Netflix
It wasn’t so long ago that Korean-Australian actress Yerin Ha could never have imagined herself stepping into the world of a Regency era love story.
“I didn’t grow up watching [period dramas] because I never related to the stories,” the 28-year-old told The Sydney Morning Herald.
“There was never really that kind of representation in those dramas, so I never connected with them.”
Then Bridgerton arrived – the global phenomenon that rewrote the rules of the genre and flung open the door for actors like her with its colourblind casting.
Now, as the newest addition to the series, Yerin plays Sophie, the mysterious “Lady in Silver” who becomes the love interest of Benedict Bridgerton (Luke Thompson) in Season 4.
It’s a role that places her squarely on the edge of a breakout moment.
“I get really shy about people watching my work,” she admitted.
“I always go in with the mindset that every show will be my last.”
It’s a fear she may have to shake quickly — more than 106 million people binged Season 3 following its release in 2024.
Who is Yerin Ha?
Raised on Sydney’s North Shore, Yerin’s journey to stardom began at NIDA, where she trained in acting with a focus on musical theatre.
After graduating in 2018, she set her sights on the US, sensing greater opportunity abroad.
She had a recurring role in crime drama Reef Break, was one of the leads in Paramount+’s Halo and picked up a part in HBO Max’s Dune: Prophecy.
Filming Bridgerton required her to relocate to London for several months, but as diversity becomes more visible on screen, Ha says she’s more than open to returning home for future projects.
“I think it’s really important to still do Australian work,” she explained. “The industry is changing. You can see it in the kinds of actors cast as leads – even in shows like Home and Away – and in writers’ rooms, too. It’s the people in positions of power who create change.”
Landing the lead in one of the world’s biggest shows feels almost like a fairytale – and, in many ways, her life is beginning to imitate her art.
“It’s a lot of pressure, I won’t lie,” Ha told Vogue Australia of becoming the romantic drama’s first Asian lead. “Through a good performance, people will be able to realise, yes, we deserve and belong in these spaces. It’s OK to take up space.”
Who does Yerin Ha play in Bridgerton?
In the series, Yerin plays Sophie Baek, the illegitimate daughter of an earl who works in domestic service in the ton.
It’s a modern Cinderella-style tale with author Julia Quinn acknowledging she borrowed from the classic folk story when writing An Offer from a Gentleman, the third novel in her Bridgerton series, on which Season 4 of the Netflix hit is based.
Sophie, who is treated as a servant by her stepmother and stepsisters, sneaks into a masquerade ball, where Benedict becomes her Prince Charming.
A midnight escape – leaving behind a single glove instead of a glass slipper – sets things in motion.
But, as viewers know, the upper echelons of London society have strict ideas about who is considered a suitable match, which doesn’t include marrying a maid. When Benedict makes Sophie an offer he believes is too good to refuse, their story becomes even more complicated.
Once the excitement of landing the role settled, Ha, who was already a fan of the show, had a sudden realisation.
“‘Oh, Bridgerton’s known for being spicy. I’ll probably have to do intimate scenes,’” she recalled thinking. “It really quickly went that way … It’s a really vulnerable thing to stand naked on set with a very small strapless thong in front of very few crew.”
Do Yerin Ha and Luke Thompson get along?
Working with intimacy coordinator Lizzy Talbot – and Ha’s instant connection with Thompson – made all the difference.
“We’d only started to get to know each other, but it felt like we’d worked together for a much longer time,” Luke, 37, told US InStyle. “Yerin is the ideal scene partner: consummate professional, takes the work seriously but not herself, subtle, interested, with a terrific sense of humour. What more could you ask for?”
Ha’s casting is no accident. Shonda Rhimes, the creative force and executive producer behind Bridgerton, has a long history of spotting talent, having propelled the careers of stars such as Ellen Pompeo and Kerry Washington.
She is full of praise for Yerin’s portrayal.
“Yerin brings humour and playfulness to a role that could have felt too serious or sad,” Rhimes told InStyle. “She’s a versatile actor and created a Sophie full of spirit
and determination. Yerin portrays Sophie with perfection.”
When Bridgerton first dropped on Netflix on Christmas Day in 2020, it launched Season 1 leads Regé-Jean Page and Phoebe Dynevor to global stardom.
More recently, Nicola Coughlan, the Season 3 romantic lead and long-running Lady Whistledown, earned a Screen Actors Guild Award nomination for Outstanding Performance by a Female Actor in a Drama Series in 2025.
Finding that level of fame can be a daunting prospect, but Ha didn’t turn to the former leads for any advice.
“I kind of wanted to just feel this journey for myself and … figure out the wars on my own,” she told People magazine.
And now, with the eyes of the world firmly fixed on her, she is doing exactly that.
Related stories
Native ad body.
Native ad body.
Native ad body.
