TV & Movies
Sophie’s Name Change In Bridgerton Is “Empowering” For Yerin Ha
In a new Netflix interview, the Season 4 leads also discuss their “really special and very vulnerable” dance lessons.
Nearly a month after reports revealed that Yerin Ha will play Benedict’s love interest on Bridgerton, Netflix has finally revealed new details about the Season 4 lead.
As fans of Julia Quinn’s Bridgerton novels know, Sophie is a maid who meets Benedict at his mother’s masquerade ball. Fortunately for fans of the Cinderella-esque story, this will still be the case.
“There’s this theme with masks that was running throughout all of my audition scenes,” Ha shared in a new Netflix interview. “When does Sophie put on this mask to cover her emotions? Or vice versa, when does she take it off and when does she soften up? Playing with those [questions] is just really fun.”
The streamer also noted that Sophie’s “mask — both literal and figurative — hides a mysterious history.”
Fans will have to wait to find out what that history entails. In the meantime, Netflix teased one exciting detail that marks a meaningful departure from the books: Sophie’s name will change from Sophie Beckett to Sophie Baek.
Why Did Sophie’s Name Change?
Sophie Baek’s new surname reflects the real-life background of Ha, who is Korean-Australian. “A name is the first bit of identity that you share with the world, and that’s why changing a name can be so powerful,” Ha told Netflix. “To make Sophie’s name fit someone who looks like me is really empowering.”
Ha credited the name change to showrunner Jess Brownell, who asked the Bridgerton newcomer about Korean surnames that begin with “B.”
“It’s a really nice way for me to feel like the role is fit for me, rather than me having to fit a certain mold,” Ha said. “It’s amazing what it can do just in a psychological sense. So it means a lot that Jess did that for me.”
This isn’t the first time Bridgerton has changed a surname to honor an actor’s background. As you’ll remember, Season 2 swapped Kate Sheffield for Kate Sharma.
A Season 4 Status Update
In addition to opening up about Sophie’s name change, Ha shared that she and Luke Thompson (who plays Benedict) have been taking dance lessons together, which she described as “really special and very vulnerable.”
Thompson, for his part, said that he’s “only stepped on Yerin’s toes once, which is good.”
While the latest Bridgerton update didn’t shed light on the Season 4 release date, Brownell previously shared with The Hollywood Reporter that production is “kind of on a two-year pace,” leading fans to believe Season 4 would arrive in 2026.
