[This story contains spoilers for Bridgerton season four, part one.]
There’s a fairy tale quality to Yerin Ha’s casting in the newest season of Bridgerton — and not just because it’s based on the story of Cinderella.
The recently released fourth outing of Netflix’s massively popular Regency romance — adapted from Julia Quinn’s best-selling book series — is a twist on the Grimm brothers’ fable. It centers on playboy Benedict Bridgerton (Luke Thompson, who has been on the show since the first season) and his romance with Ha’s Sophie Baek, a servant he meets at a masquerade ball.
Ha can thank whatever fairy godmother in Shondaland’s casting department picked her out, since, as the 28-year-old Korean-Australian actress tells The Hollywood Reporter, “Cinderella was actually my favorite princess when I was younger.”
Ha’s “pure glee and excitement” quickly dissipated, however, when the reality set in that she would be stepping in as the show’s newest leading lady and disrobing for the raunchy scenes that the series is known for.
The significant pressures that come with such a high-profile part in such a popular series triggered Ha’s imposter syndrome, something she has had to fight against. “I’ve had to rewire my brain of telling myself that I can dream more and I can actually aspire for those big roles or characters that in theory, I’ve dreamed about, but actually never believed that I could [get],” she confesses.
Below, Ha opens up about transforming into Sophie Baek, teases what fans can expect from part two, and reveals her future dream projects.
Going back to the beginning, what made you first want to pursue a career as an actor?
I always had it in my blood of wanting to entertain and perform. My mom took videos of me when I was a kid, dancing for my parents’ friends when they came for dinner and just putting on a show, reading children’s books to my mom. So I always had that in me, but then going back to Korea once a year to see my grandparents and seeing them do theater shows, especially my grandma, I think made me feel like it was a viable career choice. And just seeing how people can be affected in a space in real time by someone’s performance and feel all emotionally connected and tied and reminded that we all are humans and we all share similar emotions. I think that made me realize the power of art. I was like, OK, maybe this is something I want to actually pursue as a career.
What was going through your mind when you landed the role as Sophie Baek, and were you nervous at all about joining such an established cast in season four?
Oh, it was pure glee and excitement. And then that dissipated real quick because then the reality sank in of going, oh, OK, I actually have to do these raunchy scenes. I have to come in three seasons deep into a very well-oiled machine where everybody knows everyone really well, and not wanting to be the odd one in the group, but also wanting to find myself in the environment. It was a really strange thing, but a lot of pressure, a lot of stress, But everyone wanted to welcome new energy, which I think was really what made it easy for me.
As an actor, landing a role like this can feel like a fantasy. As it happens, this season is also based on a fairytale, so what do you make of all this happening at once?
As an actor, a female actor as well, you always hope to maybe one day in your career play a romantic leading lady. Plus, Cinderella was actually my favorite princess when I was younger, and our story is slightly based on the Cinderella story trope, though it deviates from it. But in that sense, there were some moments where I did feel like a princess and feel like my dreams did come true a little bit.
When preparing for the role of Sophie, how did you go about bringing her to life on screen from the book and script?
Well, I wanted to stay true to how Julia envisioned Sophie. So that book was my Bible. I have highlighted and read that book so many times. But yeah, I really wanted to encapsulate her vision of Sophie and then obviously go to the scripts and see how they envisioned Sophie and the new qualities that they decided to bring, which actually were pretty similar. And then a third layer to that was what experiences have I had in my personal life that I feel are similar. What are easy things for me that I can draw from in terms of bringing Sophie to life? So were the three steps that I went through. And yeah, that feeling of otherness. There’s been times in my life where I’ve felt like I wasn’t deserving of love either and self-acceptance and self-love; that’s still a journey that I’m very much going on and trying to bring it all together has been the way for me.
What have you enjoyed most about this unique retelling of the classic Cinderella story?
What I think is nice is that, the masquerade ball was a bit like the fairytale, the clock strikes midnight, then she leaves something with Benedict. But in terms of just playing Sophie as a character throughout the season, there’s a lot of sassiness and wit to her. And I just love playing that element. The reason why I say that it deviates from the Cinderella trope is that, yes, she’s still kind to people who might be cruel to her, but she’s also got a fire inside of her. Just because someone offers her something, she doesn’t necessarily take it and doesn’t immediately let a Prince Charming come and swoop her off her feet. There is a bit more power that she holds despite the class dynamic and the class disparity between the two characters. And I think I have a lot of respect for Sophie in that regard.
You previously starred in other adaptations, including Halo and Dune: Prophecy. Did that prepare you in any way for Bridgerton?
For sure. Strangely enough, a lot of my previous projects have been books-turned-shows or games-turned-shows. So I have a bit of practice in knowing what it’s like to work from original source material and then making it into an adaptation, and speaking with showrunners to help me understand their vision as well. And through my experience in my career so far, I think it’s helped me understand how to communicate with people to about how to everyone’s vision of this story and this character to life, knowing that I’m just a vessel in it and how we can collaborate to make everyone happy.
What was it like working with your onscreen love interest, Luke Thompson, for the majority of the season?
Oh, it’s been the best. He really is just the most sweet person. And what I love is Luke is such a theater actor as well, he’s a true thespian. So in terms of those qualities that he brings in being super present, not trying to overdo it and really trying to see what brews in real time, in the present moment, I think really helps me with the connection I have with him. And he has just been my mental support pillar. He’s seen me in all moods and breakdowns and also highs. I feel like he’s seen all shades of me now. But he’s been my rock and my support during this entire time and still is. So yeah, have a lot of love for him.
There’s a lot of yearning and anticipation growing throughout part one between Sophie and Benedict. What was it like playing into that?
It was a lot of fun. It was also frustrating because even me as an actor, I’m like, “Just say it!” But I know I couldn’t. But it’s so fun playing into that escapism. People love to see that and I think it just makes people want to root for the characters. It just helps bring that tension so when it does happen, it’s more explosive. But that’s all kudos and credit to the writing and putting us in situations that are different and unique, but all still have that yearning beneath it all. So it’s a lot of fun and it’s always a bit funny in the moment sometimes as well, but I think that’s what helps create some spontaneity in the day.
What was your initial reaction when you read in the script that at the end of episode four, when Sophie thinks Benedict has finally fallen in love with you, but he just asks you to be his mistress?
I was fuming. I was like, “You, mother, beep.” (Laughs.) I even read the book, but even just reading the script again, I was furious for Sophie as well. And then doing the scene, Luke being so earnest and thinking he’s so sexy delivering this line made me … it was actually like, I want to punch you in the face as the character. But it just really speaks to the period as well. I think for Sophie, he truly thinks that this is the solution for these two people, that society says they can’t be together and he’s a little bit blind in that sense of, well, if society says we can’t be together, maybe this is the other way out. But when he offers it, it’s a slap in the face for Sophie and it reminds her of her mom. It reminds her of her identity in this place and how tough it has been for her growing up in this world. So I think it’s so many layers to it, but it was a lot of fun doing it on the day, actually. Luke was being really passionate and so honest with it that it made me despise the character even more (Laughs).
Can you tease what fans can expect in part two?
I mean, it’s even a bigger whirlwind than part one. I remember even reading after [episode] four, I was like, how are these two going to figure it out together? But I think you can see a bit more of walls coming down, a bit more fight and a lot of tears.
Bridgerton fans typically fall in love with each season’s leads, so have you fully prepared yourself for the newfound attention that will come along with this show and character?
I kind of got a taste of it yesterday for sure [at the premiere in Paris]. And it’s just so nice. The fans are truly so lovely and there’s something [that] reminds me of why a show like Bridgerton is so beautiful, because it has this hopeful message to people about love and about being seen and telling people that they’re deserving and worthy of love and everything, especially in a world right now that’s so divided. So it’s so nice to see the power and the impact that Bridgerton has in that sense.
Do you have a dream role or genre that you would love to take on in the future?
My dream is just to continue acting for as long as I can. I mean, it probably is my imposter syndrome kicking in, or maybe this is my last job. I say that about any job that I do, being like, “This is it.” But I don’t know. I really want to tap into my passion for singing again. I’d love to do some kind of musical adaptation film thing and stretch out those muscles, or learn a new skill, or play characters that really dive into the human psyche that might be quite scary to unpack or quite ugly, but try and understand more about what brings us together or what actually divides us as human beings.
What’s one of the biggest challenges you’ve been able to overcome to get you where you are today?
Whoa. Big question (Laughs). We’re going deep. Biggest challenge? I’ve had to rewire my brain to telling myself that I can dream more and I can actually aspire for those big roles or characters that in theory, I’ve dreamed about, but actually never believed that I could get. But really it’s always a mental struggle, to be honest with you, and a mental battle with my own self. That is something I’m constantly working on and trying to overcome.
Is there a moment or scene from season four that you’re most proud of from a performance standpoint?
Oh, I don’t want to tease too much, I’ll just say the one word: bath.
If you had to describe what makes Yerin Ha, Yerin Ha, what would you say?
A bit of imposter syndrome, a bit of dark humor. And I think what makes me me is the people that I love and the people that ground me.
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