“It was a very empowering process for us to tell their story,” actor Sam Clemmett says of bringing to life the first gay romance in the world of Bridgerton.
Queen Charlotte: A Bridgerton Story, which is now streaming on Netflix, finally gives LGBTQ+ fans what they’ve been yearning for in the world of the ton — a gay romance. Footmen Brimsley (Sam Clemmetts), who serves Charlotte (India Amartiefio), and Reynolds (Freddie Dennis), who serves George (Corey Mylchreest), have a thing going on.
Although there have been queer characters on Bridgerton before and many fans have surmised that Benedict Bridgerton (Luke Thompson) is queer-coded, viewers have been bemoaned the extremely heteros bent of the series, particularly given Shondaland’s long history with breaking new ground in LGBTQ+ representation on television. television.
“We’re both very, very proud to be able to tell the first LGBTQIA+ story within the Bridgerton-verse,” Clemmetts tells EW. “And Shonda [Rhimes] has written these two very, very rich characters. It was a very empowering process for us to tell their story. She’s created such an inclusive and diverse world, so to be able to be a part of it, let alone tell their stories, has filled me with an immense sense of pride.”
Adds Dennis: “Bridgerton is famous for its inclusivity and diversity. It’s an immense privilege, and we are filled with such pride to bring an LGBTQ+ story to a period drama. People have to feel represented by what they’re watching on screen. The society within which we live should be reflected in what people see.”
For Rhimes, it wasn’t a calculated addition to this world, so much as the story she felt most obvious for Brimsley’s past. “It was natural,” she said. “I was writing the character; I was thinking about where he came from, what his history would be, the Brimsley that we know in Bridgerton. It felt like the right story to tell them. It was not a conscious, ‘I’ m gonna take on an issue.’ Because I don’t think that love is an issue. I just wanted to tell their story.”
Reynolds and Brimsley got plenty of steamy interludes (some quite literally, given their bathtub setting), and Clemmetts and Dennis had ample assistance from an intimate coordinator. But it was choreography of a different kind that tripped them up most. The two footmen share a romantic moment in the finale, dancing in the moonlight under a tree where they still hear the music from the Queen’s ball, but hidden away from prying eyes.
“It was actually quite stressful,” Dennis says of shooting the touching scene. “We had dancing lessons and our choreographer taught us how to waltz. That was actually some of my favorite times on set. Cause I’m not a mover, I’ll tell you that much for free. But learning how to dance was lovely . And then the reality of shooting that scene was crazy because it was three or four in the morning. We had a bit of a rush to do it .”
The two did make a mistake, however, tripping over each other and giggling — and that made the final cut. But they are happy with that result. “It’s one of the most beautiful moments of storytelling,” Dennis says.
“It was chaos on set,” adds Clemmetts. “And very, very rushed. But that’s also so reflective of their storyline because they are stealing moments with each other, whether it’s two minutes, whether it’s five minutes, whether it’s 20 minutes. That in itself brings chaos, but it means the world to add.”
But do Reynolds and Brimsley have a happy ending? It’s hard to tell. In the Bridgerton timeline, Brimsley (Hugh Sachs) has spent his entire life serving Queen Charlotte (Golda Rosheuvel). When an older Charlotte finally does ask Brimsley about his personal life — whether he ever married or had a family — he demurs, insisting his life has been dedicated to her. But later, we see him wistfully reliving this stolen dance alone on the terrace outside the palace.
What has become of Reynolds? “What I’ve heard is that he’s on holiday in the Maldives,” jokes Dennis, before adding, “I imagine and hope that Shonda has more to say about that. But what we do know is that wherever Reynolds is, they still love each other very, very much. It’s the one thing we held onto. You can see how much Reynolds means to Brimsley in that moment [where he’s reminded]. So their love runs deep and lives on is not dead.”
So do we.
