'Bridgerton' Star Hannah New on the Real Regency Woman Who Inspired Lady Tilley Arnold
Readers of Julia Quinn’s Bridgerton books might have expected Benedict Bridgerton (played by Luke Thompson) to take the lead in the Netflix hit’s third season, as he did in the third installment of the book. But as pretty much anyone with a television knows, that honor went to Colin Bridgerton (Luke Newton) and Penelope Featherington (Nicola Coughlan). That doesn’t mean Benedict was left in the dust.
In the second half of the third season, Benedict and a new love interest, Lady Tilley Arnold, a bright and outspoken widow whose forthright nature (and encouragement to, um, explore new pursuits) bewitches him. Arnold is played by Hannah New, a veteran of Trust and Black Sails, who reveled in creating a character not seen in the Bridgerton books and bringing her to the forefront of the Regency-era series—thanks to both her singular status among the members of the Ton as well as some particularly crowded romantic encounters.
Here, New tells T&C about the real-life inspiration for her character, bringing Benedict out of his shell, and just what the future might hold for the pair.
How did you come to play Lady Tilley Arnold?
First of all, I was a fan of the show. I'd been watching it in tandem with my best friend, and we would always be messaging each other about what was going on. When the casting notice came through, I was like, this is a long shot, so just enjoy it and really go there with this character. The character description was only two words: “Bad-ass Widow.” I was like, I think I can do that.
I really went for it and enjoyed myself but sent it off and didn’t think much of it. If it was meant to be, it would be. Then I was away camping and in the middle of the night, I got up to go to the loo and I was looking out at the sky and saw a big shooting star. I didn't even think about it, I just wished that I would get Bridgerton. Three days later I got the call; I had some friends over for a barbecue and they were outside, and I was inside, and they saw me do the most ridiculous dancing you've ever seen. I got it, and that was so beautiful.
Since you had been a fan, what was it like joining the cast?
Arriving on set, there are always nerves. And this is a big ensemble cast full of big players who've been together for a long time. I'm always conscious of stepping into a situation like that, when you have to go with the flow and people already have their relationships, but everybody was so welcoming.
One of the most amazing things was that I had a beautiful dance scene to learn. So, I had two weeks of dance rehearsals, and that's when I really got to know Tilley and I got to know who she was with Benedict through the medium of dance, which was exciting. The character is so interesting because she can play with masculine and feminine roles, and she's testing to see how Benedict responds to her leading the dance and doing some fancy moves and seeing if he's going to bring his A game.
You’re playing a character who isn’t in the Bridgerton books. Do you get to wholly invent her story for yourself?
Jess Brownell [our showrunner] is always on hand, and she really is the mastermind who knows what's going on and who's able to give the context within the world of Bridgerton. I had loads of questions and she always responded to me. Regarding my own process of finding backstories, I wrote my master's dissertation on playing biopic roles, so one of the things I find useful is to do a bit of research and see if there's anyone who fits the profile in history.
I came across a woman called Harriet Mellon, who was one of the richest women in Regency England and was the widow of the owner of Coutts Bank. She came from this tumultuous background in the theater, and her parents were Irish immigrants who were costumers, but then she became an actress and wooed this very wealthy older man. It was very much a love connection, even though there was a huge disparity in age. What I loved about her was that she didn't have to play by societal norms, and she rather enjoyed shaking up society. She enjoyed making people squirm by saying the wrong thing. And I loved that.
Your character feels appealing to Benedict not only physically, but also intellectually. She’s telling him that there’s life beyond the Ton and there’s so much more to enjoy than the world he knows.
You get a little sense of it with Colin when he's coming back from his travels and talking about all the different places he's seen and the different people he’s met, and you’ve had a sense of the underworld because of the way that Penelope has to go and get [her column] printed. My backstory fed me for that side of things, that she'd come from a poorer background and that she appreciated what the Ton could give, but she also realized that it creates disparity. She opens Benedict's mind to the people who choose to sit outside society or choose to be on the edges of it, because they experience so much more. That was exciting to play because she's so multidimensional; she's not just coming in being this attractive woman who’s going to woo him, she's going to open his mind. She sees the rebel in him.
She’s also coming into a season that’s been notably steamy and raising the stakes.
This whole season is about self-love, and it’s been wonderful exploring how each character is entering into their own sexuality in an authentic way. Not for anybody else, but really for themselves. This season shows each character finding joy and pleasure, and that's so wonderful. There's nothing sexier than watching somebody who really owns it.
What do you hope comes next for her?
I think for Tilley, the future holds a real lesson in how to value what she gives, how to value her love for herself, and how to be very true to her own emotions. There are things in her past that have left grief that she has to work through in her relationships with others. She's strong, but she has things that she needs to work out to fully understand herself.
Maybe she can do that with the help of a certain suitor.
Exactly.
Or a group of them.
Why not?
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