India Amarteifio has admitted she was “nervous” to film sex scenes with her co-star Corey Mylchreest for Queen Charlotte: A Bridgerton Story.
The brand new prequel series, created by legendary show runner Shonda Rhimes, hits Netflix on May 4.
The spin-off will tell the origin story of the iconic Queen Charlotte – made famous by Golda Rosheuvel in the original series.
The prequel will centre on a young Queen Charlotte, played by India, revealing how her marriage to King George sparked both a great love story and a societal shift in Regency-era England.
The younger version of King George will be played by Corey Mylchreest, and India confirmed they filmed plenty of steamy scenes for the limited series.
Speaking exclusively to Goss.ie at the premiere of Queen Charlotte in London, the actress confessed she was “a bit nervy at the beginning” when they approached the sex scenes.
However, India revealed she “instantly very safe with Corey and the intimacy coordinators”.
“Everything is very professional and very polished, and there’s no err of caution that has not been considered, it’s very very protected,” she explained.
India went on to describe the series as “sexy, exciting, and heartbreaking”, and revealed how it’s “very different” to the original Bridgerton series.
“It is darker and deeper, I think the topics we tackle are very pressing in society now, and I think people will really appreciate having themselves and their voices and thoughts represented,” she said.
“I feel very lucky to be a part of something that’s so unafraid to speak about things, because that’s how we make change and communicate.”
When asked if she’s prepared for the same level of fame as the cast of Bridgerton, the London native admitted: “I mean, no! Not at all, that’s not what I came into this job for.”
“I love acting, it’s my one true passion, with dance, so you know whatever comes with that, comes with that, but I’m very focused on my craft.”
India also revealed she sought advice from Claudia Jessie, who plays Eloise Bridgerton in the original series, and Charithra Chandran, who plays Edwina Sharma.
“They were both really lovely and very giving of their time, and super lovely like the rest of the cast,” she added.
India plays the young Queen Charlotte in the series, while Golda Rosheuvel returns in her role as the monarch.
The origin stories of Violet Bridgerton and Lady Danbury will also be explored in the prequel, which will cut from the past and present day in the Bridgerton universe.
Arsema Thomas will play a young Lady Danbury in the series, while Connie Jenkins-Greig will star as a young Violet Bridgerton (née Ledger).
Bridgerton stars Adjoa Andoh and Ruth Gemmell will also reprise their roles as Lady Agatha Danbury and Lady Violet Bridgerton, respectively.
Corey Mylchreest plays the young King George in the series, which is sure to secure him heartthrob status, while Hughs Sachs and Sam Clemmett star as older and younger versions of the Queen’s right hand man Brimsley.
The cast also includes Cyril Nri as Lord Danbury, Freddie Dennis as Reynolds, Keir Charles as Lord Ledger, Richard Cunningham as Lord Bute, Michelle Fairley as Princess Augusta, Tunji Kasim as Adolphus, and Rob Maloney as the Royal Doctor.
In case you didn’t know, Queen Charlotte in the Bridgerton universe is based on the real Charlotte of Mecklenburg-Strelitz – who was Queen of Great Britain as the wife of King George III from 1761 until her death in 1818.
Their marriage lasted 57 years and produced 15 children, 13 of whom survived to adulthood.
As portrayed in the series, Queen Charlotte was distressed by her husband’s repeated bouts of mental illness, which earned him the nickname ‘The Mad King’.
You can find out more about the history of Queen Charlotte in the video below:
