When it comes to the world of period romance, few shows have captured the public\u2019s imagination quite like Bridgerton. The release of Season 4, now streaming on Netflix, has only intensified that fascination\u2014thanks in no small part to the captivating love story between Sophie Baek, played by Australian actress Yerin Ha, and Benedict Bridgerton, portrayed by Luke Thompson. But as fans swoon over the steamy bathtub scene that\u2019s become the talk of the internet, what really went on behind the scenes? According to interviews with ELLE, The Post, and other outlets, the reality was far less glamorous\u2014and a lot more slippery\u2014than viewers might imagine.<\/p>\n
On February 27, 2026, Yerin Ha opened up about her experience filming that now-iconic bathtub sequence. As she told The Post, \u201cBecause I was working with Luke and he\u2019s already been on the show\u2026 I felt like he was my obvious support system, and I was seeing him pretty much every day. I guess I kind of leaned on him, just as a pillar throughout this whole journey.\u201d That sense of camaraderie proved essential when the day of the shoot arrived. Originally, the plan was to film the scene as scheduled, but fate intervened: Luke Thompson tested positive for influenza that morning, forcing a last-minute rescheduling. Once the pair finally made it to the set, it was anything but smooth sailing\u2014or soaking.<\/p>\n
Ha described the technical challenges to ELLE with a laugh: \u201cThat was a long bathtub, and Luke really had to grip me tight with his legs because I was about to drown.\u201d Thompson echoed the sentiment in a separate conversation with Refinery29, saying, \u201cShe kept floating down the river. We had to sort of brace a little bit.\u201d The reason? The crew kept adding a milky substance to the water for visual effect, which made the tub so slippery that Ha and Thompson likened themselves to \u201ctwo seals.\u201d Changing positions underwater was no easy feat either. Ha recalled, \u201cAnd then when I had to turn around, I was like, \u2018How am I going to turn around without sliding off?\u2019\u201d Despite the awkwardness, she admitted, \u201cBecause of those things, it actually made it a lot more fun, to be honest with you. We had a good laugh.\u201d<\/p>\n
Yet, the humor didn\u2019t erase the discomfort entirely. The scene, which took a whopping six hours to film, left Ha with a skin reaction the following day. As she shared on Capital Breakfast, \u201cThere\u2019s a scene where we are in a bathtub and basically I put baby powder all on me because I was told it would help dry my skin to put the intimacy wear on with my tape. And then basically the next day after the bathtub, I got hives all over my body, and I got folliculitis, so I needed steroid cream! But I blame myself, because I think it was a combination of baby powder and the bath water. So it\u2019s me, I\u2019m a sensitive gal!\u201d<\/p>\n
While the finished product may look effortlessly passionate, Ha was quick to remind fans that \u201cit might not be as glamorous as it looks.\u201d She explained to ELLE that intimate scenes are far more choreographed and technical than most people realize. The production brought in intimacy coordinator Elizabeth Talbot to ensure the comfort and safety of the actors, a standard practice for the series\u2019 famously steamy moments. Ha and Thompson\u2019s ability to communicate openly\u2014about nerves, boundaries, and the sheer silliness of filming such scenes with a crew standing nearby\u2014helped them navigate the experience. \u201cWe can just clock it, without even saying anything,\u201d Ha told The Post, emphasizing the mutual trust and understanding they developed on set.<\/p>\n
Of course, the bathtub scene is just one highlight in a season brimming with drama, romance, and social commentary. Season 4 of Bridgerton centers on the Cinderella-like romance between Sophie, a maid of lower social standing, and Benedict, a member of the aristocratic Bridgerton family. The show explores the obstacles posed by class differences in 1800s England, a theme Ha found particularly meaningful. \u201cIt\u2019s the first time we\u2019ve opened the downstairs world and touched upon class disparity,\u201d she told ELLE. \u201cSo what does it mean when society tells you you should or shouldn\u2019t be with someone? What does love look like in that circumstance? It just brings the obstacle more to the surface and more to the forefront than before, even though we\u2019re not touching upon privileged love. We\u2019re talking about love from two divided worlds.\u201d<\/p>\n
Ha, who\u2019s been swept up in a whirlwind of press engagements and red-carpet appearances since the season\u2019s debut, credits Thompson for helping her stay grounded. \u201cLuke and I just relied on each other and we just checked in with each other to see what we needed,\u201d she said. The pair\u2019s friendship extended off-set as well, with Ha revealing that they frequently exchanged voice messages to support one another through the intense demands of the promotional tour. Despite her exhaustion from jet lag\u2014having flown from London to Los Angeles for the premiere and the Actor Awards\u2014Ha made time for fans, media, and industry events, including the Actors Rising celebration in the Hollywood Hills.<\/p>\n
Ha\u2019s star continues to rise beyond Bridgerton. She was recently named ambassador for the 2026 Actor Awards, which will take place on March 1, 2026. The honor, previously held by the likes of Yara Shahidi and Alexandra Daddario, is a testament to her growing influence in the industry. \u201cWhen I heard that I was going to be the ambassador, it was such a big honor,\u201d Ha said. \u201cEspecially with the Actor Awards, it\u2019s truly a ceremony for the actors and to be recognized for my work and to be put in this position is such an honor and a privilege.\u201d She\u2019s excited to use the platform to connect with other actors, particularly fellow Asian creatives, and to celebrate the craft of performance.<\/p>\n
Meanwhile, the future of Bridgerton remains bright. Netflix has already renewed the series for fifth and sixth seasons, with speculation swirling about which Bridgerton sibling will take center stage next. Ha is staying tight-lipped about her possible return, saying only, \u201cI hope so!\u201d when asked about Season 5. She admitted she doesn\u2019t know what the next chapter will hold, as scripts are still being written and she\u2019s focused on savoring the success of Season 4. The season\u2019s finale also teased a new Lady Whistledown, but Ha confessed she\u2019s as much in the dark as viewers: \u201cI don\u2019t know. I\u2019m surprised too. I have no clue. Who knows? Maybe it\u2019s a Sir Whistledown. I was thinking that too. Maybe it\u2019s drag. I don\u2019t know.\u201d<\/p>\n
For Ha, the most rewarding moments have come from the connections she\u2019s made\u2014on set, with fans, and within her own family. She shared a touching story about her grandmother, also an actress, who binge-watched the new season despite vision loss in one eye. \u201cShe said that she cried and she was like, \u2018Love you,\u2019 and that she\u2019s proud of me, which is very, very sweet,\u201d Ha recalled.<\/p>\n
As Bridgerton continues to enchant audiences worldwide, it\u2019s clear that the magic of the show lies not only in its sumptuous costumes and passionate romances but in the real, sometimes messy, always human stories of the people who bring it to life.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"When it comes to the world of period romance, few shows have captured the public\u2019s imagination quite like…\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":306727,"comment_status":"","ping_status":"","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[29],"tags":[156,111,139,69,437],"class_list":["post-306726","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","category-tv","tag-entertainment","tag-new-zealand","tag-newzealand","tag-nz","tag-tv"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/nz\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/306726","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=306726"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/nz\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/306726\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/nz\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/306727"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/nz\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=306726"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/nz\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=306726"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/nz\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=306726"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}