Bridgerton season 3 star Hannah Dodd has conflicting feelings about the possibility of having to perform her own sex scenes in the series. After appearing in shows like Harlots and Anatomy of a Scandal, Dodd will join Bridgerton season 3 as Francesca Bridgerton, the sixth child in the titular family. Notably more reserved than the rest of the extroverted siblings, Francesca has so far had a rather odd depiction on the hit Netflix series. Ruby Stokes portrayed the character in seasons 1 and 2, but scheduling conflicts prevented her from having a substantial role. Now Dodd will be taking over the role as the third youngest Bridgerton sibling.
Over the course of its first two seasons, Bridgerton has amassed quite a reputation for its steamy romance scenes. Season 1, which covered the relationship between Daphne Bridgerton (Phoebe Dynevor) and Simon, Duke of Hastings (Regé-Jean Page), caused a stir because of the sheer number of sex scenes it contained. Though Bridgerton season 2 had far less, it still sparked a conversation over its depiction of romance and sex. It seems all but guaranteed that the series will continue to factor these moments into its story.
In an interview with Page Six during the ATX TV Festival, Dodd reveals that although she is a fan of Bridgerton's sex scenes as a viewer, she is nervous to have to participate in them herself. In preparation for the role, Dodd notes that the sixth book in the original Bridgerton novel series is the one that focuses on Francesca, and that there are several steamy scenes in the book. She describes Francesca's story as "a complete mix of the both [steamy and tortured]." Dodd then explains:
"I’m, like, a massive fan of ‘Bridgerton,’ so I’m like, ‘Bring on the steaminess,’ but then I’m like, ‘I don’t want to do that.’ I want it for the people who watch it, but to actually do it is quite scary.”
Since Francesca is one of the younger siblings in the Bridgerton family, it's unlikely that Dodd will have any sex scenes to perform in season 3, since it will primarily follow the love story between Penelope Featherington (Nicola Coughlan) and Colin (Luke Newton). If Bridgerton continues on with future seasons, a potential sixth run is likely the point where Francesca will have sex scenes to perform, assuming season 6 matches her book. Bridgerton has already been renewed for season 4, and creator Chris Van Dusen has been open about wanting to do 8 seasons in total, allowing Bridgerton to cover all 8 books in the original novel series by Julia Quinn.
Dodd's mixed feelings toward sex scenes in Bridgerton are certainly valid considering that the way such vulnerable scenes are handled can differ production to production, and making sure that there is an intimacy coordinator on set is incredibly important in creating a safe environment. Luckily, Bridgerton did hire intimacy coordinator Elizabeth Talbot for the steamy scenes seen in season 1 and season 2. Hopefully, having a professional such as Talbot on set will allay some of Dodd's nerves when she has to film her own intimate scenes, as part of the intimacy coordinator's job is to make sure that the actions performed in front of the camera are consensual, and that the actor has more autonomy in these scenes to choose what is safe and comfortable for them. Plus, Dodd will have plenty of time to get acquainted with Bridgerton before it is time for Francesca to really take the stage.
Source: Page Six