The Bridgerton series has shown us one thing for certain: nothing is predetermined. Based on Julia Quinn’s novels, the show transports viewers to the early 1800s London Regency era. It follows the eight Bridgerton siblings through the fiercely competitive social season, where young noblemen and women are introduced into society for marriage. However, by the third season, the series takes a significant shift.
Each year, when a new season premieres, devoted fans of the series—particularly those who have thoroughly read the books—flood social media with complaints about the show not adhering strictly to the source material. While their grievances are understandable, isn’t life more interesting with a bit of creativity and variation? And hasn’t it always been common for films based on books to deviate slightly? Consider “Game of Thrones” and even our very own “Americanah.”
Unlike the first two seasons, which followed the book order, the third season of Bridgerton focuses on Colin and Penelope’s love story, based on the fourth novel “Romancing Mister Bridgerton,” rather than Benedict’s. But, that’s not the only focus of the season. There’s also the love story of Francesca Bridgerton and Lord Edward, and a subtle, yet mature blossoming romance between Lady Violet and Lord Marcus Anderson – a different dynamic from what viewers and readers are familiar with.
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When we asked Daniel Francis, who played Lord Anderson, what he found interesting about portraying this type of mature love compared to the typical young love narratives we’ve seen in the series so far, he said, “We’re never too old for love.”
He believes the show’s beauty lies in its range, offering stories of love at all different ages and stages of life. Portraying this kind of mature, second-chance love is important because “we need love at all stages of our lives,” Daniel says. A confirmation of this was also when he was at the US embassy in Paris, people came up to him, wanting to take photos and expressing how the show had impacted them – validating the blossoming love story between Lady Bridgerton and Lord Anderson. It was a confirmation that no one is too old for love.
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In Bridgerton, Daniel is the charming and smooth Lord Marcus Anderson. Charming because he looks like an eligible suitor, and smooth because he went straight for the shot the first time he set his eyes on Lady Bridgerton. Daniel is known for his roles in “The Wheel of Time,” “Stay Close,” and “Liaison.” One might wonder how his previous experiences would help him fit into the role of a lord in Bridgerton, but the trained actor from the UK’s LAMDA Drama School, who began his acting career in theatre and has taken on classical roles with the Royal Shakespeare Company, says every approach to every role he has played is different.
“I don’t necessarily have a distinct approach, but it always starts with the text and what’s on the page of the writer. And then trying to understand the kind of function of the role within the greater story. And then also, I guess, what part of myself resonates with the character and what part of myself I want to explore and express through the character as well. So it’s always a different approach, but I guess there are some fundamentals. I’ve got to look at what I respect about the character, what I admire about the character, even if they’re a bad character, I’ve got to find some aspects of their humanity that I can kind of dial into and want to express and explore. So it’s always different.
Daniel joined Bridgerton in its third season, and the series has become such a cultural phenomenon that everyone is talking about it. Being part of such a successful show is a wonderful experience for him. He describes it as “a real honour and a real treat as an actor, but also just as a human being. For me, I’ve always wanted to do work that touches people. I think that’s one of the things that drives me on a day-to-day basis, both in acting and also in technology that I’m involved in as well. And so to see and feel the impact you’re having on people and to be a part of a project that resonates so strongly with fans is a real treat. It’s not normal. It’s a wonderful thing.”
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The third season holds sweet memories for Daniel. He reflects on one moment that he’ll forever cherish: how the cast and crew celebrated his birthday. “We were in a church, and we were all seated in the audience, the whole cast. There was a massive choir of about 30 people. The director, Tom Berker, just turned around and said, ‘OK, you know, one, two, three.” And then they start singing Happy Birthday to me. And I was like, wow. It was just the most beautiful moment because, you know, just that level of attention and care. And you really feel that when you’re a part of this company and you’re a part of this kind of show, you do feel looked after. You feel looked after. So it’s beautiful.
We asked Daniel who his favourite character and couple in the series are. If you guessed Eloise Bridgerton and ‘Polin,’ you nailed it!
We know actors usually don’t reveal much about future seasons, and Daniel didn’t prove otherwise when we tried to get him to tell us if we’ll see him in the next season. We tried, but we hope that in the next season, we’ll see a full-blown love story between Lord Anderson and Lady Bridgerton. Fingers crossed.