Paging Lady Whistledown: The stars of “Bridgerton” served us a very hot tea about their off-screen relationship.
Netflix’s hottest new on-screen couple, Regé-Jean Page and Phoebe Dynevor, appeared remotely on “Good Morning America” on Wednesday to discuss their chemistry in Shonda Rhimes’ juicy period drama (insert side-eye emoji) on here).
English actors star as Simon Basset – also known as Duke of Hastings – and Daphne Bridgerton, respectively, in the animated series based on Julia Quinn’s bestselling books on love and lust in England during the Regency era.
“Chemistry is probably the easiest part because Phoebe is adorable,” said Page of his co-star. “And we were working with such wonderful material. The characters already existed. These are the best selling books – people love them – and they have great chemistry in the books. All we had to do was channel this incredible chemistry that already existed. “
Another key to on-screen romance was an intimacy coordinator, a role that has become an increasingly common presence in films and TV sets in recent years. Intimacy coordinators are hired to promote a safe environment for cast members who shoot intimate scenes involving physical contact, many of which are in “Bridgerton”.
“It was so great to have an intimacy coordinator,” said Dynevor. “We blocked all the scenes weeks before we started, so when we got to the set, we knew exactly what we were doing and we both felt safe, which made the whole experience a lot easier and more enjoyable for both of us.”
Throughout the series, Page and Dynevor’s characters attend several sumptuous parties, where they walk and dance all night in an attempt, at first, to make viewers believe they are a couple. These sequences – often configured for instrumental versions of pop hits by Ariana Grande and Taylor Swift, among others – involve intricate choreography that required “lots of rehearsals,” according to Page.
“And then, when you thought you had rehearsed enough – more rehearsal,” he said. “Phoebe and I would call each other over the weekend, after spending a week rehearsing, saying, ‘Hey, I have Sunday off. Want to practice the dance some more? ‘
“We walked around and tripped over each other’s feet for a few hours. But this is a wonderful way to meet someone – and to be able to trust someone, because they literally have to hold you when you fall. “
The costars also talked about the experience of their newfound fame in the quarantine after getting the coveted lead roles in Rhimes’ debut project for Netflix. The streamer struck a historic deal with the mega producer behind “Scandal” and “Grey’s Anatomy” in 2017.
“It’s so surreal,” said Dynevor. “Me and Regé just got in touch because a lot has changed in a few days.”
“It’s great because – at a time when we can’t be together in common spaces and have this community – the program has been a way for people to create this online, because people are very excited and can talk about it,” page added . “But at the same time, you don’t have to do that supermarket thing and it takes, like, 30 minutes more to get to the checkout because you’re attracting everyone.”
There was no official word from Netflix about a possible second season of “Bridgerton”, but creator and showrunner Chris Van Dusen recently told the AV Club that he “has a plan” to adapt more of Quinn’s hot saga if the series goes forward.
“We know that there are eight ‘Bridgerton’ books, there are eight Bridgerton brothers,” he said. “And with success, I would love to be able to explore stories for all Bridgerton children, of course.”