Fans only want the best for Bridgerton’s quietest sibling, Francesca. But sadly, that’s not how her story may play out.
The romantic period drama often explores themes of betrayal, yearning and passion. Rarely does it delve into tragedy, that is, until Francesca (Hannah Dodd).
Unfortunately, Netflix has not confirmed which season will put Francesca front and centre as the leading lady. However, her story was the sixth book, When He Was Wicked, in Julia Quinn’s series.
While speaking to The Weekly ahead of season four, Hannah revealed she was “terrified” to play the lead interest – despite the global admiration for her portrayal of Francesca.
“I love Francesca’s story so much,” Hannah confessed. “So, whenever I get the chance to tell that story, I’ll be excited but absolutely terrified.
“And also, I think everybody’s done such a good job and approached it really calmly, which I don’t think [I’ll do].”
Meanwhile, Luke Newton, who led season three as Colin Bridgerton, was “excited for [Hannah] to play it out in all [her] glory.”
“I thought about this when it was Luke Thompson’s [turn to become the lead] – the whole passing of the torch – but Luke was ready way before I was! I had no wisdom to impart. But it’s just everyone’s individual experience,” he shared.
Who does Francesca Bridgerton end up with?
In the third season, Francesca found an unexpected romance with Lord John Stirling, leading to their marriage in the finale. Among the crowd of this small ceremony was John’s cousin, Michaela Stirling (gender-swapped from Michael Stirling in the novels). And it is with Michaela where Francesca’s love story will truly begin.
If you don’t want spoilers for Francesca Bridgerton’s storyline, stop reading.
In the novels, John sadly passes away from an aneurysm roughly two years into their marriage, leaving Francesca a widow. Michael, whose gender has been swapped for Michaela in the TV series, flees the country in his grief. But he always held secret affections for Francesca.
Years later, Michael returns to The Ton, building a friendship with Francesca which soon blossoms into an intense and passionate love – starkly different from her first marriage.
Who originally played Francesca Bridgerton?
In the first two seasons of Bridgerton, Francesca was played by Ruby Stokes. The young actor exited the series due to scheduling conflicts with another Netflix show, Lockwood & Co.
Hannah took over from season three. In a previous interview with Tudum, Hannah reflected on filming Francesca’s debut into society, one of her first scenes as the character.
“Filming it was absolutely terrifying, because it was quite early on in production. There was a little bit of life imitating art there. She was nervous, and I was nervous. She was watching people, and I was watching people to learn. We were kind of going through it together,” she said.
Who is Hannah Dodd?
Hannah is a 30-year-old British actress from Leavenhealth, a small town on the Essex-Suffolk border in England.
While she has many credits in TV shows and movies, including Flowers in the Attic: The Origin, she is also trained in ballet.
“I am training in ballet, contemporary, jazz and musical theatre, which I think is my favourite as I’d love to get into acting, too,” she told British Vogue in 2014.
Some of her other big roles include Enola Holmes 2, Find Me in Paris, Anatomy of a Scandal, Eternals, and Fighting with My Family.
