{"id":234777,"date":"2026-01-15T15:11:08","date_gmt":"2026-01-15T15:11:08","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/nz\/234777\/"},"modified":"2026-01-15T15:11:08","modified_gmt":"2026-01-15T15:11:08","slug":"bridgerton-star-luke-thompson-reveals-whether-or-not-he-took-jonathan-baileys-advice-ahead-of-season-4-its-a-slightly-different-romantic-hero","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/nz\/234777\/","title":{"rendered":"\u2018Bridgerton\u2019 Star Luke Thompson Reveals Whether or Not He Took Jonathan Bailey\u2019s Advice Ahead of Season 4: \u201cIt\u2019s a Slightly Different Romantic Hero\u201d"},"content":{"rendered":"

Luke Thompson<\/a> knows the moment he understood that Bridgerton<\/a> was something special. It was all the way back when he watched the Netflix<\/a> hit\u2019s very first episode and he heard Vitamin String Quartet\u2019s now iconic cover of Ariana Grande<\/a>\u2018s \u201cthank u next\u201d kick up while co-stars Jonathan Bailey<\/a> and Phoebe Dynevor<\/a> strutted around a ballroom.<\/p>\n

\u201cIt really stays with me,\u201d Thompson said during his December 2025 visit to the DECIDER studio in Midtown Manhattan. \u201cJust because I really remember watching that episode and thinking, \u2018Oh, this show\u2019s a thing.\u2019 Like, it\u2019s so coherent as a little universe. Do you know what I mean?\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cI was like, \u2018That\u2019s so quintessentially Bridgerton.\u2019 And obviously, at that time, we didn\u2019t know what Bridgerton was, but, just like walking around the room, promenading, introducing people to suitors with Ariana Grande there going on in the background with a string quartet\u2026 Like I just remember that.\u201d<\/p>\n

Since Bridgerton\u2018s debut on Netflix all the way back on Christmas Day 2020, Luke Thompson has been known world-wide as Benedict Bridgerton, the second-born Bridgerton sibling. Benedict is the bohemian brother, the artist, the free spirit who can\u2019t be tamed. While half of his eight siblings have fallen in love and gotten married, Benedict has resisted being tied down in any way whatsoever. Past seasons have seen him pursuing his dreams of being a painter and exploring his bisexuality. Now, though, a certain \u201cLady in Silver\u201d is about to enter his life, making him this season\u2019s new leading man.<\/p>\n

\"Masked Photo: Netflix<\/p>\n

Bridgerton Season 4 tackles the events of Julia Quinn\u2019s third Bridgerton book, An Offer from a Gentleman<\/a>. In that book, Benedict meets a beguiling lady at his mother\u2019s masquerade ball. He and the mystery woman hit it off and even share a scandalous kiss before she rushes away when the clock strikes midnight. If you weren\u2019t already picking up on the Cinderella tropes, it turns out that Benedict\u2019s beloved \u201cLady in Silver\u201d is actually Sophie Baek (Yerin Ha<\/a>), a deceased nobleman\u2019s daughter forced to work in service by her villainous stepmother, Lady Araminta Gun (Katie Leung<\/a>). <\/p>\n

Benedict might throw himself into the search for his dream girl, but when he does finally meet Sophie, he sees her only as a maid. The two become close without him ever making the connection! This leads to some of the most playful (and funny) flirtatious banter in all of Bridgerton, allowing Luke Thompson to show off his mettle as a classic rom-com hero.<\/p>\n

\u201cI was really pleased, actually, when I first read the scripts,\u201d Thompson said, \u201cbecause I think when you read the book, it\u2019s quite funny.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cObviously he doesn\u2019t know that she\u2019s the \u2018Lady in Silver\u2019 and all of that, so they have this really slightly teasing relationship. Which is a really nice thing to play.\u201d<\/p>\n

\"Sophie Photo: Netflix<\/p>\n

When Bridgerton Season 4 Part 1 (Episodes 1-4) debuts on Netflix on Thursday, January 29, the whole world will get to know Benedict Bridgerton \u2014 and Luke Thompson \u2014 a whole lot better. Every season of Bridgerton so far has catapulted its lead couple into the global zeitgeist, sparking viral memes, countless crushes, and intense interest in the new stars of the season.<\/p>\n

Bridgerton Season 2 star Jonathan Bailey<\/a> (aka PEOPLE<\/a>\u2018s currently reigning Sexiest Man Alive<\/a>) famously sent Season 3 male lead Luke Newton<\/a> secret advice<\/a> for navigating the intensity of taking center stage in the Shondaland<\/a> hit. While both actors vowed to pass this \u201ccode\u201d on to the next Bridgerton at bat, Luke Thompson revealed that he decided to do things his own way.<\/p>\n

\u201cI mean, I knew that the advice would be there should I want it, I think. But I guess they didn\u2019t need to give me advice, as well, because I\u2019d watched them for three seasons,\u201d Thompson said. \u201cI\u2019ve seen how amazingly they\u2019ve done it in their own way. So to be able to just sort of soak it up like that, but then also just do it my own way and see how I think.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cI knew they would have been they would absolutely have offered advice \u2014 and it was nice to know it was a possibility \u2014 but I think I like to work it out on my own.\u201d<\/p>\n

Luke Thompson revealing if he got the Bridgerton \u201ccode\u201d from Jonathan Bailey and Luke Newton.<\/p>\n

Thompson went on to explain that what\u2019s so great about Bridgerton is that \u201cevery time it\u2019s a slightly different romantic hero.\u201d <\/p>\n

\u201cThat\u2019s what\u2019s so great about the show, is that it alters slightly every time,\u201d he said. \u201cSo yeah, yeah, I mean, I knew they would have been they would absolutely have offered advice \u2014 and it was nice to know it was a possibility \u2014 but I think I like to work it out on my own.\u201d<\/p>\n

When DECIDER pointed out this was very \u201cBenedict\u201d of Thompson, choosing his own way to tackle being a Bridgerton, he simply smiled and shrugged.<\/p>\n

\"Luke Photo: Brian Zak<\/p>\n

Luke Thompson wasn\u2019t the only Bridgerton star to visit DECIDER last month. Hannah Dodd, who took over the role of Francesca in Season 3 joined him. <\/p>\n

Bridgerton showrunner Jess Brownell divided fans last season by introducing same sex love interests for both Benedict and Francesca in Season 3. While Benedict confirmed his bisexuality in a threesome with fabulous widow Lady Tilley Arnold (Hannah New) and her queer lover Paul Suarez (Lucas Aurelio), Francesca seemingly panicked to realize she was attracted to her new husband Lord Kilmartin\u2019s (Victor Alli) stunning cousin Michaela Stirling (Masali Baduza).<\/p>\n

When DECIDER asked the actors if they had bonded over the fact that they are the first two Bridgerton siblings to explore queer romances, they realized they hadn\u2019t \u2014 but would love their characters to do so.<\/p>\n

\"Hannah Photo: Brian Zak<\/p>\n

\u201cI mean, we\u2019re funny sort of grouping, in terms of our characters because we don\u2019t have many scenes together. And I think in a strange kind of way, we are tiptoeing around each other as siblings, I think, in the show,\u201d Thompson said. \u201cWhich is interesting because I think it is partly like there\u2019s a little bit of uncertainty about the other, maybe.\u201d<\/p>\n

While Thompson confirmed that there isn\u2019t a scene where the two siblings bond in the show (yet), Dodd hoped it would happen down the line on screen.<\/p>\n

\u201cI think it\u2019ll be interesting because even doing these interviews, we\u2019re like, \u2018We\u2019re really similar. We like really have like a lot in common.\u2019 So it would be nice to explore that together,\u201d Dodd said. \u201cBut I think it\u2019s just unfortunately within the time period, as well. It\u2019s something that is kept so quiet. So that\u2019s probably an element of why I don\u2019t think Francesca is fully understanding yet.\u201d<\/p>\n

Thompson might not have needed his Bridgerton siblings\u2019 advice in real life, but he immediately saw how Francesca could benefit from Benedict\u2019s encouragement in the show.<\/p>\n

\"Hannah Photo: Brian Zak<\/p>\n

\u201cIn a way, Benedict would be quite a good person to talk to,\u201d Thompson said. \u201cIt\u2019s sort of this slightly striking element about the character is that [his bisexuality] doesn\u2019t feel something that gives him a lot of angst. Like his sexuality isn\u2019t necessarily really tied to his identity in a way that I find quite interesting.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cSo actually, he\u2019d be quite a good person [for Francesca to confide in],\u201d he said.<\/p>\n

\u201cHe\u2019d be great\u2026really great,\u201d Dodd said.<\/p>\n

\u201cHe\u2019d be like, \u2018Yeah, I don\u2019t know, either. It doesn\u2019t matter,\u201d Thompson said, imagining his free-thinking, kind-hearted character\u2019s thoughts.<\/p>\n

When Bridgerton Season 4 Part 1 debuts on Netflix in two weeks, the world will finally get to see Benedict Bridgerton meet the love of his life at a masquerade. They\u2019ll also get to see Benedict shed his own mask for the first time. Not just the one he wears to the party to look mysterious and dashing, but the one he\u2019s kept firmly in place these past three seasons so no one truly can see his pure, open heart.<\/p>\n

Bridgerton Season 4 Part 1 is coming to Netflix on January 29.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"Luke Thompson knows the moment he understood that Bridgerton was something special. It was all the way back…\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":234778,"comment_status":"","ping_status":"","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[29],"tags":[139015,156,139016,10486,17847,102498,139017,111,139,69,139018,5714,437,44830],"class_list":["post-234777","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","category-tv","tag-costume-dramas","tag-entertainment","tag-hannah-dodd","tag-jonathan-bailey","tag-lgbtq","tag-luke-newton","tag-luke-thompson","tag-new-zealand","tag-newzealand","tag-nz","tag-period-dramas","tag-romance","tag-tv","tag-yerin-ha"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/nz\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/234777","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/nz\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/nz\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/nz\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/nz\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=234777"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/nz\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/234777\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/nz\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/234778"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/nz\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=234777"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/nz\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=234777"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/nz\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=234777"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}