“Bridgerton” might not be Luke Newton’s first acting gig, but it’s certainly been his biggest thus far. As the third child of the Bridgerton family, Colin is a bit of a free spirit who enjoys travelling, food, and his best friend Penelope. What’s fun about Newton playing this role is that he’s quite similar to his character – and he and Nicola Coughlan, who plays Penelope, have become tight in real life as well.
There’s more to Newton, though, than his character on “Bridgerton.” The British actor didn’t love school, he told “The Independent” this month, until he started acting classes. “That’s when I really felt like I started to love being… in a learning environment because before then I’d loved my drama class and loved music and PE but other than that I didn’t really get on at school,” he said. This put him on the path that led him to Netflix and Shonda Rhimes with “Bridgerton.” And while we can’t imagine him as anyone other than Colin Bridgerton, he originally auditioned to play the Duke of Hastings. He told “The Independent” that it wasn’t until his second audition that he was seen for Colin instead. And the rest is history!
Get to know Newton even more with the fun facts ahead.
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He Loves Food as Much as Colin Bridgerton
In the “Bridgerton” books, Colin is known for having a voracious appetite. Adding his own two cents to Netflix when crafting the show, he asked if that detail about the character could remain because he also loves to eat (which he tweets about frequently). He told “The Independent,” “I spoke to the team and said, ‘If there’s a dinner scene, if there’s a scene where we’re having tea, can he always just have a plateful?’ I’m really excited for [the fans] to see their direct input, like, ‘Luke loves food like Colin does.'”
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He's Admittedly Shy
It’s easy to think that someone who has made a career of playing characters on screen would be bold and outgoing, but Newton says he’s not. He told POPSUGAR in 2021 that he’s a shy person, especially when it comes to making a move. “I think sometimes people would think that I have a lack of interest or that I’m being too abrupt or seem rude,” he said. “Back when we could have parties last, I remember wanting to introduce myself to a group of people, but I just felt quite intimidated. And I was like, ‘Oh, I don’t want to.’ So, I had to get a mate to be like, ‘This is Luke. He’s my friend.'”
