If you haven’t been living under a rock this past week, chances are you spent a good chunk of your free time devouring the third season of Julia Quinn and Netflix’s behemoth period saga, Bridgerton. But before the big release, we caught up with British star Emma Naomi, the actor stepping into the shoes of Alice Mondrich. “You guys are in for a treat,” she teased. Well, now we definitely know what you were talking about, Emma.

From an ordinary family living in Mayfair in Season 1 to becoming A-list guests at every ball in the ton in Season 3, the journey of Alice and Will Mondrich (Martins Imhangbe) is, perhaps, one of Bridgerton’s most heartwarming storylines. After all, Violet Bridgerton isn’t the only one who still believes in great love stories. Titles, carriages, and castles aside, Alice and Will bring relationships, so often portrayed as a contract in shows like Bridgerton, to their rawest and purest form. Here, Emma discusses the journey of meeting her character again for this new chapter, favourite memories on set, and what life looks like outside the ton. Keep reading…

Hi Emma, thanks so much for chatting with us, and congratulations on the new season. What are your expectations for the release?
Thanks so much for having me! I think audiences are going to love how funny this season is. The Featheringtons (and their new husbands) are hilarious. You guys are in for a treat. And of course, audiences have been rooting for Colin and Penelope for quite some time now.

Tell me a bit about your creative upbringing. When did you first fall in love with acting?
I’ve always loved it. My mum and I were watching movies every week for as long as I can remember and I got the acting bug pretty early on. For a summer I rehearsed and re-acted Shrek in its ENTIRETY when I was maybe 7 or 8… For no one reason by the way. I started taking acting seriously though around 17, went to drama school and got serious about the craft.

Do you remember some of your first influences at the time? Personally and professionally.
My dad has always been a very creative person. He paints, plays the guitar, wrote and produced music, reads a lot, bakes. I think I’ve picked up on those skills or at least a passion for it. My parents were encouraging throughout my childhood and I think that goes a long way.

[Professionaly,] American movies played a huge part of me wanting to become an actor when I was younger, and I watched all the movies of my favourite stars with my mum; their early work, their blockbusters and everything in between: Angelina Jolie, Julia Roberts, Brad Pitt, Morgan Freeman, Denzel Washington, Charlize Theron, Tom Hanks, Kate Winslet, Whoopi Goldberg, Eddie Murphy, Whitney Houston, Jude Law, Leonardo DiCaprio and more. When I went to drama school, theatre became very important to me. I love classical poetry and verse.

What was your first reaction to reading the script for Season 3?
Season three is very exciting for the Mondrichs! We had no idea our character’s lives would change so quickly and dramatically. And of course, because Alice and Will aren’t in the books, we couldn’t read ahead. I love how every season has a different tone and I’m really enjoying the romantic comedy vibes.

Tell me a bit about your relationship with Alice. How do you connect most with her?
Alice is quite different to me, but I enjoy that. She’s solid, she’s a mother, she’s unfiltered and I get the sense she’s been like that from a young age. She’s fun to play, I think I learn a lot from her. We’re both cheeky though.

What do you find most intriguing and challenging about playing Alice?
When we started in Season one, I had done minimal work in television. I was pretty terrified then. I feel quite at home in playing Alice right now. We’re three seasons in and I’m very lucky to be working with Martins Imhangbe. We have been breaking down scenes and discussing their backstory for a few years now and I’m having a lot of fun playing Alice.

In Season 3, Alice and Will become part of the noble society. How do you reflect on your character’s development? What does it mean for her to be catapulted into this new reality?
It’s a great challenge for Alice and Will to be catapulted into society in this manner. It’s not on their terms and the reveal hits them sideways. This is a family who have worked all their lives, and suddenly they have servants to dress them and are sleeping in separate bedrooms because ‘that’s how it is done’. Faux Pas have consequences in society and Alice is used to saying and doing what she wants. It’s a lot of pressure.

Do you have core memories from your time on set? What do you love most about this project?
There’s a lot of laughter on set. The crew are warm, talented and hardworking people. Costume, hair and makeup, the art department, the attention to detail… someone needs to do a running commentary or side documentary. It’s unreal what these people are making, how innovative, imaginative, and playful. All of that serves to build a world that is very easy to play in as an actor. What a gift.

Are there layers of Alice that you think you know better than anyone else? If you were to explain her to someone who’s never met her, how would you do it?
At a glance, I would describe Alice as supportive and caring, ambitious for her family, cheeky, yet will ‘tell you like it is’. However, we meet in season 3 Alice in a very different place. She’s knocked off-centre by this leap into society. Is she allowed to behave like that now? There’s a real vulnerability there. What I love most about the Mondrichs is they care about each other. We are seeing a couple who are a decade deep in marriage, I love the way they communicate, especially in society. A lot of it is just a look.

Moving forward, what are some other roles you’d love to play? And tell us a bit about what’s next for you!
I would love to back to the theatre and do one of the great texts. A Chekov or a Greek Tragedy. Or to play a character with a lot of mess and unpredictability. That would be a fantastic challenge.

Bridgerton Season 3 is now available on Netflix.