Known for her role in ‘Dune: Prophecy’, Ha steps into the world of the Ton in this season’s romantic storyline, marking her first major role in the ‘Bridgerton’ universe.
In an interview with ‘Tudum’, Ha shared insights into her character, Sophie Baek, a resourceful young woman who has spent her life working as a maid.Her life changes dramatically when she disguises herself to attend Violet Bridgerton’s masquerade ball, where she meets Benedict Bridgertonsetting the stage for a captivating love story.“What drew me to Sophie was that she immediately faces obstacles — constantly overcoming challenges, whether it’s her social status or hiding her feelings from Benedict,” Ha revealed during rehearsals.
She explained how Sophie’s emotional journey intrigued her, particularly in scenes involving the theme of masks: “When does Sophie put on this mask to cover her emotions? Or when does she take it off and soften up? Playing with those questions has been really fun.”
Ha, an Australian actress of Korean descent, also touched on the significance of her character’s Korean surname. In Julia Quinn’s original book series, the character’s name is Sophie Beckettbut the ‘Bridgerton’ showrunner, Jess Brownell, changed it to Sophie Baek to honour Ha’s heritage.
“A name is the first bit of identity you share with the world, and changing a name can be so powerful,” Ha explained. “To make Sophie’s name fit someone who looks like me is really empowering. All credit to Jess Brownell for that. It’s a way for me to feel the role is truly mine, rather than me fitting into a predefined mould.”
As for the upcoming season, ‘Bridgerton’ fans can expect the focus to shift to Benedict Bridgerton, played by Luke Thompson. In Season 4, the bohemian second son finds himself captivated by Sophie after meeting her at his mother’s masquerade ball, despite his initial reluctance to settle down, even as his elder and younger brothers have already done so.
‘Bridgerton’ Season 3 Trailer: Adjoa Andoh and Julie Andrews starrer ‘Bridgerton’ Official Trailer
