Bridgerton’s Luke Newton Teases Season 3’s “Ramped Up” Romance

As soon as Netflix dropped the first photos from Bridgerton Season 3, it was clear that a major transformation was in store for Colin Bridgerton. Gone were his twerpy little-brother high collars, replaced by an unbuttoned shirt and wind-swept hair. The changes quickly captured the attention of fans, known as “the ton,” who gifted the character a nickname: “Pirate Colin.”

“In past seasons, I always had to have my tie up very prim and proper,” says Luke Newton, who plays the third-eldest Bridgerton brother. “This season we explored having the buttons open and showing that rebellious side to Colin, who doesn’t want to follow the rules.”

The third installment premieres in two parts, on May 16 and June 13. Colin, having returned from travels abroad, brings with him a fresh perspective to help him find love — or rather, to finally see who’s been in front of him the whole time. (For the uninitiated, that’d be Penelope Featherington, played by Nicola Coughlan.)

“He was always running away from his problems,” Newton says of Colin. “He’s back again from his travels. He went through some sort of physical and emotional transformation and became a man before he returned. He’s still fighting some demons, but comes back with a new outlook.”

Fans are so excited they’ve already taken to TikTok and X (formerly Twitter) to share their “Polin” edits and plot theories. “The fans have their finger on the pulse,” Newton says. “There are moments when I’m like, ‘Have they read a script?’”

Below, he teases new Season 3 details, intimate carriage rides, and Polin’s surprising connection to Friends.

Since the Polin storyline has a classic friends-to-lovers arc, what was it like going from being the show’s platonic friendship to its romantic center?

There’s always been that romance between them, mainly from Penelope’s feelings. It’s gone over Colin’s head. When I was anticipating how the show would be written, I thought, Is it going to be platonic, and then suddenly they’re together? But the romance is really ramped up [this season].

Nic and I have talked so many times about how Colin always held the power in their relationship because of how she felt toward him. It was fun to play the complete swap of that, of how she gains this power and confidence. We flipped everything on its head.

People love a friends-to-lovers plot. Did you get any inspiration from other books or movies?

When we were shooting, I kept watching rom-coms. We wanted to have a rom-com element within Season 3, because we’d never explored that previously. It was always the enemies-to-lovers [plot]. It was nice to have those comedic moments of two people being goofy around each other. When you know someone as well as Colin and Penelope [know each other], you can’t put a wall up and pretend to be someone.

We always reference how Colin and Pen are like Ross and Rachel [from Friends], because it never works out at the right time. They keep just missing each other. It’s so fun to play the different versions, of when someone is ready to commit and the other isn’t.

How did you prepare for the intimate scenes for this season?

I’m really grateful to have shared it with Nic. We always knew there’d be a point when [our characters] would have this beautiful love story.

For previous cast members who led the show, they met each other at the start of the season, whereas Nic and I have developed our friendship over the last four years. We felt really safe, and we’ve got an amazing team of intimacy coordinators. It was so well-prepared that it just freed us up to be able to perform.

How many carriage rides can viewers expect this season?

Yeah, there’s a lot going on in the carriage rides. The romance and intimacy is coming from all directions. It’s not just Colin and Pen who have those experiences this season. It feels like everyone this season has just been hit with a love stick. There are a couple of carriage rides, but not all are romantic. There’s one with the brothers, and I’m changing clothes [in the carriage]. That was a fun one to shoot.

Penelope’s a very divisive character. Some fans stand by her and her double life, while others villainize her. How do you feel?

Every decision Penelope makes comes from a place of love and care, even if it’s to sabotage someone, for instance with Eloise. It’s always to rescue them or expose something necessary. Maybe I’m just biased because of Colin’s relationship with the character.

There are moments when I think Lady Whistledown gets carried away and could deal with things differently. Penelope is trying to find her way and is potentially the most successful businesswoman in “the ton.” But also, we have to remember she’s growing up, and that’s what this season feels like — the epitome of growth. Colin and Penelope are both growing up at the same time, and then trying to grow together.

This interview has been edited and condensed for clarity.