Bridgerton Cast vs Characters: 5 Shocking Age Differences That Will Ruin the Show for You

Since its release in 2020, Bridgerton has captivated audiences with its modernized take on Regency-era romance: lovemaking in fancy costumes and courteous dirty talk are the main reasons why the Netflix show is beloved around the world. However, the romance drama is apparently not the most authentic piece of work out there. And while the costumes and manners are fine, the actors you see on screen are often too mature for the characters they play, which in this case might be a good thing...

Here are four main Bridgerton characters and their actors' ages at the beginning of the show.

Colin Bridgerton (22) – Luke Newton (27)

At the start of the Netflix series, in 1813, the third Bridgerton son is still in his early twenties, frolicking with his mates without a thought of marriage. Since Colin is said to have been born in 1791, he must be twenty-two, while Luke Newton, who plays the character, was twenty-seven at the time the first season was filmed.

Violet Bridgerton (47) – Ruth Gemmell (53)

The matriarch of the Bridgerton family doesn't get much screen time or development on the show, but she's still one of the most beloved characters thanks to the charm of Ruth Gemmell, who portrays the character. Interestingly, the actress was fifty-three years old when Season 1 ended. Meanwhile, Violet, who was born in 1766, was forty-seven during the first season.

Eloise Bridgerton (17) – Claudia Jessie (30)

The most charismatic of the Bridgerton children was only seventeen when the 1813 season began, but she was precocious in her curiosity about marriage and relationships. Take, for example, her iconic line, 'How does a lady come to be with a child?' for which she was severely reprimanded by Violet. Claudia Jessie, the actress behind Eloise, was thirty during the filming of the first season.

Penelope Featherington (17) – Nicola Coughlan (33)

Born in 1796, the same year as Eloise, Penelope was also seventeen at the start of the first social season filmed at Bridgerton. And just like Claudia Jessie, Nicola Coughlan had a huge age gap with her character. The actress was almost twice Pen's age when the first season was filmed.

Since there was a long break between the filming of seasons 2 and 3, the age difference between the actress and her character is even greater now.

Francesca Bridgerton (18) – Hannah Dodd (28)

The sixth of the Bridgerton children was born around 1797, which means she will come of age and enter the marriage market during Season 3. In the first two seasons, Fran was played by Ruby Stokes, who was three years older than the character. Now that Francesca has been recast for Season 3, she is portrayed by Hannah Dodd, who was twenty-eight years old when filming for Season 3 was completed.