Phoebe Dynevor Says It's 'Hard Not to' Have Chemistry with Regé-Jean Page in Bridgerton
Phoebe Dynevor says that eye contact was the key to her much-loved on-screen romance.
On Tuesday, Dynevor, who plays Daphne Bridgerton in the breakout Netflix series Bridgerton, appeared virtually on The Tonight Show to discuss her experience filming with her castmates and what to expect for the show's second season.
Host Jimmy Fallon asked the 26-year-old about the on-screen chemistry she had with Regé-Jean Page, who plays her love interest, Simon Bassett. Dynevor explained that "it's hard not to" have chemistry with the actor, who has become a fan favorite from the series.
The actress went on to describe the moment she realized they had a good connection, which occurred during a dance rehearsal prior to filming the first season.
"We both had dance rehearsals together, and we were both kind of nervous about the dancing part. I remember we had a few rehearsals and one of them got recorded so we got to watch it back and we were like, 'Oh, eye contact really does a lot of the work,' " she said.
The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon
Following the release, Bridgerton's immediate success was obvious, and it was later revealed to be Netflix's "biggest show ever." In the clip, Dynevor shared that she actually almost gave up her acting career prior to landing the role.
"I had been living in L.A. for about nine months, and I was kind of at that point where I was ready to go home, and sort of throw in the towel," she told Fallon. "Then I got a call saying, 'Can you come in and read with Regé next week?' And I was like, 'Oh God, well that's annoying because I've got to move my flight,' and I was like, 'I hope it pays off.' I didn't think anything of it."
She continued, "Then the next day they were like, 'Netflix will pay for your flight back to London because you've got to be in rehearsals on Monday.' So it did pay off."
Less than a month after Bridgerton hit the streaming network, the series was renewed for a second season - later followed by a season 3 and 4 renewal.
Andrew Lipovsky/NBC
RELATED: Netflix Announces Bridgerton Spinoff Focused on Queen Charlotte
The next season, which has already started production, won't include Page and his beloved character. His exit was announced in April on his Instagram and the show's social media accounts. After the shocked reaction from fans, Bridgerton producer Shonda Rhimes explained to Vanity Fair that Page's character still lives on and the show is moving on to the next "world-shifting romance."
During her Tonight Show appearance, Dynevor continued with that message when Fallon discussed the reaction to her and Page's characters' love story possibly ending.
"The special thing about Bridgerton that I think not a lot of shows really do is that every season centers around a different love story," the actress said. "So season two is centered around Anthony, my older brother, and his coming out into the season and his finding a match, hopefully."
She added: "I'm really excited to watch the show as an audience and see what the show has in store for him."
