Adjoa Andoh criticized Netflix’s Bridgerton and other shows for failing to light Black actors properly.
During an episode of the “Stirring It Up” podcast from earlier this month, Andoh, 61, discussed some of the challenges in the industry that have prevented her from feeling fully comfortable as an actress.
“The continuing conversation about lighting Black skin on every show, nothing’s changed,” noted Andoh, who plays Lady Danbury on the hit Regency-era series.
Andoh highlighted that for awareness surrounding the difference in lighting various skin tones to get “better,” Black actors have to be the ones to speak up. “I want to stay in character,” she explained. “I just want to come on and be Lady Danbury and do what she’s got to do and be totally engaged with that.”
While reflecting on her career, Andoh admitted that she hasn’t always felt empowered to bring the topic up.
“I will now go, ‘Am I blond?’ But I hate doing it because a bit of me is like, ‘Oh, I don’t want to do it. I don’t want to make a fuss,’” she continued. “When people say we’re chippy or we’re being militant or we’re all that stuff, what I want to say is, ‘I’m just a human being and I just want to do the gift that I’m blessed with. I want to do it in a free way, like I see many other people doing.’”
Andoh is looking forward to not always wondering how the color of her skin affects the roles she applies for, adding, “I don’t want to think about it. I just want to get the job because I’m great, or not get the job because I’m s–t.”
Based on Julia Quinn’s book series, each season of Bridgerton focuses on a different member of the titular family as they attempt to find love in 19th-century London. The hit Netflix series is expected to have eight seasons based on the eight novels written by Quinn about each Bridgerton sibling.
Bridgerton‘s success inspired a prequel series titled Queen Charlotte, which introduced the young Queen Charlotte’s (India Amarteifio) rise to prominence and power after she exchanged vows with King George III (Corey Mylchreest).
Queen Charlotte, which was released in 2023, allowed Andoh to learn more about her character through Arsema Thomas‘ portrayal of a young Lady Danbury.
“I think for me, season 3, having the knowledge of young Lady Danbury, how she got to be here, how she’s managed to stay in the game and make her way through the world, I think that will enrich the experience of watching season 3,” Andoh exclusively told Us Weekly in February. “It certainly enriched my experience of playing Lady Danbury, knowing that the audience would be up to speed with who I am and where I’m from in a broader way than they would’ve been before Queen Charlotte came out.”
Andoh praised the prequel for expanding on Lady Danbury’s journey.
“[The prequel enriched] my relationships with Queen Charlotte and Lady Violet in particular, because those friends you’ve had since you were at school, they know you,” she continued at the time. “They remember you in that ridiculous, awful uniform. They remember your acne and your heart. I feel that now when audiences come to season 3, they will see those women as the young women that they were, and they will know that they have gone on that journey through their lives together in this environment. I find that rather beautiful.”
Bridgerton is currently streaming on Netflix.
