Yerin Ha & Luke Thompson Break Down The Bridgerton Bathtub Scene: “It Was So Slippery”
Photo: Courtesy of Netflix.
Spoilers ahead. Bridgerton viewers have been eagerly awaiting the conclusion of Season 4, with book fans getting prepared for that bathtub scene (IYKYK). And boy, was it worth the wait. After Benedict Bridgerton (Luke Thompson) and his mother, Lady Violet Bridgerton (Ruth Gemmell), rescued maid Sophie Baek (Yerin Ha) from being wrongfully imprisoned, Benedict and Sophie had a steamy moment to themselves. It was everything we could have asked for, and for those who loved the carriage scene in Season 3, it's like that... just wetter.
The dynamic between Sophie and Benedict has been fraught, with Ha's character terrified of becoming like her mother and harbouring an illegitimate child with a nobleman. In this particular scene, they don't want to accidentally conceive, so there's some mutual pleasuring going on. Set to an orchestral cover of Never Be The Same by Camila Cabello, it's both emotional and horny. And of course, like all Bridgerton stories, the season wraps up with a happily-ever-after.
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When I speak to Ha and Thompson over Zoom, their chemistry is immediate. They are engaged, energetic and are able to poke fun at each other as if they've been friends forever. Below, the Bridgerton actors talk about the bathtub scene, Korean and Chinese representation in Season 4, and hype each other up in the sweetest way. Oh, and Thompson still doesn't know what ISTG means.
Refinery29 Australia: Bridgerton Season 4 Part 2 had me giggling and kicking my feet at times. I was wondering if you two could break down the bathtub scene? What was it like to film, and were you nervous?
Luke Thompson: We'd done a bit of intimacy by then. Were you really nervous for that one?
Yerin Ha: In a different way. Different angles.
LT: Different body parts, and we were in water.
YH: The bathtub is so long. I'm 5'2!
LT: She kept floating down the river. We had to sort of brace a little bit. And being in water for six hours is...
YH: Gorgeous.
LT: I'd recommend it to everyone.
YH: Lukewarm water, hot water to wash my hair with.
LT: Disintegrating petals.
YH: Yeah, milky, oily water.
LT: Well, that's the other thing, it was so slippery. We were like two seals, because they kept pouring in this thing to make it milky, but I think it had oil in it.
YH: So it made us look really shiny.
LT: Yeah, so they basted us...
YT: Like chickens!
LT: Like two turkeys, exactly.
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Do you think fans are going to go wild over the scene?
YH: I hope so. We put a lot of work and effort into that. I hope they do!
LT: They better! No, I mean, I hope they do. It's an iconic scene in the book.
Photo: Courtesy of Netflix.
And your chemistry is so great. What's your favourite thing about working with each other?
LT: I always say this, but I think it's true. I think Yerin takes the work seriously, but she doesn't take herself seriously. It's the combination of being like an amazing scene partner, in terms of actually being in the scene, but also outside, we just had a laugh. And you're just a good person, as well as being wildly talented, and I do think that's rare. I think that combo is not often felt.
YH: Luke's the same. He's a fantastic listener. And in a day and age where I feel like people don't listen, he's a fantastic listener. And I mean that on screen and off screen, I'm able to vent to you about so many things and also come to you when I'm feeling a certain way, but also have a laugh. And you have a great heart.
LT: Thank you.
Yerin, you're also our Australian Diamond Of The Season. How exciting has it been to represent both Korea and Australia worldwide in such a massive way?
YH: It's the best feeling, and it's everything I dreamed of, to be able to represent both countries in that way. I don't want to think about it too much, because then it feels like this sense of pressure, but just me being in that position and that naturally being the domino effect, it's the best. To make people feel seen all over the world, it's the thing I always hoped for. It's why I came back to Australia to try and pursue acting in Hollywood, or whatever you want to call it. So yeah, it's a dream.
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“
[Yerin is] just a good person, as well as being wildly talented, and I do think that's rare. I think that combo is not often felt.
Luke Thompson on Yerin Ha
”
Your costumes also had some Korean influences, for example, your necklace was amethyst, and South Korea is known for producing that gemstone. At the same time, Araminta Gun's family had Chinese influences, and I think it's cool to differentiate, because East Asians are often lumped together.
YH: Yeah, there is a difference! It's so nice. The fact that the costume department even thought about that and nailed the details, it just goes to show how much thought goes into everything, from the set to the costumes. It is just a recognition that we are different, and yet we can coexist. I didn't have to teach them that. They educated themselves, and then they came back with the ideas. Educating people can be tiring, so the fact that I didn't have to do that and they put all the work in just goes to show how professional and amazing they are.
Thank you so much, that's all I have time for. Thank you, and Luke, I hope you know what ISTG means now.
LT: ISTG, yeah, thank you so much.
YH: What does ISTG mean?
LT: Instagram.
YH: No!!!!!
LT: It doesn't mean Instagram?
YH: I swear to god!
LT: Oh, I swear to god. I'm so confused. Okay, I'm still confused. I don't know what it means.
YH: I will brief him on this afterwards.
LT: I thought it meant Instagram! But that makes no sense. I swear to god.
This interview has been edited and condensed for clarity.
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