British actor India Amarteifio is still having a pinch-me moment about the fact her first big on-screen role is as the lead in Netflix’s lavish Bridgerton spin-off Queen Charlotte: A Bridgerton Story, again adapted from the novel by Julia Quinn and produced by Shonda Rhimes’ Shondaland. “It was kind of surreal,” laughs the 21-year-old, who began as a child actor in West End productions including The Lion King and Charlie And The Chocolate Factor, and has taken small roles in TV shows such as Doctor Who and Sex Education.
Having undergone a long audition process for the role of the young Queen Charlotte (played as an adult by Golda Rosheuevel in Bridgerton and here), Amarteifio realized that preparation was key. “I knew it was going to take a mental and physical toll,” she says. “So, I got myself physically fit, I started to eat better than I ever did before, I kept myself as mentally balanced as I could. I thought I was being really clever and getting myself ahead of the game. And then you jump onto the job and realise nothing can prepare you! It’s definitely been a marathon, rather than a sprint.”
It’s certainly a huge mantle for a young actor to take on; Bridgerton has proved a phenomenal success for Netflix across its two seasons (to date) — unsurprisingly, Queen Charlotte shot straight to number one on Neilson’s streaming charts following its debut on May 4, clocking up 1.9B viewing minutes in its first few days. Not only that, but Queen Charlotte — who, in 1761, arrives from her native Germany against her will to marry England’s King George (played by Corey Mylchreest, with whom Amarteifio says she has an “organic kind of chemistry) — is, along with George, the only character based on an actual historical figure in this otherwise fictional series.
Amarteifio says she embraced this dichotomy. “Playing real life people is so exciting because you can study them and get a real sense of who they are. But what’s great about this writing is that it’s a fantastical reimagining of history. So I did all this research, and then I had to forget it!”
Added to this, of course, is that Queen Charlotte already has legions of fans thanks to Bridgerton, so did Amarteifio feel any pressure donning this particular crown? “I did think that they would want me to study Golda, and copy her mannerisms and gestures,” she reflects. “I was nervous to do that, because I was concerned I would be a caricature. But, very early on, the producers said there would be no replication involved, because there is so much time between the two versions of the characters. And the writing is so perfect you can believe this is the same character we see decades later. That gave me the freedom to take this role as my own.”
From the very first episode, in which Charlotte rails against the constrictions of her corset and holds her own against her future husband, Amarteifio clearly takes delight in harnessing the character’s fierce independence, despite the social constraints of the day. “It’s a feminist take on history, as opposed to most of history which is recorded by men,” she notes. “But this is not really about Charlotte being a woman, or a queen. It’s a story of someone living a life and falling in love. Yes, she’s a woman. Yes, she is of a different ethnic background to the rest of society, but they are not the only things that define her. She breaks boundaries, she is a figure of change. But she is also a human being, with so many different qualities.”
Clearly not one to rest on her laurels, Queen Charlotte uses her position to unite a Bridgerton society which had previously been split down ethnic lines. Some of the most arresting scenes are conversations between Charlotte and her confidante, Lady Danbury (Arsema Thomas) about how she can best use her elevated position to bring about lasting change for all. “My head was in telling the story, so I did not realise the impact this would have for an audience, to see black women interacting and being presented in such a regal and empowering way,” says Amarteifio. “I’ve met people who have been quite emotional about it. I really hope it has made people feel like they can see themselves.
And Amarteifio, who is preparing to spend some downtime back at home before moving on to as-yet unspecified future projects, says that, in her experience, shows like Bridgerton and Queen Charlotte are helping to shift the diversity dial. “As an actor, I feel that producers are realising that I exist more than my ethnicity, more than my heritage,” she says. “And that there is not just one narrative about being a black woman; there are hundreds.”
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