Why Didn t Benedict Recognize Sophie Bridgerton The Official Podcast Ep 2

It's where I feel my happiest, it's on the Bridgerton set. Are you serious? Yeah. Not in Birmingham? Hey, listen. Are you all right? That's without, that goes without saying. Dearest gentle reader, welcome back to the Bridgerton podcast. I'm Lady Alison Hammond, your host for the event of the season. This is the podcast where I sit down for high tea and bonbons with the stars of Bridgerton, plus a few of the talented individuals who bring the tarn to life. But first, a spoiler warning. We are going to be doing a deep dive on the new season of Bridgerton. So if you haven't already seen the first four episodes of season four on Netflix, you better do it now. Have you watched it? Great, isn't it? It's a family affair today as I'll be hosting members of Mayfair's most respectful family, the Bridgertons. We have Hannah Dodd and Claudia Jessie, aka sisters Francesca and Eloise. I'll be chatting about avoiding suitors and keeping your biscuits warm, if you know what I mean. Then we have a fan favourite, Mama Bridgerton herself, Ruth Gemmell. Yes, Lady Violet will be joining us with Luke Thompson, who plays her wayward son, Benedict, for a lovely chat and probably a bit of family therapy, to be honest with you. Now let's hop off the shelf and have a good old natter with Bridgerton's sisters, Hannah Dodd and Claudia Jessie. Hannah, Claudia, welcome to Bridgerton. Look at this. Isn't it beautiful? It's so beautiful. Look at the moving wisteria. It's everything. Well, welcome. I hope you feel at home. Indeed. So, part one. Girls, let's get into this. You both are kind of outsiders in the family a little bit, but where are we finding you both now? Do you still both love each other? Can you imagine that's how we started the season? I know. Oh, I don't know. You might be sick of Eloise because she sort of gate crashed your honeymoon, really. Absolutely not. We've seen us coming out of that carriage together. Yeah, she's buzzing to get home. We've just come back from Scotland. Yes. And apparently Eloise is done. She's done. Over it. She's not feeling it, is she? No, I don't know that Scotland went as planned, as to plan as we were hoping for, but I'm not sick of you at all. That's good. That's good. I think they're ready to be home. I think both of them want to be home a little bit. Yeah, yeah. Scotland was crowded and also empty all at the same time. Yeah, too much for you. Exactly. But yeah, they're on good terms, of course. That's good. That's lovely. But obviously a lot of pressure to produce an heir at the moment. I mean, how did you deal with that situation? She was under a lot of pressure last season with the ton and trying to meet her husband and then trusting her gut and going with the husband that she actually wants. And then now she's got new pressure with trying to produce an heir. I think like every stage of life for a woman in this era, in every era is stressful and there's a lot of pressure. I know. And I think with that pressure that she's putting on herself, it doesn't help things either. But also she's got no information. So she's running around town, bless her, trying to work out what it is that she's meant to be doing, which is really cute. She's very anxious, is it she? She's a little bit anxious, yeah. What about you two in general? Do you love working with each other now? Oh, yeah. Is it just like being at home? I got the gig like nearly seven years ago, like which is mad to think. And as soon as we're back on set, it's as bonkers as always. For example, like the drawing room scenes, when we're in the Bridgerton living room or whatever, that's when we're going nuts. By like 11, 15, we're shattered because we've just been laughing so much, been badly behaved and stuff. But it's where I feel my happiest is on the Bridgerton set. Are you serious? Yeah. Not in Birmingham? Hey, listen. Are you all right? That goes without saying. Work-wise. I just found out that we've got the same waxing place. We've got the same waxing place. Big shout out to Vanessa, by the way. Taking care of me and Alison. In every way. Let's talk. Oh, I don't know why I've gone to this subject, but let's talk about the pinnacle. Like literally. Whilst we're down there. Whilst we're down there, let's talk about the pinnacle because honestly, that mix of comedy, but also vulnerability. It's such a lovely, it's so wonderful. And when Nicola explains it, Penelope, it's just brilliant. I mean, thank goodness she does because Ruth was useless. Mum's never been good at telling the girls what an orgasm is. She's not been brilliant in that department. Was it nice exploring that side of her though? I just really feel for her in the sense that like, how is she meant to find this out? Especially when they are two introverts. So then it's not a conversation that John and Fran are having. And if she's not had this information, where else is she going to go to get it? Other than the women in her life. So it's so nice to see her. I mean, first of all, obviously she does try mum, but the fact that she can actually rely on Penelope to give her the actual information that she needs. But that's kind of a savage scene for you because you walk in and we're like, Yeah, they're all having this secret conversation. I'm like, okay, great. Yeah, Eloise, how do you think Eloise about seeing her sister with her bestie? Eloise is like so determined to sort of pave her own way. But then I think she's got so many roadblocks all the time, whether it's like realising that she might make a decision for herself and be like, oh, I'm going to try and be on the shelf, for example, and then sees why that's going to be so difficult. Or I'm going to try and just live independently and then sees all of the people around her sort of falling in love. And I just think she just needs to find a way of it becoming like a happy medium for her, I think. And it's great. I feel like Eloise learns something huge every season. And it's the age that you would. I guess she's so young. I mean, even higher since she's 80 as well. She can't get enough of the stuff. She wants all parts of it. Literally surrounded by marriage. Everyone's saying, put a ring on it. Yeah, I know. And she's like, no, it's all the single ladies. How much do you think Eloise has grown throughout the seasons? I'd say a great amount. And that's a lot through the friendship she has with Penelope. Yeah. There's something about your family. They know you so well. And there's the unconditional stuff she has with her siblings and mum. But I've said before, I think there's a bit of a lovable eye roll with the family with Eloise, like Eloise doing her thing again. But I think with the friendship she has with Penelope and their breakup in previous seasons, I think that's where she got to do a lot of her growth, really. Because I think Penelope and Eloise found out who they were a little bit more apart, actually. But there's still loads more for her to do. But it's lovely that each time it's from another person has taught her something. I think she learns those from Fran. I think she learns from Hyacinth, Penelope. I hope it works out perfectly in the way that Eloise wants it to. That's what I hope. How much fun do you have with that Nicola? Oh, yeah. Who doesn't have fun with Nicola? With that Nicola. You know, we've got the same hairdressers. Well, technically, so do me and you. Averagely, we're all got the same people. Don't be asking Vanessa any questions about me. Was she liking it? Not at all. I'm not having any of that. Can I just say that lovely sibling heart to heart that you have on the swing with your brother? It's such a beautiful, sweet moment. Yeah, yeah. Me and Luke have always looked forward to those scenes and hoped they reoccurred in every season. But I think there's room for that to be a bit of a shift as well in this season. I think it's a safe place for Eloise. I think she probably just goes out there to think. It's a really romantic way of showing that connection. It's beautiful. Yeah, I do love those scenes. And obviously, Michaela, she comes into the scene. You ain't happy, are you? I know, I know. She always kind of messes things up a little bit, doesn't she? But in the best way possible. I think she's just like a tornado of energy that definitely does something to Francesca. And I think she finds her quite a confronting presence. Yeah, do you think there's any room that you could possibly grow friends at some point? Is there any room for her? We've not got a very big house at Bridgerton. We don't want her around. No space. No, I think they need to work each other. I think they're very different people. And I think Francesca kind of, she's got a lot on her plate at the moment. And she needs to work it through methodically. And yeah, Michaela's an energy that kind of messes everything up. And I think she just needs to, she wants to feel like she's doing things right. And she's the complete opposite. She wants to see like Francesca a bit uncomfortable and just having fun. And that's like the opposite of who she is. It's so good to have you back, girls. Honestly, it's nice to have your outfits back on. Oh yeah, I love them. John Glazer is one of the most incredible costume designers ever. One of the reasons I'll say he's particularly beautiful as well is because everybody that works for him loves working for him. And I think that says so much. Like they just love working for him. Imagine that, like just adoring your boss that much. He is incredible. They're not stressful. They're not like intense. He's really like fluid with everything. He's just a, he's a very funny man. The whole team are beautiful. And they are like tailor-made to us throughout the season, right? So they're comfy. Yeah, exactly. They are, they really are. If you, yeah. They are. You're always in fittings, like. Yeah. Yeah, you're really good at that. What do you need to do? She's really good. Because she'll like lift her arms immediately to be like, I can't lift them beyond this point. Oh, I'll forget. And then I'll get to the set and be like, I can't get my cup of tea. I don't know what I do in a fitting though. It's like, I assume that Francesca is going to be like lunging in every scene. Of all of the characters, I'll probably be fine. Yeah. Bridgerton sort of is the costume. They are the costumes as well. Like, they make the world. Yeah. Don't they? Everything, isn't it? Yeah, everything. The set design, the hair and makeup, like all of that. They do so much of the work for us. It's a real magic place to be. And thank goodness they do it because I'm very happy you guys are back. Yay! Looking forward to seeing you in part two, girls. Thank you so much. Thank you. Thank you, Alison. Penelope, I beg you. No similes, no analogies, no sentimentalities. I just need answers. Okay, well, I was so excited to chat to Hannah and Claudia. Weren't they a treat? So we've met the sisters. Let's meet the matriarch behind them. Ruth Gemmel, who plays Lady Violet, who is not just a fan favourite. She's one of my favourites too. She wears many hats. Mother, grandmother, respectable society lady, and steamy little teapot. I sat down with her and Luke Thompson, who plays her son, Benedict, to talk Bridgerton family dynamics. Hello, Mother. You are two hours late yet again. You were meant to chaperone Eloise. I have been here. Perhaps you did not recognise me and my mask. You know, I do not believe that we are serving gin this evening, and yet I can smell it all over you. Ruth, Luke, it's so lovely to have you on my podcast. It's lovely to be here. It's nice to be here. And what about being in the Bridgerton city? I know, I know. I really like that. It feels nice, doesn't it? It's nice for the second time. It doesn't lose its glow. You're with your mum now. Yeah. This lovely relationship. Yeah. What a wonder to see you two and your relationship change. First of all, Ruth, what's it like seeing Luke take centre stage? It's fantastic. He's lovely to work with. It's a real joy. Although... Are you just saying that? No, he makes me coarse. You do make me coarse. You coarse? No, no, no. Well, we're a bad combo. Yeah, we are really. Sometimes we can't look at each other. Yes. That's the worst thing he's done, Ruth. Come on, you can offload here. There was a scene that actually had nothing to do with us other than we just had to look and we couldn't look at each other at all. And the camera, you know, it was fine for the first few shots, then the camera got closer and closer. It was dreadful. And we got more and more hysterical. Absolutely dreadful. And you can tell when the crew are a bit like, come on, guys. But it's just when it's in you, when the demon's in you, you can't... It's because you're not supposed to do it. When you're not supposed to. It's funny, isn't it? It's the worst. You've had moments like that. A few. Yeah. One or two. You might have been privy to it. Some of my best bits are the worst bits, for me anyway. Let's get into this because it is such a beautiful relationship. However, Violet is not very happy with Benedict's extra curricular activities going on in the bachelor pad. How did she react when she was in the bachelor pad? I think she was expecting a bit of a bit of mess. I think she was quite shocked. And I think discovering the women there was kind of really... That was a step too far, really. Yeah, he's disappointed her quite a lot at the moment because he's... Well, you've taken the reins. You've taken the reins from Anthony and you're not turning up or you turn up drunk or you don't come at all. Or late. And late's interesting, right? Because you always wonder when someone's being late if it's deliberate. They can sort of say, oh, sorry. It's deliberate. So what do you think Violet truly, truly wants from Benedict? To settle down. He needs to take responsibility. I kind of want that for all my kids, really. I'm really quite an overbearing mother. I am. Do you think Benedict wants the same for himself? I think he's trying to reconcile what's settling down or the idea of... I think in his head, he hears settling down and because he values his freedom so highly, I think he sees it as something boring or something that will restrict him. And actually, in a strange kind of way, freedom after a while kind of restricts you because it can become a bit of a cage. You get a bit lost in just sort of trying to constantly, you know, just find new stuff. And actually, there's huge excitement and value in settling down or choosing someone and committing someone. But I think Benedict has to work that out for himself. It's one of the things that mums know, I think. And mums can say again and again, but she's using the words that don't quite square with his idea yet. No. Yet. Yeah, it takes a while. Your relationship definitely takes a little shift when the woman in silver comes along. How does it change your relationship? After I've had a conversation with Penelope and I understand that she's writing about Benedict, I think I kind of like that scene where she kind of runs rings around you. Yeah. It's good fun and it's kind of nice then because finally, you see that I can be of use. Yeah. And there's that lovely moment sort of threading through with Eloise on the swings where the final thing Benedict says is, you know, oh, our mother may surprise you. Yeah. You know, and I love that because I think it is, it's like he's seen, he's like, oh yeah, I can see that there's something of value here. Obviously, it's lined up with the fact that he has met this mysterious lady. Yeah. But he's quite secretive, Benedict, so it takes a while to... To give in. Give in. But when he does, I think he, yeah, you know, he's willing to sort of give it a go and see if he can be of use. And he can be of use. But you can see how much they truly love each other, especially you. He introduced you to this girl called Sophie. Yes. And straight away, there's been a bit of gossip going on, so you're like a bit dubious. But as soon as he says, look, she saved my life, you're in. Absolutely. And you love him that much, you're like, oh, let's set this stranger in. Yeah. And I trust him implicitly. I might be irritated by him. I'm irritated by all the children, but I love them equally. And you understand their love life, don't you? You get it. Yeah. You get where they're at. I'm a step ahead of most of them, aren't I? I wish I was like that in life. I really do. Well, it's instinct, isn't it? She just has an instinct, I think, like a lot of mums do. I think they just know somewhat. Ruth, why do you think Violet takes such a shine to Sophie? What is it? I think she's intrigued by her. I think she's surprised by, you know, this woman is educated in a way that staff wouldn't have been then. And I think she's intrigued by that. I think they have a conversation and she finds out that she doesn't have her parents anymore. And I think that means something to her. And I see somebody who's hardworking and somebody who saved my son's life. And I grow very fond of her. So it's kind of a very tentative... As soon as I realise there's some kind of spark between the two of you, it's something I have to stop because you can ruin her, really. What's so interesting is that Benedict is not scared to tell his mum about herself, is he? He's not scared of her at all, is he? Well, I don't know. It's funny, like, I think he holds things back from her, but I think she's the person that's very difficult for him to really get angry at. Like, you know, I think that whole family has been nicked by the dad dying. Yeah. And so, you know, Benedict has seen his mum mourn and all of them mourn. And so, you know, they are a family so close and so united, I think, because of grief. They've held each other very tightly growing up. And the problem is when you fall in love, falling in love or falling for someone is a little door outside of that family unit. You never really leave it. But, you know, you... It's a new part. And so it's doubly hard if the family unit is nicked by that memory of something horrible happening. And that's also, like, you know, sadly, that's Benedict's example of, like, a loving relationship, is his mum losing everything. So you can see why it takes him a while to really open up, I think. Maybe that's the reason why he struggles with it. Yeah. Is the death of his father? Definitely. I think that's definitely a part of it. I'm getting into my actor mode now. Yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah. When you're preparing for these roles, though, how much work beforehand do you put into it? Do you have a little notebook? How does it work? Right at the very beginning, I read all the books and I used to go back to them. But I think the scripts quite often now take a slightly different path. So I've had to just go... You're like, what? Yeah, exactly. Kind of leave them behind. But I did write down from every single book, I wrote things down about how you all talked about me or how I talked about you lot, so that I had some kind of reference, even if they made no sense. And quite often some script will come along and it'll make no sense whatsoever. But it's helped me to kind of gear into it. Yeah, and you go back to it and just have a little look. We started this in 2019. Yeah, so there's a nice sort of bedrock of stuff that's already there. A history there already. Yeah, there is a history. Because if you're doing a play, I guess, or something like that, you have to create all this history. But here with a long form TV thing, there's this huge... I mean, there is already a backstory. The backstory's the story. It's us. Yeah, and then you've got the other backstory of the fact that the cast, in real life, you're making a bond there as well. Totally, you have that affinity already. You're becoming family in another way. Yeah, that's right. That's so lovely. What do you think Violet would have said if she knew that Benedict had asked Sophie to be a mistress? She'd be appalled. What do you think? Yeah. I said that like your mum. Yeah. But really and truly, Benedict, he only ever saw that as the only way because he couldn't see that another way. You know what? You're a real Benedict champion. I've spoken to many journalists and a lot of people are appalled by Benedict, but I feel like you're really in his corner and I really appreciate it. With every person, you've got to see the positives in them as well, do you know what I mean? And see where they're coming from. Yes. So he does do some dick moves, but you've got to kind of understand he didn't see another way out. No, I think it's his idea, I think, of a really good offer. And I think it's his idea of... You'll ruin her. Yes, but it's also sort of striking because it's sort of so, you know, we've seen this very soft, relaxed, easy side of Benedict and actually, at his centre, he is very anxious about love. The fact that he's like, OK, well, you can be my mistress and then I'll be in society. It feels very sort of like, I always say, he looks a bit like a sort of traditional man turned inside out, like all the soft stuff is outside. Yeah. And actually, the slightly more controlled side is very well hidden. It's a solution that will work for him, though. I do think he's... What I will say, in his defence, is Sophie hasn't told him that... She's holding back as well, but she hasn't told him that she's the Lady of Silver. I know. So we're both being a bit... Why did he not recognise her? Yeah. I know. It's all in the mouth. I know. You was dreaming about the mouth the whole time. We're all a bit dimmy. In the tonneau, they're all a bit dim. I mean, you know, it's like we're all a bit surprised when we take the mask off and it's a bit low. But, you know, we can... I also think on a sort of more metaphorical level, I do think we can... Everyone is blind up to a point. Everyone has huge blind spots. You know, we all have that friend that we... Or friends or even ourselves that we look at and there's a part of us that we just don't see and we don't understand. And that can last for years, you know. Right, let's talk about Lord Anderson. And this... You're taking things very slow at the moment. And I absolutely love it. How does Violet navigate this with obviously the death of Edmund? How does she navigate this new relationship in her life? I think she thinks she's being really discreet. But a bit of a sledgehammer really, isn't it? There's a moment between her and Mrs. Wilson because she can't actually talk about sex. So, you know, she was slightly better with Francesca, but not much better than she was with Daphne. So when she talks to Mrs. Wilson, she can only describe it in terms of someone coming around for tea. So I think that thing that Mrs. Wilson says, she says, everyone deserves tea. You know? What does that even say about you as a character, Violet as a character, as a woman? The fact that I can't talk about it. Her maid would cover for her. Do you know what I mean? And do that. She was so lovely. I hope she's not sitting outside the door. She might have been. She might have. What an iconic line. Surely you're going to make a t-shirt with that on. Maybe a hat. I am the tea. There's another funny one where you go, I have a friend. I know. When's that bit, Lou? It's higher synths recital and they're setting up for it. I'm introducing the fact to the kids that, you know, that, you know, I have a friend. And do you think the kids know, don't they? No, they haven't a clue. Do you think they know? No. They're not remotely interested. Benedict knows Downey's mum's having a little bit on the side. I'm not as discreet as I think I am. Yeah, and I think particularly kids who are busy discovering their own love lives, it's almost like they can't, it's almost like they have to factor, you know, it's why kids can be a bit funny. You know, like having sex and all of that. I think it is just, you're like, I can't think about that because I have to focus on me. Yeah. You know, it's self-absorbed. I'm so glad that she's actually giving herself this joy. Yeah. She's always concentrating on someone else. Agreed. This is her time, isn't it? Yeah. There's a great line in part one, reality is where love grows. How does this shape Benedict? It's the beginning of him learning that lesson, I think. I think he would eventually, further down the line, might retort to Violet that actually fantasy is also, like it's the combination, I think, of, for Benedict, I think, his way of loving, I think there's, yes, reality. And actually what happens at the end of episode four is his version of like, okay, I'm going to be realistic about this. But I think what he realizes, he also has to be true to the part of him that is a bit purer and a bit more fantastical about all of those things. And I think there was this really good tagline which Jess told me, the showrunner, which is, between reality and fantasy, true love meets in the middle, is the meeting point of reality and fantasy. The fantasy part is not just the honeymoon period. You need a bit of innocence and a bit of magic, occasionally, to get you through the hard bit. What do you think, Ruth? I think that's true. I think that's a really lovely line that actually shapes it. I know, yeah. But it is, I mean, it is effectively, that is the story because Sophie is more realistic and Benedict is more of a fantasist. So it is, that's their story. And that's where true love meets, it's sort of like in the middle. There has to be a bit of both, which I'm sure Violet agrees with. But he hears reality and he's like, yes, there is something to be said about that. But then his version of being realistic is doing what he does at the end of four and that doesn't go so well. No, it doesn't at all. Yeah. Tell me about the scenes where you're all together, the group scenes. Have those dynamics changed over the seasons? The family scenes? Yeah, not much, no. Has it not? I think crew find them really irritating because we just arse about. Yeah. We really do. There's a lot of laughter. Yeah. But that was true since day one, wasn't it? And it just hasn't, it hasn't let up, has it? No, not at all. Oh, I love it. And Luke, did your brothers, Jonathan and Luke, give you any advice on taking the lead role? I know that had I wanted advice and had wanted to go to them, they were absolutely a good man. Knowing that that was the case maybe made it easier for me to just slightly go it alone. But I think the reason why I wanted to go it alone a bit is that I think having watched them over the last few seasons, like it's such an individual, it's so different for everyone. The pressures and the things that actors find stressful in that position of leading a show. Yeah. Are so different depending on the actor and different actors will find different things difficult. What did you find difficult? I think I found... Did you eat well? Or did you exercise? Yeah, yeah, I did all of those things. Did you drink water? Yeah, I think, you know what it is? I think I got frustrated. Like sometimes I think when your mind is really working, but your body is giving up. There was one point where I got the flu. And I remember lying at home furious because I was like, I'm holding everything up. This is so annoying. And also just wanting to, you know, get on with it. Like, you know, your shoot has a proper momentum. Yeah. Being in a leading position like that, you actually get so much energy. You feed off everyone else and everyone's available to you because you're in and out, you know, you're in there every day. So it's not a question of mental energy. It was just... And so that's why it was so annoying when my... Physically. Yeah, when my body just gave up. What about you? You didn't drink any water, what were you doing? Well, because you're in this corset, going to the toilet is a ******* nightmare. Honestly, it's a real... So then you stop drinking. So then you give yourself some kind of infection. And then by the time you go home, you're knackered. You don't bother exercising. So come the end of the year, the end of the season, I put on so much weight. Really? Yeah, my tits are up here. Honestly, it's a nightmare. Everything gets just shoved up to the top. It's a disaster. So just out of interest, do you think Violet thrives off her children's love lives or do you think she just gets sick of it? I think there's a bit of both. I think she's a bit of a gossip. Before she knew Lady Whistledown was Penelope, I think she found it an irritant and a bit of manna from heaven because it's the ton. I think those children irritate her and she loves them equally. I really do. And what do you think? Do you think you're loved equally as a child of the Bridgerton household? Yeah, I think so. Yeah, yeah, yeah. I think Benedict's problem that actually I think is mentioned in the book is the idea of like, you know, he's the man who would like to feel a little less of a Bridgerton, a little bit more of himself. Yeah. A little bit more himself. And so I think through who you are, like Violet represents that family. So it's trying to put a distance, you know, that doesn't mean sort of cutting off, but it means trying to sort of work out who he is and how... And independence. Yeah, and independence, whilst also, you know, not wanting to abandon his family or his mum or, you know. Yeah. I think it's, which is, you know, universal stuff, right? Everyone knows what that's like. Can I just say, I am loving part one. Good. Absolutely loving it. Thank you so much for coming to talk to me. Oh, pleasure. Ruth, we're going to have another session, me and you, without a doubt. And maybe another session with you. Who knows? Not that kind of session. Or maybe. Thank you so much for joining our podcast. Thank you. Well, that's it. That's our show. A big thanks to my wonderful guests, Hannah Dodd and Claudia Jesse, Luke Thompson and the wonderful Ruth Gemmel. Now, Ruth will be back next episode with her man, Lord Anderson, played by Daniel Francis. I've got so much I want to ask them. Let's just hope our chat's not too rude to broadcast. We'll also have Yerin Ha back, joined by her wicked stepmother, Katie Leung. Don't worry. She's lovely in real life. See you then.