Not only is Bridgerton dominating Netflix’s top ten, but it’s also one of the biggest hits on the 2024 TV schedule. The show is a phenomenon, to put it lightly, and it’s made actors like Jonathan Bailey, Nicola Coughlan, Luke Newton and Simone Ashley massive stars. The Netflix effect is real when it comes to the cast becoming household names, and it’s a testament to how great the casting on the show is. However, the casting director has to sift through a lot of footage to find these people, and sometimes the emails she gets include NSFW content.
Kelly Valentine Hendry, the casting director for the sexually explicit Netflix show, opened up about the fact that she will look everywhere to cast, and she welcomes people of all experience levels. However, casting big shows like Bridgerton comes with challenges too. One of those came when she got videos from people that were “sex basically.” She explained these NSFW self-tapes she’s gotten sent while on the Should I Delete That? podcast, saying:
It’s every day. Yeah. I get the most unbelievable videos, unsolicited. It’s sex basically, it’s not actual sex, but it’s quite punchy. I get stuff that comes to me, it’s not nudey pictures, but not far off. It’s sad really.
This topic came up because one of the hosts asked the casting director how many emails she gets a day because it’s so easy to contact her. That’s what led to her comments about the borderline sex videos and pictures she gets. She explained that she gets an overwhelming number of emails, explaining:
I spent a good hour yesterday having to delete, because I’m at 90% capacity every day.
While she didn’t specify that this was because of Bridgerton, the Regency drama is known for its spicy scenes (and some even say the show isn’t horny enough), which could be why people feel the need to send in NSFW audition content. Whether they’re trying to catch her attention to try and become part of the Bridgerton cast or they’re just sending it to send it, it’s awkward and weird.
Earlier in the podcast Valentine Hendry explained that they do not incorporate intimate scenes into the audition process, and if they wanted to, an intimacy coordinator would have to be involved. So, all around, these photos and videos she’s being sent are NSFW.
But, that’s not stopping her, and amid all these uncomfortable emails, she finds the diamonds. Along with Bridgerton, Kelly Valentine Hendry has cast loads of massive shows, including Fleabag and Broadchurch. She’s helped discover major, major stars, and on the podcast, she spoke about casting actors like Olivia Colman for Broadchurch and Simone Ashley for Bridgerton.
Now, it’s on to Bridgerton Season 4, and considering we think Benedict Bridgerton will finally be next, I can’t wait to see who her team finds to play Sophie! Fans are already speculating about who could play opposite Luke Thompson. While those guesses are fun, I can’t wait to see who they pick, because whether we know the actor or not, they’ve always knocked it out of the park!
I hope that as casting for shows like Bridgerton continues, Kelly Valentine Hendry gets less of these videos and photos because it must be uncomfortable. However, this casting process for one of Netflix’s most bingeable shows must also be very fun. She seemed excited about what’s to come in the next installment, and I can’t wait to see who they find.
As we learn more about the new additions to Bridgerton’s cast, we’ll be sure to keep you posted. Meanwhile, you can go back and watch the show and appreciate all the amazing casting Kelly Valentine Hendry and her team have done by streaming the Regency romance with a Netflix subscription.
