Bridgerton star Yerin Ha is speaking out on the importance of Asian representation in the entertainment industry.
In an exclusive interview with People at the Lunar New Year Gold Celebration hosted by Gold House, Ha shared her experience stepping into the romantic lead Sophie Baek in the fourth season of Bridgerton.
“It’s been really, really amazing and beautiful,” she said. “I’ve been really caught up with a press tour, it has been really positive.”
Ha expressed the significance of continuing to increase visibility for Asian actors and characters.
“I just feel so proud that I get to be the face of that and keep advocating for change and knowing that we deserve these roles and spaces,” Ha said.
Ha’s character, Sophie, is a maid who captures the attention of Benedict Bridgerton (Luke Thompson) at a masquerade ball. Benedict meets Sophie as the mysterious Lady in Silver and sets out on a quest to find her. The season tackles the class disparities between Sophie and Benedict as they navigate their romance.
“We just have fun every day,” Ha said of working on the series. “It was always a laugh on set, and everyone’s a good time and a good chat.”
However, Ha shared in a January cover story for InStyle, that on screen intimacy initially made her nervous when preparing for Bridgerton.
“Being a woman in this industry, it’s a massive thing. People think that they have the right to talk about your body, how you look, and your external appearance,” she said. “I’ve dealt with body image and that shame for a very, very long time — and I’m still working through it.”
Ha added, “But what’s been really nice about Sophie is she’s taught me a lot about self-love and self-acceptance. I’m still working on accepting myself for my entirety and being happy with who I am. In a world where we strive for perfection, what does that look like?”
All episodes of Bridgerton season 4 are available to stream on Netflix.
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