Shortly after Queen Charlotte: A Bridgerton Story premiered in May 2023, two major events happened to Arsema Thomas: She moved from London to Los Angeles, and the writers’ strike shut down Hollywood for nearly five months. The former is a rite of passage for most actors; the latter is not something an actor expects to face, especially after starring in a hugely successful Netflix show with a breakout role. And while the strike was an uncertain and unprecedented time for everyone working in television and film, and its repercussions are still reverberating across the industry to this day, Thomas has a unique take on the situation. “There’s something really exciting about being able to sit down and meditate and reflect on something so big that happens seemingly overnight,” says Thomas, who brought her immense talent to the table as the young Lady Agatha Danbury in Queen Charlotte.
With nothing else to do, Thomas traveled around to get used to her new surroundings. While she admits she was always a little scared of Los Angeles, the space and sunshine soothed the former New Yorker, she says. Ultimately, it was working on the indie film She Taught Love that cemented Thomas’s relationship with the West Coast city: “That was the moment I [realized] there was a real community here, and it could take you in, and that was the anchor I was looking for,” she says.
She Taught Love is a romantic drama that hits Hulu on September 27. The film follows Mali, a successful, beautiful, intelligent young woman who is faced with a terminal illness and falls in love with Frank, an unemployed actor. The script comes from Darrell Britt-Gibson, who plays Frank, and the film is directed by first-time feature director Nate Edwards. As soon as Thomas read the script, she felt a kinship with Mali, just as she did with Agatha.
“There was something very similar [when I read] Queen Charlotte,” Thomas says. “Needless to say, [both projects] are trying to prioritize the story of black women. And it feels like this is a wonderful, generous gift to continue to give as part of these projects that are trying to push the envelope, trying to create a movement out of a moment.”
Here, we chat with our Bridgerverse family member Thomas about her new project, why she told her agent she needed to be a part of it, and how Lady Danbury is always with her wherever she goes.
ARSEMA THOMAS: I did! I feel like once you’re a part of that world and you’re playing a character like Lady Danbury, you always have to see what she’s like. Also, there’s something really satisfying about characters that you’ve seen in the background coming to the fore. I’ve always considered myself a wallflower, and seeing Penelope, who’s already a character that we’ve all been rooting for, have this kind of Jim-and-Pam-from-The Office kind of situation—ugh, I just love it. It brings out all the emotions. And seeing Lady Bridgerton have a potential love interest, I love that. Also, I’m really close to Masali [Baduza, who plays Michaela Stirling], so it’s been great to see her shine this season, and I’m excited to see where she goes. Bridgerton is just the gift that keeps on giving. Ten out of 10 — would recommend.
Is there anything about Lady Danbury that helps with taking on new roles or projects in general, or with She Taught Love specifically?
AT: One thing is that in my work ethic, there’s been a huge shift. Falling in love with Agatha has opened up a new way of looking at my characters and how to act. Because I’ve never been put in a position where a character requires me to be as dedicated as that role. Like, these women deserve everything; they deserve to be completely excavated and then built into three-dimensional human beings. And that’s something I can take on for Mali.
The second thing is I think there’s a level of maturity in these two women that I personally have never reached or had to reach. But these women are lifting people up on their shoulders and essentially being the foundation for the change that you see at the end of the show or the end of the season. And that requires a little maturity on my part [laughs]. It’s weird to say that, but I know I have to be as responsible as these women. So I went into: What does it mean when people lean on me for the first time instead of the other way around? It changes your posture and how you look at the world when you know you have something big to lose. So as someone whose career is starting out and this show is the first big thing I’ve had to lose, I’m stepping into these women who have built their entire lives around risky situations.
