Bridgerton has found its newest leading lady in actress Yerin Ha.
Ha has been cast as Sophie Baek, the love interest of season 4 lead Benedict Bridgerton, played by Luke Thompson, Netflix announced Wednesday.
Ha is an Australian-born actress of Korean descent. She played Kwan Ha in Halo, the series based on the video game franchise of the same name, and can also be seen in the forthcoming Dune: Prophecy, a prequel series to the Dune films.
The streamer says Sophie Baek “has been forced to spend much of her life working as a maid for the most demanding employer in the ton. But the resourceful Sophie always finds a way to persevere through her circumstances — which will drastically change after she disguises herself to attend Violet Bridgerton’s masquerade ball and meets Benedict Bridgerton.”
“What drew me to Sophie was that she immediately has obstacles — something that she constantly has to overcome,” Ha told Tudum, “whether it’s this battle around social status or trying to hide her feelings from Benedict.”
Fans of Julia Quinn‘s Bridgerton book series will notice the character’s last name on the show is different from the page, changing from Sophie Beckett — a nod to Ha’s background.
“A name is the first bit of identity that you share with the world, and that’s why changing a name can be so powerful. To make Sophie’s name fit someone who looks like me is really empowering,” Ha said, crediting showrunner Jess Brownell for making the change.
She adds, “It’s a really nice way for me to feel like the role is fit for me, rather than me having to fit a certain mold. … So it means a lot that Jess did that for me.”
No release date has yet been announced for the eight-episode fourth season of Bridgerton.
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