The star of Queen Charlotte: A Bridgerton Story insists that mental health should be addressed on TV.
As a young Black actress, India Amarteifio never envisioned herself playing a woman of power, let alone the queen of England. That is, until Bridgerton reimagined the landscape of period pieces and representation on television. Now, Amarteifio is living out a dream she never even knew she had in Netflix’s Queen Charlotte: A Bridgerton Story, which hits the streaming giant on May 4.
“It’s a massive honor and such a special moment as a young Black woman, but also as an actor, to get to see it all happen and all come to life,” says Amarteifio, who plays the series’ leading lady.
At the young age of 21, Amarteifio already has an impressively stacked resume that includes projects like Sex Education (in which she plays Lizzie), Doctor Who, and Line of Duty. Although signing onto a Bridgerton show (or any Shonda Rhimes production, for that matter) comes with a whole new level of fame and prestige, seen by Amarteifio’s predecessors Regé-Jean Page, Phoebe Dynevor, Simone Ashley, Nicola Coughlan, and Jonathan Bailey, who has all gone on to book high-profile gigs following their stints on the regency era romance (Barbie, The Little Mermaid, The Gray Man, and Wicked — just to name a few).
“You hear about the Bridgerton world and the sphere, and it’s quite daunting, but I was excited,” Amarteifio says. “I’m always up for a challenge.”
Amarteifio may be new to the Bridgerton universe, but viewers and fans are already familiar with a version of her character. In Queen Charlotte: A Bridgerton Story, which premieres on May 4, Amarteifio portrays a 17-year-old Queen Charlotte as she navigates marriage, her ascension to power, and her husband’s debilitating mental illness (which plays a key role in the couple’s relationship ). The show also follows a young Lady Danbury and Violet Bridgerton (played by Arsema Thomas and Connie Jenkins-Greig, respectively) and bounces between the earlier era and a later time period with the adult versions of the characters (played by Rosheuvel, Adjoa Andoh, and Ruth Gemmell).
Season 1 and 2 of Bridgerton hints at the tumultuous relationship of Queen Charlotte and King George (young George is played by Corey Mylchreest), though the spin-off dives much deeper into the genesis of their love story and the king’s inner demons, which creates a push-and-pull effect in their marriage from the very beginning (joining the series’s lineup of romance tropes that includes the enemies-to-lovers narrative in season 1 and the anticipation of a slow burn in season 2).
Just as the franchise has become known for breaking barriers with its diverse cast, Queen Charlotte aims to destigmatize mental illness, as well as challenge gender constructs and normalize LGBTQ storylines in period dramas. While it is a work of fiction, Bridgerton addresses King George’s very real and infamous mental health struggles, which have often been trivialized in many other depictions.
“It’s incredibly important, and it’s a real privilege to be a part of a show that does it in a way that’s so caring and doesn’t make light of the situation, actually shows things for how they are,” Amarteifio explained. “A lot of works of fiction turns King George’s mental health into a bit of a joke. You’ve got things like Hamilton or the Madness of King George, the Shakespeare play, which is obviously not a comedy at all. It’s good to play the severity of the situation.”
It’s not long before Amarteifio becomes a household name along with her fellow Bridgerton alums, but for now, the young actress is just proud to be a part of something blazing a trail of representation on the screen for generations to come. “We don’t often get to see people of different ethnic backgrounds being presented in powerful and regal roles, unfortunately, because of slave trade, segregation, and race relations in early history,” she says. “To have that representation is everything.”
Read on for India’s thoughts on working with Rhimes, her palpable chemistry with co-star Mylchreest, and which regencycore trend she has a strong disdain for.
What was it like joining a show with such a huge following already? Have you gotten any advice from the show’s veterans?
I’m always up for a challenge. I spoke obviously to Golda [Rosheuvel, who plays the adult version of Queen Charlotte]. She gave me really good advice: take the role as your own, feel welcomed into this crazy experience, and really go through it and live through it. Basically, to enjoy myself and to keep my eyes open to the possibilities. I think when we’re filming for so long, sometimes, you can get caught up in tiredness — just remember that what we’re doing is really, really cool.
