4 min readLondonJan 21, 2026 08:25 AM IST
Interestingly, Golda Rosheuvel, best known for essaying Queen Charlotte in Shonda Rhimes’ period romantic fantasy show Bridgerton, initially auditioned for Lady Danbury. As casting gods would have it, that part was bagged by Adjoa Andoh, who would have a lot of scenes with Golda, which the latter describes as “juicy sh*t”.
“When I got to know Adjoa is playing Lady Danbury, there was a real excitement because I was like, ‘Oh, good! There’s some really juicy sh*t we can do on screen,’” Golda tells SCREEN in an exclusive interview. “The show has allowed us space to fill out those women. We play a lot when we’re doing scenes together. There’s a sense of us in those characters,” adds Adjoa, her partner-in-crime.
But do they look back and mull over what would’ve transpired had Golda been zeroed in for Danbury. “No, absolutely not,” shoots back Golda promptly. “This relationship on and offscreen, it just is. I couldn’t think of any other people to play these parts, and I include myself very bravely in that statement. It’s just right,” she adds.
“We’ve both been doing this for a while. We’ve had very happy, rich, fruitful, and fun careers. So, that’s a blessing and lucky us! What Bridgerton has done is just widen the idea of what storytelling can look like, and the invitation is growing wider that. So, we have people from all walks and all backgrounds involved in the storytelling, in front of and behind the camera,” points out Adjoa.
She believes the diversity on and behind the screen has trickled down to the audience too. “That means everybody is welcome. That’s been a beautiful thing. But it’s still set in a particular framework and lens of Regency England with all its hierarchies. So, there’s pressure to marry well, and be successful and climb up the greasy pole,” adds Adjoa.
“Having said that, it’s all positive and wonderful. As Adjoa said, we’ve been very, very luck in the jobs and support we’ve had. But it can always get better,” underlines Golda. “There’s always space to just push those boundaries, and push those doors more open and let others in and follow you. I’m very proud of what Bridgerton stands for, what it says, and that we’re involved in paving the way for others to come behind us, for young people to see what we’re doing the show and think that their dreams can come true,” she adds.
“My first job was a play written by a Black woman, with a cast of five Black women, composed by a Black woman, and directed by an Armenian-Argentinian woman. And that was in the early 1980s,” recalls Adjoa. She acknowledges that “progress takes time,” and attributes the opportunities they’ve received to their predecessors who had it way tougher.
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“The person who changed the way we did Shakespeare in our country was Ira Aldridge, and he did that in the 1800s! He was a superb Black American actor who escaped slavery and came to England. So, the work just keeps rolling forward,” says Adjoa, as Golda nods along. Bridgerton season 4 part 1 will premiere on Netflix on January 29.
