The Netflix series Bridgerton has gained fans around the world since its first season aired in 2020.
With the Regency-era England drama known for its diverse cast, Southeast Asian fans have been particularly delighted whenever actors from the region appear in the series, including Malaysian actor Zheng Xi Yong in its fourth and latest season.
But did you know a Singaporean nearly played Benedict Bridgerton’s leading lady, Sophie?
Source: @bridgertonnetflix on Instagram
While the role eventually went to Korean-Australian actress Yerin Ha, Mediacorp personality Sonia Chew revealed that she had the opportunity to audition for the role of the ‘Lady in Silver’ in 2024.
The 987FM DJ was on holiday in New York when her artiste manager messaged her, asking her to send in a self-tape for a “highly confidential” project.
Both Chew, 34, and her manager suspected it was for the next season of Bridgerton.
Source: @soniachew on Instagram
In social media posts on Monday (9 March), Chew said she initially questioned why she had been invited to audition, given her limited acting experience.
“Why me? I am not an actress. I have not had any formal acting training. I’ve dabbled in a couple of comedies here in Singapore,” she said.
“My actual job is a radio presenter, a host, and a media personality.”
Source: @soniachew on Instagram
According to IMDb, Chew has appeared in several local TV series and mini-series between 2015 and 2024.
Speaking to MS News, Chew said she was not actively auditioning for any roles at the time, since she is not an actress.
“My passion is generally in hosting live shows. I love being on stage and getting the energy of the crowd,” she expressed.
“So it’s very, very different from acting.”
Bridgerton was even her first time auditioning outside of a Singaporean series.
“I did do a couple of skit-type of acting in Singapore, but they were very much myself, you know, comedies and stuff,” she said.
“So this was definitely an interesting challenge.”
Despite her doubts, Chew decided to give the opportunity a try. She submitted her headshots and recorded an introduction about herself for the casting directors.
Chew said the most challenging part of the audition was having to record an introduction using Received Pronunciation (RP).
Britannica describes RP as a British standard accent traditionally associated with the middle and upper classes and those with advanced education. It is also commonly known as the Queen’s — or King’s — English.
To her surprise, Chew was later asked to submit another video acting out a scene from the script.
Source: @soniachew on Instagram
“I had to drag my poor boyfriend back to the hotel room to help me read lines. This was when the panic set in,” she shared.
She later showed viewers a side-by-side comparison of her audition clip and the actual scene that aired on Netflix.
Chew told MS News that she found two things challenging about having to send audition tapes for Bridgerton — the accent and the acting.
She said she has a lot of respect for film and theatre actors who can switch accents easily, especially when they have to do it on short notice.
“It’s not something I’m naturally gifted with,” she admitted.
To pull off her audition tapes, Chew said she watched a video on how to speak with an RP accent.
“I would watch that, and then I immediately do the lines, so that the accent and how it sounds like would be fresh in my head,” she shared.
Regarding her concerns with acting, Chew said, “Bridgerton is such a world-renowned show on another level. They would need some sort of basic acting skills already, and I was concerned that I barely even had that.”
Chew said it was the first time she had watched her audition clip since submitting it, admitting she “cringed” at her own performance.
All the excitement, the anxiety… At least I tried, and I’m thrilled that I was given the opportunity to try.
She also praised Ha for her portrayal of Sophie.
“There’s no one else who would have played that role other than you. You slayed it, and I really enjoyed watching all the episodes. So you go, girl,” said Chew, who added that she never expected to land the role anyway.
“Honestly, never in a million years would I have ever gotten that role.”
Source: Mediacorp Personality, Sonia Chew
Chew told MS News that she admired the main character, Sophie, who starts as a maid for her stepmother’s family, and resonated with her hardworking, headstrong, and independent nature.
“So I feel, honestly, it would have been such an honour to portray Sophie and to tell her story,” she expressed.
Chew mused that if Sophie had been Singaporean, she would also be very strong and independent, but would have “a bit more fire within her”.
“Definitely, she had some great points coming through that character arc, but maybe if she were Singaporean, she could have been a little bit more aggressive,” she said.
Chew was surprised by the overwhelming response she received from the public after revealing that she auditioned for Bridgerton, she told MS News.
She shared that some have said her courage to take on a challenge that was unfamiliar to her gave them the strength to do the same.
Chew said she was also once a perfectionist who was afraid of failure, but now, she considers her Bridgerton audition “a great learning experience”.
Source: Mediacorp Personality, Sonia Chew
“My mindset with opportunities that come my way has evolved over the years,” Chew reflected.
“It used to be a situation where I’m like, ‘Why not me?’ if I don’t get the job, but now I’m like, ‘You know what? Maybe everything happens for a reason'”.
I think that comes with some maturity and experience in the industry as well, and every opportunity that comes by is precious to me, and I’ll give 100 percent.
When asked what she would advise those who wish to pursue a creative career, Chew said: “Make sure that you are damn good at what you do.”
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Featured image adapted from Mediacorp Personality, Sonia Chew, @bridgertonnetflix on Instagram.