Phoebe Dynevor has recently revealed that she didn’t think people would care about Bridgerton before its debut on Netflix. The drama series inspired by the regency era premiered on Netflix on Christmas Day in 2020, ultimately becoming an instant hit among the fans. The series is based on the Bridgerton books by Julia Quinn with its first season correlating to The Duke and I, the first book in the series. The show sees Daphne Bridgerton, the eldest daughter of the family as she emerges into London’s society with hopes of finding a husband. This follows a complicated courtship between Daphne and Simon Bassett, the Duke of Hastings as he is determined to remain a bachelor to spite his father while Daphne also has other plans. Throughout the series, some pivotal details about the characters’ personal lives are revealed by Lady Whistedown, an anonymous columnist stirring a lot of trouble in the lives of the elite.
Bridgerton Was An Instant Hit Among Fans
Bridgerton premiered on Netflix last year
Till date, the series is the best original series produced by Netflix, raking in around 82 million views in its very first month on the streaming platform, beating its own projected rate by 20 million views. Hailed by the critics for its diverse cast and racy sex scenes, Bridgerton turned Page and Dynevor into breakout stars. The project garnered interest soon after it got associated with Shonda Rhimes’ production company, Shondaland, Bridgerton didn’t disappoint its fans, gradually becoming a binge-worthy hit overnight.
Talking to Harper’s Bazar, Dynevor admitted that she didn’t think anyone thought Bridgerton would be such a big success initially. She said, “…the show’s out, some people like it, and I’m arguing with my brother again.”
She also revealed that to her, Bridgerton was like just another project in its initial days. Not much had changed for her at home and UK was still under a lockdown so despite being told that the show can be a hit, she didn’t believe it. Here are her comments:
“I had literally put [in my diary]: the show’s out, some people like it, and I’m arguing with my brother again … I thought it was just another project. I didn’t think anyone was going to care. We were all in lockdown, stuck at home and nothing changed … In the first season, people were saying to me, ‘You know this could be huge,’ but you don’t ever believe that, and you will never understand what it feels like until it happens to you. It’s quite out-of-the-body and weird.”
Bridgerton Season 2 Will Focus More On Anthony
Lord Anthony in Bridgerton
While Dynevor seems really humble in her success, fans must keep in mind that the show gained success during the COVID pandemic, thus creating a very different environment for stars like Dynevor. It shouldn’t come as a huge surprise that she found it difficult to visualise the impact of the show as she was only doing interviews from the comfort of her home.
Following its success, Bridgerton was renewed by Netflix on January 2. The upcoming episodes of the series will focus on Anthony, the eldest Bridgerton sibling, and his search of a new love interest. Dynevor will reprise her role of Daphne, but she won’t be joined by Jean-Page who won’t return as The Duke in season 2.
