{"id":714416,"date":"2026-03-02T00:00:23","date_gmt":"2026-03-01T21:00:23","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/buradabiliyorum.com\/en\/luke-thompson-spills-all-on-bridgerton-benedict-and-season-4\/"},"modified":"2026-03-02T00:00:23","modified_gmt":"2026-03-01T21:00:23","slug":"luke-thompson-spills-all-on-bridgerton-benedict-and-season-4","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/buradabiliyorum.com\/en\/luke-thompson-spills-all-on-bridgerton-benedict-and-season-4\/","title":{"rendered":"Luke Thompson Spills All on ‘Bridgerton,’ Benedict and Season 4"},"content":{"rendered":"
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\n\tFor Luke Thompson, the most challenging part of leading a Bridgerton<\/em> series<\/a> hasn\u2019t been the shoot, the intimate scenes, the fan reaction, or any regency era-shaped restraint you can think of. What has had the Brit doing mental gymnastics \u2014\u00a0his words \u2014\u00a0is the press tour.<\/p>\n

\n\t\u201cThis sounds glib, but the actual doing of the show has been really easy,\u201d says Thompson, basking in the setting sun of season four, following Benedict Bridgerton and Sophie Baek\u2019s Cinderella love story, the final parts of which released on Netflix Thursday. \u201cWhen you\u2019re so held by a production, and you\u2019re dealing with some of the best people in streaming and in TV,\u201d he adds, \u201cyou can afford to just let yourself go to it. I loved leading it.\u201d<\/p>\n

\n\tPeople had warned Thompson to be careful. They said that he might \u201cdisapp<\/a>ear\u201d at the helm as the second Bridgerton son, that taking the weight would be \u201cthis huge burden.\u201d In the end, the experience has been anything but: \u201cIt\u2019s a huge gift to be able to lead a show, and it\u2019s an overused word, but I think a privilege. It\u2019s like standing on top of a tall building. You see everything,\u201d he tells The Hollywood Reporter<\/em>. Thompson is dialing in on the afternoon that Benedict\u2019s fairytale draws to a close, and is as articulate as his reformed rake is dashing.<\/p>\n

\n\tBut this bit \u2014 the worldwide, back-to-back press duties \u2014\u00a0is the more difficult knot for Thompson, a Southampton-born actor with a soft spot for the stage, to untangle. \u201cPress tours have now become\u2026\u201d he trails off, before regaining direction. \u201cI think there\u2019s something more going on. I think they are becoming bigger and bigger things that require more and more of actors. And for some actors, including me\u2026 People assume that actors like attention,\u201d he muses, \u201cor giving people all of themselves. People think of actors as exhibitionists, so having an actor on a press tour, [they think] you\u2019re giving them what they want. But personally, press is a tricky thing to square in my head. I obviously want to promote the show. And I am really enjoying experiencing the response to the show, but fundamentally, I don\u2019t particularly want to talk about myself,\u201d he laughs.<\/p>\n

\n\tHe isn\u2019t slating the process at all \u2014\u00a0he understands how valuable press is for the show and for its fans, but up to a certain point, Thompson feels his waxing lyrical on Bridgerton <\/em>becomes a little reductive. \u201cThe show belongs to the audience,\u201d he concludes. It also demands a constant weighing up of \u201ctrying to share what I\u2019m happy sharing, and keeping things that I want to keep myself.\u201d In short, psychologically, \u201cit poses a bit of a challenge.\u201d<\/p>\n

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\t\t\t\t\tYerin Ha and Luke Thompson as Sophie and Benedict in season four.<\/span><\/p>\n

\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\tCourtesy of Netflix<\/cite><\/p>\n<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<\/div>\n

\n\tThis is also not to say that he hasn\u2019t enjoyed the travel<\/a>. Winding down his public appearances with co-star Yerin Ha (if you haven\u2019t caught up, the season finale of the smash-hit Julia Quinn adaptation sees Benedict and Sophie thwarting villainous stepmother Araminta Gun by convincing Queen Charlotte, and the rest of the Ton, that Ha\u2019s character is of nobility after all),\u00a0Thompson has found the exploration of how different cultures \u201cread themselves into Bridgerton<\/em>\u201d pretty thrilling.<\/p>\n

\n\t\u201cThis is why I think Bridgerton <\/em>is such a good show,\u201d he says. \u201cLots of the Spanish-speaking and Portuguese countries love the telenovela aspect. We went to Romania and we spoke to a few Eastern European journalists, and they really love the fairytale element with Cinderella because of their own folklore. It\u2019s very gratifying,\u201d he adds about how much people have loved the show, \u201cbecause you feel like your job has some sort of meaning.\u201d<\/p>\n

\n\tIt\u2019s that same sense of meaning that those before him were able to achieve \u2014\u00a0albeit all in their own ways. \u201cI\u2019m very proud of how the show, in a very subtle way, always enables the lead to deliver a different story. It\u2019s not a show trying to be like, \u2018Okay, how can we make it even sexier than the last one?’\u201d \u2014\u00a0though that bathtub scene was pretty damn horny \u2014\u00a0\u201cIt actually just takes all the characters on their own merit. And that\u2019s particularly true of Benedict,\u201d he continues, calling his Bridgerton <\/em>gentleman \u201can atypical romantic hero.\u201d<\/p>\n

\n\t\u201cI don\u2019t think they\u2019ve made him go through a Bridgerton <\/em>factory because that\u2019s not what they do. And I can\u2019t do a Reg\u00e9-Jean Page impression or a Jonathan Bailey impression or a Luke Newton impression,\u201d he says, referencing the last three leads, \u201cI\u2019m playing Benedict.\u201d Although he has enjoyed subverting the character we\u2019ve seen in previous installments by getting to play an edgier, more flawed version. He nods to that viral, teeth-clenching cliffhanger at the end of part one: \u201cIt\u2019s not just the mistress moment. In part two, there are a few [times] where Benedict doesn\u2019t come across in the most sympathetic light, and he says some things that maybe he might regret \u2014\u00a0but that\u2019s interesting.\u201d<\/p>\n

\n\tIt\u2019s here that the star begins to really nerd out on Benedict\u2019s psychology. \u201cHe\u2019s developed this exterior that\u2019s very amenable, [he] doesn\u2019t feel like anything bothers him, yet clearly, in the middle of him, there is this side that is running away from something,\u201d he says. \u201cEven with the mistress offer, it\u2019s sort of quite a neurotic thing to do. It\u2019s like trying to compartmentalize your life, this reluctance to give someone everything. It\u2019s quite refreshing because he has a very soft exterior, and then there\u2019s actually this center that is a bit more controlling, which is a surprise.\u201d<\/p>\n

\n\tHe actually likens Benedict\u2019s journey to a Mr. Darcy trajectory \u201cin reverse,\u201d though says inspiration from the beloved men of literature was not something he particularly sought out: \u201cBridgerton <\/em>is so much its own thing\u2026 I steer away a little bit from references. I\u2019ve also had the advantage of being in the show for a few years, so I feel like I\u2019ve got this whole hinterland of stuff that I can jump into.\u201d<\/p>\n

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\t\t\t\t\tLuke Thompson filming season four.<\/span><\/p>\n

\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\tCourtesy of Netflix<\/cite><\/p>\n<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<\/div>\n

\n\tThat said, being compared to the Romeos, Heathcliffs, and other adored period pin-ups also comes with the Bridgerton <\/em>territory. Is it weird to think of yourself as a heartthrob? \u201cI think being a heartthrob is probably 90 percent projection,\u201d Thompson giggles. \u201cI welcome it. I\u2019m not being modest\u2026 I just understand that people want to project all sorts of things onto you. A lot of the reaction to Benedict has been super positive \u2014\u00a0some of it has been negative, you can find anything out there online, we all know that \u2014\u00a0but part of me is like, I don\u2019t have a problem with that going on, I just don\u2019t want to have to interact with it. Because I don\u2019t think it\u2019s my job to interact with it,\u201d he says.<\/p>\n

\n\t\u201cAs an actor, you want to live in people\u2019s imaginations in any way. If you can live in people\u2019s imaginations as a heartthrob, then great. It\u2019s not about modesty or secrecy. It\u2019s about wanting the mechanism that happens when people watch a show or project onto you, and wanting to protect that mechanism as much as possible.\u201d<\/p>\n

\n\tSome might argue it\u2019s hard not to project when watching chemistry as sizzling as Thompson and Ha\u2019s. One of his favorite days from the season four set, he tells THR<\/em>, was shooting the gazebo scene at the masquerade ball. The crew had rebuilt the outdoor structure in a studio to save everyone from catching a cold, and the co-lead recalls how intimate it was. \u201cWe were just sort of whispering this scene to each other, and it was so quiet, I don\u2019t know. I thought, \u2018God, this is really lovely. This is a really magical atmosphere.’\u201d<\/p>\n

\n\t\u201cThere\u2019s so many things I love about Yerin,\u201d continues Thompson. \u201cShe\u2019s so sophisticated and subtle. She combines that seriousness with not taking herself seriously at all. And those actors are gold dust \u2014\u00a0trust me. That combination of being wildly talented, but then, also, to feel like you can actually joke with them\u2026 You don\u2019t come across that too often,\u201d he adds with real earnestness.<\/p>\n

\n\tIt\u2019s an environment where Thompson, Ha, Bailey, Newton, Simone Ashley, Ruth Gemmell, Claudia Jessie, Nicola Coughlan, and the rest of the now world-famous cast have really set up a home. In fact, he says, it\u2019s a lot like \u201cHotel California\u201d: that iconic Eagles hit with the line, \u201cYou can check out any time you like, but you can never leave.\u201d Thompson responds to whether he\u2019ll return to future Bridgerton <\/em>series: \u201cAgain and again. I feel like we\u2019ll always be part of the Bridgerton<\/em> family.\u201d He also finds the two-year break between installments \u2014\u00a0something we agree is not dissimilar to Glastonbury Festival\u2019s fallow period, where every five years organizers take a summer to let the land recover \u2014\u00a0rather cathartic.<\/p>\n

\n\tOn the specifics of which<\/em> Bridgerton sibling the next season will follow, don\u2019t look to Thompson for answers. \u201cI don\u2019t know,\u201d he confesses. \u201cI feel like there\u2019ve been so many times in this show where I\u2019ve had thoughts or feelings [about who it should be], and the people who are actually heading the show are so in control of it and know exactly what they need to do next. So I have complete faith that they\u2019ll tee up the next one.\u201d<\/p>\n

\n\tWhat\u2019s been especially rewarding for him this time around has been seeing the younger Bridgertons \u2014\u00a0Florence Hunt\u2019s Hyacinth and Will Tilston\u2019s Gregory \u2014\u00a0come into their own. \u201cThere\u2019s a few scenes actually with Flo this season [where] I was like, \u2018Oh, I can really see now what kind of woman Hyacinth is, and how she differs from Daphne, from Francesca, from Eloise. That\u2019s so lovely to see\u2026 It could be any of them,\u201d he says, before adding: \u201cMaybe Flo and Will need to wait a little longer.\u201d<\/p>\n

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\t\t\t\t\tWho will be next? Florence Hunt, Hannah Dodd, Luke Thompson, Claudia Jessie, Will Tilston, Victor Alli and Ruth Gemmell for Bridgerton<\/em>.<\/span><\/p>\n

\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\tCourtesy of Netflix<\/cite><\/p>\n<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<\/div>\n

\n\tBut what\u2019s next for Thompson? He\u2019s just wrapped on the Andrew Scott-starring Elsinore<\/em>, following Ian Charleson\u2019s final weeks before his death from AIDS playing Hamlet at London\u2019s National Theatre in the 1990s. Daniel Day-Lewis had abruptly pulled out mid-performance, forcing Charleson to step in and save the day. Thompson plays one of the performer\u2019s close friends. \u201cIt\u2019s such a beautiful subject for a film,\u201d he tells THR<\/em>. \u201cEvery time I tell the story, I get shivers.\u201d The script, written by Pride<\/em>\u2018s Stephen Beresford, is \u201ca real love letter to theater.\u201d<\/p>\n

\n\t\u201cIt was a lovely counterpoint to the [Bridgerton<\/em>] press tour,\u201d says the Netflix treasure, who is prioritizing variation in his career from here. \u201cWhat\u2019s wonderful about Bridgerton<\/em> is it\u2019s such a strong flavor as a show,\u201d he says. \u201cPeople kept asking me, \u2018When will you and Yerin do a romcom?\u2019 And I was like, \u2018We\u2019ve done a romcom! We\u2019ve just done it!’\u201d he laughs. \u201cI\u2019d love to work with Yerin again, maybe in a play or something,\u201d he adds, that theatre background surfacing once more. \u201cBut I\u2019d just love to do something different. I can\u2019t really explain it.\u201d<\/p>\n

\n\tThis is one of Thompson\u2019s last interviews as captain of the Bridgerton <\/em>ship. He\u2019ll be passing the baton to a co-star in the coming months \u2014\u00a0Jessie, perhaps, or Hannah Dodd\u2019s Francesca \u2014\u00a0 and is filled, admittedly, with a mix of nostalgia and relief.<\/p>\n

\n\tAnd we\u2019re not talking about life after Bridgerton<\/em> \u2014\u00a0the 37-year-old is in no hurry to hang up his cravat. But maybe there\u2019s scope to discuss what else is out there. \u201cLife in amongst Bridgerton<\/em>?\u201d he offers up, giggling again. For all the mental gymnastics he\u2019s been doing over the course of this call, and over the course of his globe-trotting media<\/a> blitz, one thing\u2019s for sure: Luke Thompson\u2019s stuck the landing.<\/p>\n

\n\t***<\/p>\n

\n\tAll episodes of\u00a0<\/em>Bridgerton\u00a0season four are currently streaming on\u00a0Netflix. Check out all of\u00a0<\/em>The Hollywood Reporter\u2018s season four coverage here<\/em>.<\/em><\/p>\n<\/div>\n

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For Luke Thompson, the most challenging part of leading a Bridgerton series hasn\u2019t been the shoot, the intimate scenes, the fan reaction, or any regency era-shaped restraint you can think of. What has had the Brit doing mental gymnastics \u2014\u00a0his words \u2014\u00a0is the press tour. \u201cThis sounds glib, but the actual doing of the show…<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":714417,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"fifu_image_url":"https:\/\/www.hollywoodreporter.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/02\/FotoJet-2026-02-27T125701.837.jpg?w=1440&h=810&crop=1","fifu_image_alt":"","footnotes":""},"categories":[17],"tags":[76247,124783,160846,1377,4966,160847],"class_list":["post-714416","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-social-mediaa","tag-bridgerton","tag-international","tag-luke-thompson","tag-netflix","tag-united-kingdom","tag-yerin-ha"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/buradabiliyorum.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/714416","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/buradabiliyorum.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/buradabiliyorum.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/buradabiliyorum.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/buradabiliyorum.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=714416"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/buradabiliyorum.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/714416\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/buradabiliyorum.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/714417"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/buradabiliyorum.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=714416"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/buradabiliyorum.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=714416"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/buradabiliyorum.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=714416"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}