13.
