Yerin Ha cast as Sophie Baek in 'Bridgerton' season 4
"Bridgerton" has found its newest leading lady in actress Yerin Ha.
Ha has been cast as Sophie Baek, the love interest of season 4 lead Benedict Bridgerton, played by Luke Thompson, Netflix announced Wednesday.
Ha is an Australian-born actress of Korean descent, who is perhaps best known for playing Kwan Ha in "Halo," the series based on the video game franchise of the same name, and can also be seen in the forthcoming "Dune: Prophecy," a prequel series to the "Dune" films.
According to a description of the character from the streamer, Sophie Baek "has been forced to spend much of her life working as a maid for the most demanding employer in the ton. But the resourceful Sophie always finds a way to persevere through her circumstances -- which will drastically change after she disguises herself to attend Violet Bridgerton's masquerade ball and meets Benedict Bridgerton."
"What drew me to Sophie was that she immediately has obstacles -- something that she constantly has to overcome," Ha told Tudum, "whether it's this battle around social status or trying to hide her feelings from Benedict."
Fans of the Julia Quinn's "Bridgerton" book series will notice the character's last name on the show is different from the page, changing from Sophie Beckett to Sophie Baek -- a nod to Ha's background.
"A name is the first bit of identity that you share with the world, and that's why changing a name can be so powerful. To make Sophie's name fit someone who looks like me is really empowering," Ha said, crediting showrunner Jess Brownell for making the change. "It's a really nice way for me to feel like the role is fit for me, rather than me having to fit a certain mold. It's amazing what it can do just in a psychological sense. So it means a lot that Jess did that for me."
The logline for "Bridgerton" season 4 gives a hint at how Benedict and Sophie's love story will unfold.
"The fourth season of Bridgerton turns its focus to bohemian second son Benedict (Luke Thompson)," it reads. "Despite his elder and younger brothers both being happily married, Benedict is loath to settle down -- until he meets a captivating Lady in Silver at his mother's masquerade ball."
Thompson's role as the new season's lead and the storyline were confirmed by Netflix in July -- but fans may have to wait some time to see Benedict and Sophie's love story.
No release date has yet been announced for the eight-episode fourth season of "Bridgerton."
