The ton is alive with anticipation this season! Lady Penelope Featherington (played by Nicola Coughlan), once a perennial wallflower, has blossomed into a sought-after belle, drawing the attention of not one but two eligible suitors.
While Mr. Colin Bridgerton (portrayed by Luke Newton) grapples with his feelings for Pen, another contender, the charming Lord Debling, steps into the picture, portrayed by Sam Phillips from “The Crown.”
In anticipation of the release of season three, this interviewer caught up with the British actor, discussing Lord Debling’s rivalry with the Bridgerton brothers. Sam explains how he approached his character, emphasizing that Lord Debling is an original creation for the Netflix series, not appearing in Julia Quinn’s book series.
“I went from looking at the script to picking apart the facts – what people were saying about him [Lord Debling],” explained Sam. “I did the usual stuff that actors do to prep and then I thought about the contrast between him and Colin because I wanted them to be very contrasting. Where Colin is growing into himself, Debling’s the finished article.”
Honing in on the differences between Lord Debling and Colin Bridgerton, Sam added: “He [Lord Debling] is more comfortable in his skin and with who he is. He’s comfortable being seen as the outsider, so that contrast was quite important for me to nail. I was looking at Luke [Newton’s] wonderful performance in the show and going ‘Ok how can I make that different?'”
During filming, it was crucial to create as much distance as possible between his character and Luke’s. However, when the cameras weren’t rolling, the actors spent plenty of time together on set.
Asked what it was like joining the cast of Bridgerton, Sam said: “They were so welcoming. I know it’s the big old cliché that it felt like a family, but you were welcomed in like a family. It was so reassuring to know that you were around people wanting you to do your best work and who wanted to get to know you.
“It felt like the first day of school going to the green room for the first time. I was like, ‘Where should I sit?’ But, I remember Luke Newton saying, ‘Oh, come and sit over here with us’ because there was a circle of people sitting around, and I just got chatting to them – people like Luke Thompson, Nicola Coughlan and Bessie Carter. Everyone was super warm.”
While Sam made a point of contrasting Lord Debling with his love rival Colin, the actor also collaborated with lead actress, Nicola Coughlan, to establish chemistry between Penelope and Debling.
“She was incredibly warm and cared about the relationship between Penelope and Debling, and that was really important to get that right – to make sure that we had good chemistry on and off-screen,” shared Sam.
“We got a chance to get to know each other more in dance rehearsals with our brilliant choreographer, Jack Murphy, so that was a really good way to get talking about the characters and getting to know each other. And then we had some nice rehearsal time with one of the directors, Andrew Ahn.
“Nicola’s just fantastic as a leader,” continued Sam. “I was very grateful to be with someone who had that confidence and warmth.”
