Bridgerton fans have been waiting to meet Benedict’s love interest, and Netflix reportedly found the perfect Sophie in actress Yerin Ha.
Netflix confirmed on Wednesday, September 11, that Ha, 29, has been cast as Sophie in Bridgerton season 4.
“What drew me to Sophie was that she immediately has obstacles — something that she constantly has to overcome,” Ha said during an interview with Tudum. “Whether it’s this battle around social status or trying to hide her feelings from Benedict.”
The announcement came nearly a month after Variety reported the casting news. The actress also confirmed that her character’s last name would be changed from Beckett to Baek.
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Ha, an Australia native, has previously starred in the Halo TV series and Bad Behavior. She is also set to star in the upcoming HBO show Dune: Prophecy as Young Kasha.
Earlier this summer, Netflix confirmed that the fourth season of the regency romance would follow Julia Quinn‘s third Bridgerton book, An Offer From a Gentleman. The novel follows Benedict (Luke Thompson) as he finally meets his match.
“Despite his elder and younger brothers both being happily married, Benedict is loath to settle down — until he meets a captivating Lady in Silver at his mother’s masquerade ball,” Netflix’s official synopsis reads.
Of course, when viewers last saw Benedict, he wasn’t ready to tie the knot just yet. He was exploring his sexuality, engaging in a threesome with Lady Tilley Arnold (Hannah New) and Paul Suarez (Lucas Aurelio).
Showrunner Jess Brownell seemed to confirm that Benedict and Sophie were still soulmates after she gender-swapped Francesca’s (Hannah Dodd) love interest from Michael to Michaela.
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“The introduction of Sophie is definitely still in the cards, but we are going to continue to explore his fluidity,” Brownell told TheWrap in June after Benedict’s arc confirmed that he is part of the LGBTQIA+ community. “This is not the end of that story line.”
Brownell added that she was “very excited” to follow Benedict’s upcoming love story, telling Netflix’s Tudum, “It felt important for him to explore the fullness of himself before he settles down. He is someone who has big appetites, and we wanted to see him living a big life before he goes into settle-down mode. I’m excited for where we’re going with him in Season 4. There are a lot of things I want to say about it, but I should probably wait.”
The new season is already in production, with costume fittings starting last month. It seems Benedict will get the impressive Bridgerton glow-up as he steps into the leading role.
Costume cutter Lewis Westing offered a behind-the-scenes look via Instagram. “Luke Thompson/ Benedict In his trailer doing a 1st fitting with the last style of coat we made for him on season 3,” he captioned a since-deleted snap on July 24. “The picture might not show it but he was genuinely happy with this new look.”
Westing added in the comments section: “Just you wait, we had our 1st fitting of Season 4 today, and your [sic] in for a treat. I even got a kiss on the head, he was so elated with the glow up.”
Netflix has not yet announced a Bridgerton season 4 premiere date.
