Australian actress Yerin Ha cast in leading lady role on upcoming Bridgerton Season 4

A Korean-Australian actress will play the next leading lady on the Netflix hit Bridgerton, playing the love interest of a main character.

A Korean-Australian actress will play the next leading lady on the Netflix hit Bridgerton.

Today, Netflix unveiled the exciting news in a short teaser that Sydney-based star Yerin Ha has been cast as Sophie Baek in the upcoming Season 4 of the popular period series.

The 29-year-old will play the love interest of Benedict Bridgerton (played by Luke Thompson) and their love story is being likened to Cinderella.

Unlike the high-society love matches in the prior seasons, Sophie is a maid who dreams of finding her Prince Charming.

After sneaking into the Bridgertons’ famed masquerade ball, her chemistry with Benedict is electrifying and the pair spend the evening side-by-side.

However, when the clock strikes midnight, the fairytale ends and she finds herself rushing back to the house she shares with her unpleasant stepmother, leaving Benedict pining and searching for the mysterious Lady in Silver he had danced with.

Aussie actress Yerin Ha is cast in the leading lady role in Bridgerton Season 4.

“What drew me to Sophie was that she immediately has obstacles – something that she constantly has to overcome,” Ha said during Netflix’s fan event TUDUM.

“Whether it’s this battle around social status or trying to hide her feelings from Benedict.”

Stream Bridgerton on Netflix, available on Hubbl.

Season 4 follows Benedict Bridgerton’s (played by Luke Thompson) quest for love.

In the Bridgerton book series by author Julia Quinn, which is what the series is based on, Sophie is originally known as Sophie Beckett.

But in the Netflix series, Ha’s real-life heritage is embraced and Sophie’s last name is changed to a Korean surname to honour the actress’ culture.

Ha attends the Halo LA premiere in 2022. Picture: Andrew Toth/Getty Images

“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,” she said. “To make Sophie’s name fit someone who looks like me is really empowering. All credit to Jess Brownell, our showrunner.”

Ha and Brownell decided on Sophie Baek to keep Sophie’s surname starting with a “B”.

“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,” Ha added. “It’s amazing what it can do just in a psychological sense. So it means a lot that Jess did that for me.”

Prior to starring in Bridgerton, she played Kwan Ha in the first two seasons of the Steven Spielberg–produced TV adaptation of Halo.

And she is also gearing up to star in Dune: Prophecy, an upcoming TV prequel to Denis Villeneuve’s Dune films, which will air locally on BINGE later this year.