Shondaland’s Bridgerton on Netflix casts series leads and 10 more

Big news out of Netflix and Shondaland today! The cast for the upcoming Shondaland series Bridgerton has been announced.

The eight-episode series Bridgerton will be led by Phoebe Dynevor (Dickensian), who will play Daphne Bridgerton, and Regé-Jean Page (For the People), who will play Simon Basset, the Duke of Hastings, according to Deadline.

Also cast were Golda Rosheuvel (Silent Witness), Jonathan Bailey (W1A), Luke Newton (The Lodge), Claudia Jessie (Vanity Fair), Nicola Coughlan (Derry Girls), Ruby Barker (Wolfblood), Sabrina Bartlett (Victoria), Ruth Gemmell (Deep State), Adjoa Andoh (Thunderbirds Are A Go), and Polly Walker (Pennyworth). Previously cast was Julie Andrews who will voice the character Lady Whistledown.

Bridgerton was created by Chris Van Dusen, a Shondaland vet who worked on Grey’s Anatomy, Scandal, and Private Practice. The series is based on the book series by Julia Quinn and set in Regency London’s high society.

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"…the series unveils a seductive, sumptuous world replete with intricate rules and dramatic power struggles, where no one is truly ever on steady ground. At the heart of the show is the powerful Bridgerton family. Comprised of eight close-knit siblings, this funny, witty, daring and clever group must navigate the upper ten thousand’s marriage mart in search of romance, adventure and love."

Of the cast Van Dusen raved,

"We could not have found a more gifted group of actors to bring Bridgerton to life. When creating this series, the goal was to turn a very traditional genre on its head and make something fresh, smart, sexy and fun. That’s exactly what this cast embodies and I’m ridiculously excited to see them inhabit these characters and captivate viewers in their own incredibly brilliant ways."

In the show, Dynevor’s Daphne Bridgerton is about to make her debut on the marriage mart and is preparing to take the town by storm, until she meets a certain Duke.

Page’s Simon Basset, the Duke of Hastings, has recently returned to London and is the talk of the town among the marriage-minded. However, the Duke isn’t interested in either society shenanigans or finding a wife.

Rosheuvel will play Queen Charlotte, London society’s tastemaker, who enjoys Lady Whistledown’s gossip until a new gossip writer starts covering the goings-on at the palace.

Bailey will play Anthony Bridgerton, the eldest Bridgerton sibling and head of the family, who is also available on the yearly marriage mart. The one barrier to his fulfilling his duties: His desire for pleasure.

Newton will play Colin Bridgerton, a handsome jokester who finds himself drawn to a young lady who recently arrived in town.

Jessie will play Eloise Bridgerton, a smart, rebellious young woman who is reaching marrying age, but believes her destiny lies elsewhere.

Coughlan will play Penelope Featherington, a smart, kind, introverted girl who doesn’t quite fit in with Regency London or her family.

Barker will play Marina Thompson who has recently arrived from the country to stay with the Featheringtons, her cousins. Her presence makes an impression on society, a world Marina never anticipated being a part of.

Bartlett will play Siena Rosso, an opera singer who is involved in a secret affair and wishes she could be a part of high society.

Gemmell will play Lady Violet Bridgerton, the family’s compassionate matriarch, who is fiercely protective of her family and would like her children to marry for love.

Andoh will play Lady Danbury the formidable, sharp, and blisteringly direct dowager who runs London. She was a friend of the Duke’s mother and was kind to him when he was a child.

Walker will play Lady Portia Featherington, an ambitious mother who will do whatever it takes to make the best matches for her daughters.

Bridgerton is one of Shondaland’s eight projects that are coming to Netflix as part of the landmark deal Rhimes inked with the streaming service. Van Dusen will executive produce alongside Rhimes and Betsy Beers.

The series certainly sounds like the fizzy, character-heavy shows Rhimes is known for. While Shondaland hasn’t dabbled much in period pieces, in Bridgerton the period intrigue seems like it will only serve to add to the drama. This could be a popular addition to Netflix’s slate if it’s executed well.

Are you looking forward to watching Bridgerton when it comes to Netflix? Tell us your thoughts in the comments.